Table 1.

Clinical and biochemical data in controls and in patients with liver cirrhosis

	Controls (n=10)	Cirrhotic patients (n=10)
Age (years)	49 (7)	53 (8)
Aetiology
Alcoholic		3
Hepatitis C virus		6
Hepatitis B virus		1
Serum bilirubin (mg/dl)	0.8 (0.3)	1.3 (0.6)
Prothrombin time (%)	97 (5)	72 (13)
Serum albumin (g/dl)	4.3 (0.5)	3.6 (0.3)
Alkaline phosphatase (IU/l)*	187 (56)	275 (182)
ALT (IU/l)†	35 (14)	129 (53)
Platelet count (cell/mm3)	286 000 (102 000)	72 400 (16 300)
Oesophageal varices (present/absent)		8/2
Plasma creatinine (mg/dl)	0.6 (0.1)	0.9 (0.1)
Plasma sodium (mEq/l)	141 (2)	136 (4)
Plasma potassium (mEq/l)	4.2 (0.5)	4.2 (0.6)

Data are mean(SD).

ALT, alanine aminotransferase.

*Normal value <280 U/l.

†Normal value <36 U/l.