Figure 1.

(A) Measurement of serum ornithine carbamoyltransferase (OCT) concentrations in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA-positive chronic hepatitis (F1 to F4 stages) and in healthy subjects. The serum OCT concentrations in patients with F1 stage chronic liver disease were significantly lower than those of patients in the F3 and F4 stages. Serum OCT concentrations in healthy control subjects did not differ from those in patients with F1 to F2 stage disease, but differed from patients with F3 and F4 stage disease. (B) The degree of irregular regeneration of hepatocytes (irregular regeneration; IR score, total) and OCT concentrations were significantly correlated with the progression of disease F stage (r=0.306, P<0.0001). Severe IR was prevalent at high serum OCT concentrations.