Liver in leprosy--I. Functional changes.

Liver function tests were carried out in 79 leprosy patients, out of which 28 patients were being treated and 42 patients were not receiving any treatment. The rest 9 patients were clinically quiescent. In the untreated group there were 28 tuberculoid and 14 lepromatus cases. The 28 patients receiving treatment were composed of equal number of lepromatus and tuberculoid groups. The liver function tests of 10 of the untreated tuberculoid patients were repeated after six months of specific therapy with D.D.S. The values of liver function tests of these patients were compared with that of 20 normal adults. The most important abnormality observed in the patients were a reversal of albumin/globulins ratio which was more common in the lepromatus group than in the tuberculoid group. Treatment with D.D.S. has resulted in the reduction of the serum globulin. There were no changes in transaminases and alkaline phosphatase activities in the untreated patients. But however a rise in the above enzymes were observed in patients on treatment. The mean serum cholesterol values of the patients were lower than that of the controls.