SERUM GLUTAMIC OXALACETIC TRANSAMINASE ACTIVITY IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC ALCOHOLISM

Eighty per cent of chronic alcoholics exhibited a significant and characteristic rise in the SGO-T activity after acute alcohol intoxication without alteration in the results of the other tests of liver function. There was a rough correlation between the blood alcohol concentration and the SGO-T activity. None of the healthy volunteers developed increased SGO-T activity after ingestion of large amounts of alcohol. The ingestion of alcohol in the chronic alcoholic may lead to cellular damage that may become irreversible after a period of time, with subsequent replacement of liver parenchyma with fibrous tissue and the development of Laennec's cirrhosis.