Potential sensitivity of hepatic specific protein regucalcin as a marker of chronic liver injury

A novel calcium-binding protein regucalcin has been shown to be specifically expressed in the liver of various specifies including human. Regucalcin concentration in the serum of patients with chronic liver injury was estimated by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) with rabbit-anti-regucalcin IgG. Serum samples were obtained from 42 persons who were diagnosed as liver disorder. Serum regucalcin concentration in all patients was in the range of 3.7-69.6 ng/ml, although regucalcin was not entirely seen in the serum of normal subjects (10 persons) without hepatitis. Meanwhile, in 18 patients with liver injury, serum glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT) activities were normal value (less than 40 I.U./l). Serum GOT and GPT activities from 24 patients showed a comparatively higher level (50-234 I.U./l). The present results demonstrate the potential sensitivity of regucalcin as a marker of chronic liver injury. (Mol Cell Biochem 167: 187-190, 1997)