Test for alcoholic cirrhosis by conversion of [14C]- or [13C]galactose to expired CO2.

After ingestion of galactose (10 g per m2) labeled with 14C or 13C, breath was collected from subjects at intervals for 4 hr followed by measurement of 14CO2 by liquid scintillation counting or of 13CO2 by mass spectrometry. Nine subjects without liver disease and 21 "cirrhotic" patients were tested with 14C; 8 control subjects and 4 patients with diagnosis of cirrhosis were tested with 13C. The mean rates of expiration of labeled CO2 by the patients with "cirrhosis" were one-third to one-half of mean normal rates during the first 90 min.