[Importance of determination of monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX)--as a liver function test in hepatology and liver transplantation].

Intravenously administered lidocaine is rapidly metabolised in the liver biotransformation enzyme system through oxidative N-deethylation with cytochrome P-450, accompanied by production of monoethylglycinexylide (MEGX). Changes of the activity and capacity of this sensitive system in liver diseases are expressed in disturbed metabolism of substances predominantly metabolised by this enzymatic system. Serum concentration of MEGX--a lidocaine metabolite--reflects the disturbance of liver function. The degree of liver function disturbance correlates with the rate of MEGX concentration fall. Utilization of MEGX test in clinical practice is multiple. In patients with chronic liver diseases is the MEGX test an appropriate complementary test enabling the evaluation of liver functional state with prognostic value. In the field of transplantology it may be used in pretransplantation period for donor liver functional state evaluation and in posttransplantation term for monitoring the graft functional state. The test was used in similar manner in paediatric patients. MEGX test is an appropriate method for rapid estimation of functional liver capacity in actual period. It is a rapid, simple test, which represents a complementary method in hepatology and liver transplantation. MEGX is worldwide used in detection of the functional liver state in patients with various forms of liver diseases and in patients prior to and after liver transplantation. (Ref. 46.)