Plasma Adrenomedullin among Patients with Chronic Liver Diseases
Journal Title: Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences (MJMS) - Year 2010, Vol 3, Issue 1
Abstract
Background. Adrenomedullin (AM) is a potent vasodilator peptide and it has been implicated as one of the mediator of the vasodilatory state in liver cirrhosis. Aim. The aim of the study was to determine the level of AM in patients with chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis and comparing them with healthy controls. Methods. Plasma concentration of adrenomedullin was measured by enzyme immunoassay in 11 patients with chronic hepatitis and 27 patients with liver cirrhosis and 16 subjects as controls. Patients were subjected to clinical, laboratory and ultrasonography examination. Results. Of the 27 patients with liver cirrhosis; 12 patients had ascites and 13 patients had esophageal varices, and all patients had positive schistosoma antibodies. The mean levels of AM were higher in patients with chronic hepatitis and patients with liver cirrhosis compared to controls (0.571 ± 0.197 ng/ml, 0.516 ± 0.178 ng/ml and 0.303 ± 0.065 ng/ml, respectively; p<0.001). There was no significant difference in AM levels between patients with and without ascites (0.45 ± 0.16 ng/ml and 0.56 ± 0.19 ng/ml respectively, p=0.1) and patients with and without esophageal varices (0.45 ± 0.19 ng/ml and 0.57 ± 0.17 ng/ml respectively, p=0.07). Conclusion. Chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis were associated with increase AM levels in blood. The increased AM in chronic hepatitis may denote that hemodyamic abnormalities start before the development of overt cirrhosis.
Authors and Affiliations
Hala M Raslan| Department of Internal Medicine, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt, Heba Sayed Assal| Department of Internal Medicine, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt, Wafaa M Ezzat| Department of Internal Medicine, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt, Yasser A Elhossay| Department of Internal Medicine, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt, Nour A Abdulla| Department of Hepatology, National Hepatology &Tropical Disease Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt, Enas Abdel Rasheed| Clinical and Chemical Pathology, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt, Maha A Rasheed| Clinical and Chemical Pathology, National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
Keywords
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- EP ID EP8722
- DOI 10.3889/MJMS.1857-5773.2010.0082
- Views 331
- Downloads 19
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