Heparin elimination in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Heparin (100 U/kg body-weight) was injected intravenously, and heparin concentration in plasma determined by polybrene titration. Mean heparin half-life was 117.8 min in a group of patients with liver cirrhosis and normal renal function (n = 6) as compared to 74.0 min in the normal group (n = 6). The difference between the two groups is statistically significant (p approximately 0.02). Heparin half-life was correlated to galactose half-life in the patients (r=0.83, p= 0.05). The findings suggest that heparin is metabolized in the liver. There was a significant fall in antithrombin III activities in the normals, but not in the patients. A possible explanation may be that the normal liver removes heparin bound to antithrombin III, and that this function is impaired in liver cirrhosis.
D000368:Aged; D000990:Antithrombin III / Q000378:metabolism; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism; D006493:Heparin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000991:Antithrombins; D000990:Antithrombin III; D006493:Heparin; D005690:Galactose