Depression of plasma gelsolin level during acute liver injury.
Human plasma contains two actin-binding proteins, plasma gelsolin and vitamin D-binding protein. These proteins are considered to play an important role in the disposition of actin derived from injured tissue. To evaluate this actin-scavenger system, gelsolin concentrations were measured in serial plasma samples obtained from patients with acute liver injury using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Plasma gelsolin levels in 43 healthy persons were 226 +/- 52 micrograms/mL. They were markedly reduced to 80 +/- 40 micrograms/mL in 14 patients with an early stage of acute hepatitis and returned to normal levels of 232 +/- 38 micrograms/mL as the disease resolved. Moreover, they showed a significant negative correlation with serum aminotransferase and bilirubin levels. In 7 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, plasma gelsolin levels rapidly decreased from 182 +/- 42 to 87 +/- 41 micrograms/mL after transcatheter arterial embolization therapy. Because plasma gelsolin is not a hepatic protein, the decreased levels are considered to depend exclusively on the extent of actin leakage from the injured liver.
Ito
H
H
Department of Medicine III, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
Kambe
H
H
Kimura
Y
Y
Nakamura
H
H
Hayashi
E
E
Kishimoto
T
T
Kishimoto
S
S
Yamamoto
H
H
D000199:Actins / Q000097:blood; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D018260:Gelsolin; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000097:blood*
D000199:Actins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D018260:Gelsolin; D008840:Microfilament Proteins