title: [Clinical investigation of vitamin A deficiency and endotoxemia in patients with liver cirrhosis].
abstract: Eighty four patients with liver cirrhosis were studied and their plasma levels of vitamin A, fibronectin and endotoxin were assayed. Various degrees of vitamin A deficiency were found in 79% of the patients, but no deficiency in vitamin A caused the rise in plasma fibronectin. The incidence of endotoxemia and secondary infections in vitamin A deficient patients (82%, 31%) was significantly higher than that in normal vitamin A group (P less than 0.01). In 62% of the patients, vitamin A deficiency and endotoxemia existed simultaneously. For patients in whom vitamin A deficiency and fibronectin decrease coexisted, the incidence of endotoxemia was 93%. The findings demonstrated that vitamin A deficiency is an important cause of complicating endotoxemia and secondary infection in cirrhotic patients. Further efforts should be made to evaluate the clinical value of combined assay of vitamin A and fibronectin in estimating the liver function and prognosis of the patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hepatology, Tongji Medical University, Wuhan.
authors.forename: N X
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014115:Toxemia / Q000209:etiology*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D005353:Fibronectins; D014801:Vitamin A