title: [Serum aminoterminal procollagen type-III peptide in the diagnosis of chronic hepatopathies].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aims of the present study were to 1) compare the serum levels of the aminoterminal peptide of procollagen type III (PIIIP) in patients with different chronic liver diseases, 2) correlate their concentrations with histologic features in liver biopsy and 3) evaluate their use in the diagnosis of liver diseases and in recognition of fibrosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  With these aims PIIIP was determined in 57 patients with different chronic liver diseases and in 50 healthy donors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PIIIP was significantly elevated in patients with chronic active hepatitis (18.3 +/- 5.5 ng/ml; p less than 0.01) and with liver cirrhosis (27.8 +/- 11.7 ng/ml; p less than 0.001). The serum levels of this peptide related significantly with the severity of liver disease (p less than 0.001) in addition to the degree of morphometric liver fibrosis (Rs: 0.736; p less than 0.001) and with the degree of histologic activity (Rs: 0.78; p less than 0.001). The correlation between PIIIP and fibrosis was due to the relation between the same and inflammation. The levels of this peptide which were higher than 15 ng/ml were a sensitive test for the diagnosis of active liver disease (0.80) and cirrhosis (0.87) permitting differentiation between chronic and persistent active hepatitis. The differentiation between chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis was only possible when 24 ng/ml were taken as a discriminative level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The comparison of serum levels of the aminoterminal peptide of procollagen type III (PIIIP) in patients with different chronic liver diseases can predict moderate or high degrees of inflammatory activity when PIIIP are higher than 15 ng/ml. This test is of use for evaluating chronic hepatopathies although the levels reflect the activity of inflammation better than the degree of hepatic fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina (Servicio de Gastroenterología), Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Solís-Herruzo
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Morillas
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Colina
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Castellano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muñoz Yagüe
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Estenoz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011347:Procollagen; C041876:procollagen Type III-N-terminal peptide
vernacular_title: Péptido aminoterminal del procolágeno tipo III sérico en el diagnóstico de las hepatopatías crónicas.