Chemoattractant and opsonic activity in ascitic fluid. A study in 47 patients with cirrhosis or malignant peritonitis.
We studied prospectively the ascitic fluid of 47 patients. Thirty-five were cirrhotics (group A) and 12 had malignant peritonitis (group B). All ascitic fluid samples were initially uninfected. We measured opsonic activity by a chemiluminescent assay, and chemoattractant activity by the under agarose technique. We also measured ascitic concentrations of C3, C4, fibronectin, C-reactive protein, immunoglobulins G, A and M and total proteins. All patients were followed throughout the presence of ascites. None of the group B patients developed peritoneal infection, nor did 23 of the group A patients (group A2). Twelve group A patients (group A1) developed spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), four of them with recurrence. All indices except immunoglobulins A and M were significantly different between group A and group B patients. Comparing group A1 and group A2, only chemoattractant activity and concentrations of total proteins and C3 were significantly lower in group A1. Using a multivariate analysis with Cox's model, only C3 concentration had an independent predictive value for occurrence of SBP in cirrhotic patients.
Mal
F
F
Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Bondy, France.
Huu
T P
TP
Bendahou
M
M
Trinchet
J C
JC
Garnier
M
M
Hakim
J
J
Beaugrand
M
M
D000368:Aged; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000502:physiology; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009895:Opsonin Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011446:Prospective Studies
D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D003176:Complement C3; D009895:Opsonin Proteins