title: Plasma concentrations of immunoreactive atrial natriuretic peptide in hospitalized cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients: evidence for a role of deficient atrial natriuretic peptide in pathogenesis of cirrhotic ascites.
abstract: Atrial natriuretic peptide(s) (ANP), are thought to be released from the cardiac atria in response to distension. If decreased effective circulating blood volume is important in pathogenesis of ascites, plasma ANP levels would be expected to be decreased in ascitic subjects because of decreased atrial distension. To test this hypothesis, we measured plasma ANP by competitive radioimmunoassay in three groups of fasted, supine hospitalized subjects: nine noncirrhotic control subjects, 12 cirrhotics without ascites, and 17 cirrhotics with moderate to marked ascites. Immunoreactive plasma ANP concentrations were 195 +/- 41, 171 +/- 31, and 137 +/- 34 pg/ml (m +/- SD), respectively, in the three groups. The mean concentration in the group with cirrhosis and ascites was significantly (p less than or equal to 0.01) les than those of the other two groups, which did not differ from one another. These results support the concept that decreased effective circulating volume plays a role in pathogenesis of cirrhotic ascites, and that a relative deficiency of ANP plays a role in the sodium retention of decompensated cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Bonkovsky
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Hartle
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Mellen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kutner
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Galambos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001201:Ascites / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor