title: Blood and plasma 5-hydroxytryptamine levels in patients with cirrhosis.
abstract: Serotoninergic mechanisms are thought to play a role in portal hypertension. Because this biomine is metabolized by the liver, peripheral blood and plasma levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (the main metabolite of 5-hydroxytryptamine) were measured in 30 patients with cirrhosis. Whole-blood 5-hydroxytryptamine levels were significantly lower in patients with cirrhosis (158 +/- 28 nM) than in age-matched controls (332 +/- 19 nM), and no correlation was found between these levels and the severity of cirrhosis. Unconjugated plasma 5-hydroxytryptamine levels, an indication of the active form of 5-hydroxytryptamine, were significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis than in controls (6.8 +/- 1.7 nM and 3.4 +/- 0.5 nM, respectively), and in patients with cirrhosis these levels were higher in Pugh grade A than in Pugh grade C patients. Conjugated-plasma 5-hydroxytryptamine levels were not significantly different between patients with cirrhosis (32.2 +/- 8.1 nmol/L) and controls (16.4 +/- 1.4 nmol/L). Plasma 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid was significantly lower in patients with cirrhosis than in controls (1.5 +/- 0.1 nmol/L and 2.3 +/- 0.1 nmol/L, respectively). In conclusion, this study shows that serotoninergic mechanisms are altered in patients with cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: FRA Claude Bernard, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beaudry
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hadengue
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Callebert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaudin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soliman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Launay
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lebrec
mesh_terms: D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*; D014690:Venous Pressure
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid