title: The contact system in human malignant and benign ascites.
abstract: The plasma contact system was studied in ascites and plasma from patients with gastrointestinal cancer and patients with liver failure. Our study demonstrates the presence of factor XII, factor XI, and prekallikrein and their main inhibitors in ascites and plasma from both patient groups. Both factor XII-like and plasma kallikrein-like activities were detected in the malignant ascites. The kallikrein-like activity in malignant ascites was found in complex with alpha 2-macroglobulin. In plasma samples from the patients functional values of factor XII and prekallikrein were decreased compared to controls. In benign ascites the proenzyme levels were significantly lower than in malignant ascites. Functional inhibition values in ascites and plasma from patients were unexpectedly high. Our findings indicate that the plasma contact system is activated in the ascites from cancer patients. Activation of the contact system generates vasoactive mediators, which may play a role in the accumulation of malignant ascites.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Surgical Research, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buø
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Karlsrud
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Aasen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000378:metabolism*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003174:Complement C1 Inactivator Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005172:Factor XI / Q000378:metabolism; D005174:Factor XII / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007610:Kallikreins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011288:Prekallikrein / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin / Q000378:metabolism; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D003174:Complement C1 Inactivator Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D000515:alpha 1-Antitrypsin; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; D005174:Factor XII; D005172:Factor XI; D011288:Prekallikrein; D007610:Kallikreins