title: Thrombopoietin levels in patients with cirrhosis before and after orthotopic liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thrombocytopenia is a common manifestation of cirrhosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine plasma thrombopoietin levels in cirrhotic patients with thrombocytopenia, monitor those levels before and after orthotopic liver transplantation, and compare thrombopoietin messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in liver samples from cirrhotic patients and controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of patients with cirrhosis, including a small subset of patients who had orthotopic liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  University-affiliated hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  44 patients with cirrhosis, including 17 patients who had orthotopic liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Orthotopic liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma thrombopoietin levels in all patients, platelet counts in all patients, and thrombopoietin mRNA levels in liver samples from nine patients with cirrhosis and eight controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thrombopoietin levels were undetectable in 39 of 44 patients with cirrhosis. In 16 of 17 patients, the levels became detectable after liver transplantation. Thrombopoietin mRNA levels were decreased in liver samples from patients with cirrhosis compared with controls (P = 0.0103).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low thrombopoietin levels in cirrhotic patients with thrombocytopenia and the increased levels after orthotopic liver transplantation suggest that impaired production of thrombopoietin may contribute to thrombocytopenia associated with cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Somberg
authors.forename: Y G
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Heid
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: de Sauvage
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shuman
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015342:DNA Probes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood*; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013926:Thrombopoietin