Serum laminin P1 levels do not reflect critically elevated portal pressure in patients with liver cirrhosis.
OBJECTIVE
Laminin P1 serum levels run parallel to the accumulation of hepatic extracellular matrix in patients with liver cirrhosis. Recent studies reported a correlation between laminin P1 and portal pressure, leading to the proposal that laminin P1 may be used to identify patients with critically elevated portal pressure in liver cirrhosis. So far, most of the data has been obtained from patients with alcoholic liver disease.


METHODS
We studied the relationship between laminin P1 serum levels and portal hypertension in 34 patients with liver cirrhosis, mostly of non-alcoholic etiology. Using hepatic venous catheterisation the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), an estimate of portal hypertension, was measured. Laminin P1 was compared to the HVPG and the size of esophageal varices.


RESULTS
Serum laminin P1 was elevated in all samples. However, laminin P1 did not significantly correlate with either portal hypertension or the size of esophageal varices. Furthermore, laminin P1 measurement did not identify patients with critically elevated portal pressure using a HVPG of either 12 mmHg or 16 mmHg as cut-off points.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of laminin P1 serum levels to diagnose critically elevated portal pressure in liver cirrhosis cannot be supported for etiologies other than alcoholic liver disease.
Bahr
M J
MJ
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Germany.
Böker
K H
KH
Horn
W
W
Günzler
V
V
Manns
M P
MP
D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007797:Laminin / Q000097:blood*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D017082:Portal Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; D007797:Laminin; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C055716:laminin P1