Does endothelin-1 play a role in the renal function of cirrhotic patients?
METHODS
We investigated plasma and urinary endothelin-1 levels in eleven cirrhotic patients and ten healthy control subjects, to evaluate whether endothelin is involved in renal functional alterations of liver cirrhosis.


RESULTS
No significant difference in plasma ET-1 levels was observed between the two groups (p > 0.05) but urinary ET-1 excretion was significantly higher in cirrhotics than in controls (p < 0.001). Creatinine clearance (mean 56 +/- 7.6 ml/min) showed an inverse correlation with plasma ET-1 levels (p < 0.05) in cirrhotics.


CONCLUSIONS
We believe this may be caused by enhanced local ET-1 activity linked to an up-regulation of its specific receptors and/or increased renal synthesis, resulting in augmented urinary excretion.
Bruno
C M
CM
Institute of Internal and Emergency Medicine, University of Catania, Italy.
D'Amico
R
R
Ierna
D
D
Neri
S
S
D000368:Aged; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D019332:Endothelin-1; D003404:Creatinine