Portal levels of the isoprostane F2 alpha-III, a marker of lipid peroxidation, do not correlate with increased portal pressure in cirrhotic patients.
BACKGROUND
Isoprostane F2 alpha-III (iPF2 alpha-III), a recently described member of a family of prostaglandin F2 alpha isomers and a biologically active end-product of lipid peroxidation, has been reported to increase portal pressure in cirrhotic rats. We found that its urinary levels were elevated in cirrhotic patients.


METHODS
To investigate whether portal levels of iPF2 alpha-III were elevated in cirrhotic patients and whether there was a relationship between these levels and the portal pressure in the same patients, peripheral and portal plasma from cirrhotic patients (n = 18) undergoing elective transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and appropriate controls (n = 18) were assayed for iPF2 alpha-III levels by using a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry assay. Portal pressure was measured in all cirrhotic patients.


RESULTS
Cirrhotic patients had higher peripheral plasma levels of iPF2 alpha-III [78 (27-150) pg/mL] than controls [18(10-30)pg/mL] (P < 0.001). Portal iPF2 alpha-III levels were higher than plasma peripheral levels [129(50-375) pg/mL; P < 0.0001]. No correlation was found between peripheral and portal levels of iPF2 alpha-III (Rho = 0.17, P = 0.5). Portal levels of iPF2 alpha-III and portal pressure did not correlate (Rho = 0.17, P = 0.49).


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that peripheral and portal levels of iPF2 alpha-III, marker of in vivo lipid peroxidation, are elevated in liver cirrhosis. There is no correlation between iPF2 alpha-III portal levels and the portal pressure observed in these patients. These findings suggest that this biologically active isoprostane does not directly contribute to the portal hypertension observed in hepatic cirrhosis.
Praticò
D
D
Center for Experimental Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA.
Rossi
E
E
Merli
M
M
Riggio
O
O
FitzGerald
G A
GA
Violi
F
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017082:Portal Pressure; D011169:Portal Vein; D019168:Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic
C114340:8,12-iso-isoprostane F2alpha-III; D015415:Biomarkers; D015237:Dinoprost