title: Plasma thrombopoietin in patients with cavernous transformation of the portal vein.
abstract: Thrombopoietin (TPO), the primary regulator of thrombopoiesis, is produced mainly in the liver. Previous studies investigating blood TPO in chronic liver diseases revealed conflicting results. It has been suggested that hepatic TPO production is regulated by the portal blood supply to the liver. However, the role of TPO in the pathobiological basis of idiopathic portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV) has not been elucidated. The objective of this study is to assess plasma TPO concentrations in patients with CTPV. Eleven patients (4 men and 7 women, aged 38+/-12 years) with CTPV were studied. Sixteen healthy adults served as the control group (8 men and 8 women, aged 34+/-12 years). Median plasma TPO concentration was 326 pg/mL (range, 15-1402 pg/mL) in the patients with CTPV and 62.65 pg/mL (range, 38.5-102 pg/mL) in the control group (P = .003). In this study, we found significantly higher TPO concentrations in the plasma of patients with CTPV. The higher concentrations could be a result of the altered portal hemodynamics due to thrombosis. Moreover, TPO release by activated platelets might lead to the subsequent propagation of thrombosis in PVT.
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. hgoker1@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Göker
authors.forename: Türker
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Egesel
authors.forename: Sema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karakuş
authors.forename: Ibrahim C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Haznedaroglu
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Apraş
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Büyükaşic
authors.forename: Nilgün
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sayinalp
authors.forename: Osman I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Ozcebe
authors.forename: Semra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dundar
authors.forename: Serafettin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirazli
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bayraktar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008102:Liver Circulation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010976:Platelet Count; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011172:Portography; D013926:Thrombopoietin / Q000097:blood*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D013926:Thrombopoietin