Plasma thrombopoietin in patients with cavernous transformation of the portal vein.
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.
Göker
Hakan
H
Hacettepe University Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. hgoker1@hotmail.com
Egesel
Türker
T
Karakuş
Sema
S
Haznedaroglu
Ibrahim C
IC
Apraş
Sule
S
Büyükaşic
Yahya
Y
Sayinalp
Nilgün
N
Ozcebe
Osman I
OI
Dundar
Semra
S
Kirazli
Serafettin
S
Bayraktar
Yusuf
Y
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
D013926:Thrombopoietin