Nitric oxide in patients with chronic liver diseases.
OBJECTIVE
Chronic liver disease (CLD) may be accompanied by portal hypertension (PHT). Nitric oxide (NO) system disturbances seem to play a key role in the pathogenesis of CLD and PHT. In this study we aim to assess if in chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and cirrhosis (CIR), CLD severity and etiology can be correlated with the serum level of NO metabolites.


METHODS
The study was performed on 92 patients divided according to the diagnosis and Child-Pugh class, and a control group of 10 healthy volunteers. Serum nitrite/nitrate and citrulline levels were measured in order to evaluate NO synthesis.


CONCLUSIONS
In CLD patients there was an increased NO production. In CIR NO synthesis increased more than in CAH. In CIR patients only nitrite/nitrate concentrations were correlated with citrulline levels. NO metabolites from CAH and CIR patients varied according to disease etiology, namely NO synthesis was more important in HCV-CLD than in alcoholic-CLD and HBV-CLD. In CIR patients, NO metabolites level increased with disease severity.
Pârvu
Alina Elena
AE
Department of Pathophysiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400020 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. alina.parvu@personal.ro
Negrean
Vasile
V
Pleşca-Manea
Luminiţa
L
Cosma
Angela
A
Drăghici
Anton
A
Uifălean
Ana
A
Moldovan
Remus
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D015415:Biomarkers; D009569:Nitric Oxide