title: Accumulation of symmetric dimethylarginine in hepatorenal syndrome.
abstract: In patients with cirrhosis, nitric oxide (NO), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and possibly symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) have been linked to the severity of the disease. We investigated whether plasma levels of dimethylarginines and NO are elevated in patients with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), compared with patients with cirrhosis without renal failure (no-HRS). Plasma levels of NO, ADMA, SDMA, and l-arginine were measured in 11 patients with HRS, seven patients with no-HRS, and six healthy volunteers. SDMA concentration in HRS was higher than in no-HRS and healthy subjects (1.47 +/- 0.25 vs. 0.38 +/- 0.06 and 0.29 +/- 0.04 microM, respectively; P < 0.05). ADMA and NOx concentrations were higher in HRS and no-HRS patients than in healthy subjects (ADMA, 1.20 +/- 0.26, 1.11 +/- 0.1, and 0.53 +/- 0.06 microM, respectively; P < 0.05; NOx, 94 +/- 9.1, 95.5 +/- 9.54, and 37.67 +/- 4.62 microM, respectively; P < 0.05). In patients with HRS there was a positive correlation between serum creatinine and plasma SDMA (r2 =0.765, P < 0.001) but not between serum creatinine and ADMA or NOx. The results suggest that renal dysfunction is a main determinant of elevated SDMA concentration in HRS. Accumulation of ADMA as a result of impaired hepatic removal may be the causative factor initiating renal vasoconstriction and SDMA retention in the kidney.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Hepatología, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Paloma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lluch
authors.forename: Maria D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mauricio
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vila
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Segarra
authors.forename: Pascual
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Del Olmo
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rodrigo
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Serra
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D006530:Hepatorenal Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D001120:Arginine; D003404:Creatinine