title: Plasma and platelet serotonin levels in patients with liver cirrhosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the relationship between plasma and platelet serotonin levels and the degree of liver insufficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prospective study included 30 patients with liver cirrhosis and 30 healthy controls. The degree of liver failure was assessed according to the Child-Pugh classification. Platelet and platelet poor plasma serotonin levels were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean plasma serotonin level was higher in liver cirrhosis patients than in healthy subjects (215.0 +/- 26.1 vs 63.1 +/- 18.1 nmol/L; P < 0.0001). The mean platelet serotonin content was not significantly different in patients with liver cirrhosis compared with healthy individuals (4.8 +/- 0.6; 4.2 +/- 0.3 nmol/platelet; P > 0.05). Plasma serotonin levels were significantly higher in Child-Pugh grade A/B than in grade C patients (246.8 +/- 35.0 vs 132.3 +/- 30.7 nmol/L; P < 0.05). However, platelet serotonin content was not significantly different between Child-Pugh grade C and grade A/B (4.6 +/- 0.7 vs 5.2 +/- 0.8 nmol/platelet; P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Plasma serotonin levels are significantly higher in patients with cirrhosis than in the controls and represent the degree of liver insufficiency. In addition, platelet poor plasma serotonin estimation is a better marker for liver insufficiency than platelet serotonin content.
authors.affiliation: Institute of digestive Diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia, Koste Todorovica 6 street, Belgrade 11000, Serbia. dculafic@eunet.yu
authors.forename: Dorde M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Culafic
authors.forename: Dusko S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Mirkovic
authors.forename: Miodrag D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Vukcevic
authors.forename: Jelena S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rudic
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012701:Serotonin