Plasma endothelin and haemodynamic disturbances in liver cirrhosis

Eleven healthy subjects, 10 compensated cirrhotic patients and 21 cirrhotics with ascites [11 with renal failure] were selected for this study.Clinical examination, liver function and renal function tests were done for every subject. Also plasma endothelin concentration and plasma renin activity were measured in all subjects. Volume expansion was done for cirrhotic patients with ascites and renal [failure by interavenous infusion of human albumin. 24 hours after volume expansion, plasma endothelin and plasma renin activity were measured again. Cirrhotic patients with ascites with and without renal failure showed higher, endothelin levels [14.955 +/- 2.597 and 4.12 +/- 1.12 pg/ml respectively] than compensated cirrhotics [2.5 +/- 0.7 pg/ml] and healthy subjects [0.3 +/- 0.05 pg/ml] plasma renine increased in decompensated cirrhotic patients with and without renal failure [10.7 +/- 1.4 and3.4 +/- 0.7 pg/ml]. Volume expansion is markedly supperssed plasma renin but not plasma endothelin [1.1 +/- 0.8 vs 10.7 +/- 1.4 and 15.0 +/- 2.0 vs 14.955 +/- 2.6 pg/ml, respectively]. In conclusion circulating plasma levels of endothelin were elevated in cirrhosis with acites and did not decrease after plasma volume expansion. This suggest that the endothelin may play a role in pathogenesis of haemodynamic disturbances in liver cirrhosis

Plasma nitrate concentration in patients with acute diarrhoea

Ten healthy subjects, 13 patients with irritable bowel syndrome [functional diarrhoea],12 patients with acute infective enteritis and 9 patients with active ulcerative colitis were included in this study. The plasma nitrate concentration was determined in all healthy subjects and patients. Mean plasma nitrate concentration in four groups were: controls 30.7 +/- 8.2 micro mol/L; irritable bowel syndrome 37 +/- 7.01 micro mol/L; ulcerative colitis 60.5 +/- 7.8 micro mol / L and infective enteritis 206.9 +/- 31.3 micro mol/L [p < 0.001 enteritis vs all other groups]. In conclusions, plasma nitrate concentration could serve as a discriminant between infective and inflammatory or functional bowel disease in patients presenting with diarrhoes. It is not clear why there is considerable difference in endogenous nitrate synthesis between infective and inflammatory bowel disease, which are both characterised by severe gut inflammation

Plasma endothelin and haemodynamic disturbances in liver cirrhosis

Eleven healthy subjects, 10 compensated cirrhotic patients and 21 cirrhotics with ascites [11 with renal failure] were selected for this study. Clinical examination, liver function and renal function tests were done for every subject. Also plasma endothelin concentration and plasma renin activity were measured in all subjects. Volume expansion was done for cirrhotic patients with ascites and renal failure by interavenous infusion of human albumin. 24 hours after volume expansion, plasma endothelin and plasma renin activity were measured again. Cirrhotic patients with ascites with and without renal failure showed higher endothelin levels [14.955 +/- 2.597 and 4.12 +/- 1.12 pg/ml respectively] than compensated cirrhotics [2.5 +/- 0.7 pg/ml] and healthy subjects [0.3 +/- 0.05 pg/ml]. plasma renin was increased in decompensated cirrhotic patients with and without renal failure [10.7 +/- 1.4 and 3.4 +/- 0.7 pg/ml]. Volume expansion is markedly supperssed plasma renin but not plasma endothelin [5.7 +/- 0.8 vs 10.7 +/- 1.4 and 15.0 +/- 2.0 vs 14.955 +/- 2.6 pg/ml, respectively]. In conclusion circulating plasma levels of endothelin were elevated in cirrhosis with acites and did not decreased after plasma volume expansion. This suggest that the endothelin may play a role in pathogenesis of haemodynamic disturbances in liver cirrhosis

Helicobacter pylori infection. Is it a risk factor in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease?

To determine whether H. pylori infection is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, 100 men with myocardial infarction and/or ischaemia [mean age 52.6 +/- 6.9 years] and 100 healthy control subjects matched for age, sex and BMI were included in this study. All patients and control subjects were assessed clinically and by resting electrocardiograms. Fasting venous blood samples were analyzed for H. pylori specific IgG antibodies by ELISA, plasma fibrinogen, serum cholesterol, triglycerides and total leucocytic count. 28% of patients with coronary heart disease were seropositive to H. pylori infection versus 61% seropositive in control group [P < 0.05]. Plasma fibrinogen levels were significantly elevated in seropositive patients and control subjects when compared with seronegative groups [cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and total leucocytic count]. There was no significant difference in the rates of H. pylori infection between patients with myocardial infarction and patients with angina In conclusion, H. pylori infection was significantly associated with the increased risk of coronary heart disease. This risk can be explained in part by elevated fibrinogen levels in seropositive patients and control subjects