RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Antithrombin III (AT-III) produced from hepatocytes and endothelial cells is a coagulation inhibitor. The authors investigated the activity levels of AT-III in patients with liver disease and attempt to elucidate the clinical significance of activity levels of AT-III in relation to various liver disease. METHODS: This study includes 158 patients with liver disease, who visited the National Police Hospital between October 1997 and March 2002. We performed laboratory tests such as LFT, AFP and either abdominal sonography or abdominal CT. At the same time, AT-III activity levels was measured by chromogenic method using ACL 3000 (IL, Lexington, USA). AT-III activity level of 70~120% was regarded as normal. RESULTS: AT-III activity level of liver cirrhosis patients was decreased along with severity of the disease evaluated by Child-Pugh Classification. AT-III activity level of liver cirrhosis patients and hepatocellular carcinoma patients with liver cirrhosis, whose serum AFP were within normal limits, were 50.11+/-2.86% and 75.58+/-6.61%, respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Considering the results of the decrease of AT-III activity level in liver cirrhosis patients and the increase in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with liver cirrhosis, further evaluation for the possibility of hepatocellular carcinoma in liver cirrhosis patients without decrease of AT-III level or increase of AFP, may be in need.