RESUMO
Sixty-three hepatic patients [38 males and 25 females] with ages ranging between 25-75 years [mean 48.49 +/- 1.72] were included in this study. For comparison, 20 healthy age and sex matched volunteers were taken as controls. Patients with chronic liver diseases including hepatic cirrhosis [23 patients], bilharzial hepatic fibrosis [10 patients], hepatic malignancy [15 patients] and chronic viral hepatitis C [15 patients] were included in this study. All patients and healthy subjects were thoroughly clinically examined. Fasting blood sample was taken from each individual, divided into aliquots and analyzed for aminoterminal propeptide of type IIII procollagen and liver function tests [including prothrombin time, serum albumin, bilirubin, ALT and AST]. The severity of liver disease was graded by Pugh-Child scoring including the assessment of ascites, encephalopathy, bilirubin, albumin and prothrombin time. It was concluded that propeptide of type III procollagen [PIIINP] measurement is a good noninvasive marker of manifest fibrosis. Cirrhotic patients had the highest serum PIIINP levels of all studied patients