Plasma endothelin and haemodynamic disturbances in liver cirrhosis

ABSTRACT

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