Decreased expression of serum cortisol in patients with severe hepatitis / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the profile of serum cortisol levels in patients with severe hepatitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty patients with viral hepatitis (including 30 severe hepatitis patients and 20 chronic hepatitis B patients) were enrolled in this present study. Serum cortisol concentration was tested using radioimmunoassay. Furthermore, liver function, coagulation and other related laboratory indices were also determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Serum cortisol concentration of severe hepatitis group was lower than that of chronic hepatitis B group (P < 0.05) and lower than that of healthy controls (P < 0.05) serum cortisol concentration of severe hepatitis patients was significantly positively correlated with PTA (r = 0.445, P < 0.05); serum cortisol concentration has no relation with ALT in patients with severe hepatitis (P > 0.05), and serum cortisol concentration was significantly negatively correlated with the ratio of AST/ALT in patients with severe hepatitis (r = -0.367, P < 0.05). No significant relationship was found between serum cortisol concentration and total Bilirubin (P > 0.05). Serum cortisol concentration in death group of severe hepatitis was lower than that in survival group of severe hepatitis (P < 0.05). Of severe hepatitis patients with MELD score, the higher MELD score, the lower the cortisol concentration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Cortisol concentration decreased in patients with severe hepatitis, which was related to functional liver reserve and disease severity. Cortisol can be related to the prognosis of severe hepatitis patients.</p>