ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Research on paraoxonase-3 (PON3) has been hampered by the lack of methods for measurement. This is a pilot study aimed at exploring whether chronic liver impairment is associated with changes in serum PON3 concentrations, and to know whether this measurement may provide useful information to investigate this derangement. DESIGN AND METHODS: We studied 110 patients with chronic liver disease (21 minimal changes, 79 chronic hepatitis, 10 cirrhosis) and 356 healthy volunteers. Serum PON3 concentration was determined by ELISA using polyclonal antibodies generated against a synthetic peptide with a sequence specific to PON3. RESULTS: Serum PON3 concentrations were increased in patients with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis and showed significant direct correlations with the degree of periportal abnormalities including fibrosis, and with serum FAS (a marker of antiapoptosis) concentrations. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that PON3 may play a hepatoprotective role against histological alterations and hepatic cell apoptosis leading to liver disease.
