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Three serum markers of collagen biosynthesis in Nigerians with cirrhosis and various infectious diseases
Author(s) -
BOLARIN DEBAYO M.,
SAVOLAINEN EEVARIITTA,
KIVIRIKKO KARI I.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2362.1984.tb02094.x
Subject(s) - cirrhosis , nigerians , gastroenterology , medicine , schistosomiasis , immunology , fibrosis , hepatitis , helminths , political science , law
. Serum immunoreactive prolyl hydroxylase protein, galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase activity, and the aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (S‐Pro(III)‐N‐P) were measured in twenty patients with cirrhosis and ninety with various infectious diseases, and the values were compared with those in sixty apparently healthy Nigerians. The means for all three markers were elevated significantly in the patients with cirrhosis ( P < 0·001), acute viral hepatitis ( P < 0·001), amoebic liver abscess ( P < 0·001) and the early stages of Schistosoma mansoni infection ( P < 0·001 for S‐Pro(III)‐N‐P, P < 0·005 for the two other markers). The mean S‐Pro(III)‐N‐P was also distinctly elevated during the early stages of Schistosoma haematobium infection ( P < 0·01) and filariasis ( P < 0·001), whereas none of the three markers was elevated during an acute attack of malaria. Significant correlations were found between the values for the three markers within the groups of patients with cirrhosis, amoebic liver abscess and schistosomiasis, the correlations for the pooled group of all patients being highly significant ( P < 0·001). The data suggest that elevated hepatic collagen formation is found not only in cirrhosis but also in several infectious diseases. The three serum markers may be useful for showing the stages of active collagen formation in various liver diseases and for predicting the development of fibrosis in acute cases if the values remain elevated.