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Increased levels of platelet‐activating factor in blood from patients with cirrhosis of the liver
Author(s) -
CARAMELO C.,
FERNÁNDEZGALLARDO S.,
SANTOS J. C.,
IÑARREA P.,
SÁNCHEZCRESPO M.,
LÓPEZNOVOA J. M.,
HERNANDO L.
Publication year - 1987
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.1365-2362.1987.tb01218.x
Subject(s) - cirrhosis , catabolism , medicine , platelet activating factor , platelet , endocrinology , hemodynamics , metabolism
. The levels of platelet‐activating factor (pafacether) were measured in blood and ascitic fluid from cirrhotic patients and in blood from a group of controls, using a recently described technique for extraction and measurement. In addition, activity of acetylhydrolase, the main catabolic enzyme for paf‐acether, was also measured. The highest levels of paf‐acether in blood were found in decompensated cirrhotics (1·78 pL 0·62 ng ml ‐1 ; mean pL SD, n = 8). Compensated cirrhotics showed lower blood values (0·79 pL 0·21, n = 4), but higher than controls (0·20 pL 0·04, n = 12). Paf‐acether levels in ascitic fluid were similar to those of blood. Values of acetylhydrolase in serum were similar in all the groups studied (3·0 pL 0·4 in cirrhotics vs. 2·3 pL 0·4 nmol min ‐1 mg ‐1 of protein in controls). These data suggest an enhanced production of paf‐acether in cirrhotic patients rather than a decreased catabolism. High levels of paf‐acether in blood could be involved in the impaired haemodynamics of cirrhotic patients and in their renal function alterations.