ADMA correlates with portal pressure in patients with compensated cirrhosis.
Eur J Clin Invest
; 37(6): 509-15, 2007 Jun.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-17537159
BACKGROUND: Chronic liver diseases are frequently complicated by portal hypertension, an important component of which is the increased intrahepatic vascular resistance, in part related to endothelial dysfunction. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of NO synthase, is an established mediator and marker of endothelial dysfunction. We therefore investigated the possible implication of ADMA in chronic liver diseases-induced portal hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 39 consecutive patients with compensated hepatitis C virus (HCV) related chronic liver diseases. All patients underwent hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement, and simultaneous blood sampling from the hepatic vein and the pulmonary artery, for ADMA and nitrite/nitrate (NOx) plasma level determinations. RESULTS: A positive correlation between HVPG and ADMA concentrations in hepatic veins (ADMA-h) was found (r = 0.77, P < 0.0001). Moreover, a negative correlation between HVPG and NOx concentrations in the hepatic veins (NO-h) (r = -0.50, P = 0.005), and between ADMA-h and NO-h was observed (r = -0.40, P = 0.02). ADMA concentrations in pulmonary artery (ADMA-p) (0.55 +/- 0.13 micromol L(-1)) were significantly higher than in hepatic veins (0.47 +/- 0.09 micromol L(-1)) (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that ADMA may play a pathophysiological role in portal hypertension by contributing to the relative intrahepatic NO deficiency typical of endothelial dysfunction.
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Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Arginina
/
Hepatitis C Crónica
/
Hipertensión Portal
/
Cirrosis Hepática
Tipo de estudio:
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Eur J Clin Invest
Año:
2007
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Italia
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido