Endothelium Dysfunction in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis

Abstract

Aim: To assess endothelial dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis. Material and methods: The study involved 95 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. The data were subjected to analysis of variance involving the calculation of arithmetic mean value and variance (М±m), estimating the values validity according to Student’s t-test and measuring Pearson correlation coefficient for binary variables. Results: The brachial artery diameter was 0.4±0.02 mm narrower, with its blood velocity flow being 25.8±3.4 cm/s slower in the mean, in the patients with liver cirrhosis with signs of hepatic encephalopathy as compared to the control group. The maximum EDV values were recorded in the patients in Group I (7.5±1.9 %), while Group III patients displayed the lowest EDV value (5.6±1.9 %). The LC patients were found to exhibit a significant increase in the concentration of ET-1 up to 1.14±0.07 fmol/ml as opposed to 0.34±0.05 fmol/ml in the control group (р<0.01), an increase in the level of VWF by 139.4±24,8 % as compared to the control group (р<0.01) and D-dimer by a factor of 6.8. Conclusions: The patients with liver cirrhosis were found to have endothelial damage, namely the dysfunction of the vasoregulating activity of vascular wall against the background of portal hypertension. Changes in the vasoactive BAS values are indicative of the damage to the vascular endothelium in LC patients with signs of HE. A steady and gradual increase or decrease in the levels of ЕТ-1, VWF, АТ ІІІ, and D-dimer may suggest the progressive character of ED in the LC patients.