[Portal hemodynamics in patients with different syndromes of cirrhosis]

To explore the relationship between the portal hemodynamics or the indices of liver fibrosis and the liver function score in patients with different traditional Chinese medical syndromes of liver cirrhosis.

One hundred and forty-seven cases of liver cirrhosis with different syndromes were included in the study. Diameters and blood flow velocities of the portal vein and splenic vein were tested by color Doppler sonarography. The indices of liver function (TBIL, ALT, AST, Alb, Glb, PTA) and the indices of hepatic fibrosis (HA, PC-III, LN, VI-C) were tested.

The diameters of portal vein in liver cirrhosis patients with different syndromes (internal accumulation of of damp-heat, stagnation of liver-qi, superabundance of dampness due to spleen-asthenia, asthenia of liver and kidney yin, asthenia of spleen and kidney yang, blood stasis) were not significantly different. The blood flow velocities and flow volumes of portal vein in patients with the blood stasis syndrome and the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome were significantly different (P < 0.05). The diameter of splenic vein in patients with the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome was significantly different to that of the asthenia of liver and kidney yin syndrome, or the blood stasis syndrome, or the asthenia of spleen and kidney yang syndrome, respectively (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The blood flow velocity of splenic vein in patients with the blood stasis syndrome or the asthenia of spleen and kidney yang syndrome was significantly different to that of the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome, or the stagnation of liver-qi syndrome, or the asthenia of liver and kidney yin syndrome, respectively (P < 0.01). The blood flow volume of splenic vein in patients with the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome was significantly different to that of the asthenia of liver and kidney yin syndrome, or the asthenia of spleen and kidney yang syndrome, or the blood stasis syndrome, respectively (P < 0.01). The liver cirrhosis indices HA and PC-III in patients with the asthenia of liver and kidney yin syndrome were significantly different to those of the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome (P < 0.05). In Child-Pugh classification, the incidence of Child-Pugh C was the highest in the asthenia of spleen and kidney yang syndrome, while the incidence of Child-Pugh A was the highest in the stagnation of liver qi syndrome.

The changes of portal vein dynamics in liver cirrhosis patients with the asthenia of liver and kidney yin syndrome, or the asthenia of spleen and kidney yang syndrome, or the blood stasis syndrome are significantly different to those of the internal accumulation of damp-heat syndrome and the stagnation of liver-qi syndrome.