Haptoglobin prevents renal dysfunction associated with intravariceal infusion of ethanolamine oleate

Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) with ethanolamine oleate was performed in patients with esophageal varices either with (18 patients) or without (19 patients) pretreatment with haptoglobin. The serum levels of urea nitrogen, creatinine, and beta 2-microglobulin, the creatinine clearance, and the urinary levels of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase and urinary beta 2-microglobulin were measured before and after EIS. Indices of the glomerular filtration rate (serum levels of urea nitrogen, creatinine, beta 2-microglobulin; creatinine clearance) showed no significant changes after EIS in either the haptoglobin-treated or untreated groups. However, the increase in the urinary parameters after EIS (which are indices of renal tubular function) was suppressed in the haptoglobin-treated group (p less than 0.005 for urinary beta 2-microglobulin). Our results indicated that the administration of haptoglobin has a prophylactic effect on renal tubular dysfunction associated with the use of ethanolamine oleate in EIS.