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Published on: August 1, 2018
Plasma viscosity changes in patients with liver cirrhosis
Huseyin Savas Gokturk1, Mehmet Demir, Nevin Akcaer Ozturk
1Department of Gastroenterology, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey.
Southern Medical Journal
|September 10, 2009
Summary
Plasma viscosity (PV) decreases as cirrhosis severity increases, as indicated by Child and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores. This finding suggests hemorheologic changes are linked to cirrhosis progression.
Area of Science:
- Hemorheology
- Hepatology
- Clinical Biochemistry
Background:
- Plasma viscosity (PV) significantly impacts microcirculatory blood flow.
- Impaired microcirculation in cirrhosis can lead to severe clinical outcomes.
- Understanding PV alterations in cirrhosis is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in plasma viscosity across different stages of liver cirrhosis.
- To determine the correlation between PV and clinical scoring systems (Child-Pugh and MELD).
- To assess the prognostic significance of PV in cirrhotic patients.
Main Methods:
- Inclusion of 92 cirrhosis patients and 28 healthy controls.
- Utilized upper endoscopy, ultrasonography, and comprehensive blood tests (including fibrinogen, CBC, CRP, lipid profile).
- Measured plasma viscosity using a rotational viscosimeter.
Main Results:
- Plasma viscosity significantly decreased with advancing Child scores (A to C) and higher MELD scores (P < 0.001).
- A positive correlation between total protein, albumin, and PV was observed in controls, but not in cirrhotic patients.
- Decreased PV was independently associated with a history of hepatic encephalopathy (P = 0.003).
Conclusions:
- Elevated Child and MELD scores are significantly linked to reduced plasma viscosity in cirrhosis.
- Hemorheologic alterations in cirrhosis may be causative or consequential to the disease process.
- Distinguishing the cause-and-effect relationship of these hemorheologic changes requires further investigation.
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