[Plasma catecholamine levels in liver disease]

To evaluate the alterations of plasma catecholamines in chronic and acute liver diseases and their complications: hepatic encephalopathy (grade 1-4), ascites, deranged metabolism, and circulatory alterations, we measured the concentrations of norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine in plasma in 49 patients with cirrhosis of the liver, in 2 patients with fulminant hepatitis B, in 2 patients with acute gestational fatty liver, and in 11 patients with fatty liver. We examined 21 healthy controls. The norepinephrine concentrations in patients with cirrhosis were raised and reached the highest values in hepatic coma grade 4. As well patients with fulminant hepatitis B had excessive high norepinephrine concentrations. The epinephrine concentrations were not significantly raised in patients with toxic cirrhosis and in patients with posthepatitic cirrhosis without encephalopathy. In hepatic coma grade 4 in patients with cirrhosis and fulminant hepatitis they reached again the highest values. Patients with acute gestational fatty liver had only slightly increased, and patients with fatty liver had normal catecholamine concentrations in plasma.