Plasminogen in patients with liver cirrhosis

We studied the plasminogen concentration in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis in order to assess its synthesis in the liver and establish correlations with other routine parameters such as the albumin level and prothrombin time.

Plasminogen was determined by radial immunodiffusion albumin by nephelometry and the prothrombin time by Quick's method. The study involved 40 healthy volunteers and 80 patients diagnosed as having alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Histopathological confirmation was achieved in 56 patients, while in the remainder it was based on other instrumental methods and clinical and laboratory findings.

The plasminogen level was lower in patients with liver cirrhosis (7.8 +/- 0.3 mg/dl) than in healthy controls (11.7 +/- 0.6 mg/dl). According to the Child-Pugh classification, the concentration in class A was 9.0 +/- 0.3 mg/dl, in class B it was 7.3 +/- 0.4 mg/dl and in class C it was 6.1 +/- 0.2 mg/dl. The differences between the groups were statistically significant.

The plasminogen level is of diagnostic value in the assessment of liver function and correlates well with the albumin concentration and the prothrombin time.