with leukemia have high serum levels of sCR1 may indicate Complement receptor type 1 (CR1) is an integral memhigh synthetic and shedding rates of this receptor. 7 brane protein of many hematopoietic cells and is found
In a preliminary study on a small group of patients with in a soluble form in plasma. Preliminary data have indicirrhosis, sCR1 levels were found to be above the normal cated that soluble complement receptor 1 (sCR1) levels range. 7 This observation cannot be attributed to an increased in serum were increased in patients with cirrhosis. In synthesis of sCR1 by hepatocytes, because these cells are this study, sCR1 was measured in patients with various known not to produce it. 9 The concentration of many plasma liver diseases with a newly established enzyme-linked proteins decreases in liver failure because of diminished liver immunosorbent assay (ELISA). sCR1 level was elevated synthesis. The drop in the concentration of these proteins is in chronic active hepatitis C ( 24patients, 62.6 { 31 ng/ an accepted index of liver failure. The concentration of only mL; 31 normal controls, 31.4 { 7.8 ng/mL, P Γ΅ .001), and few large glycoproteins e.g., complement C7 increases in liver in cirrhosis (35 patients, 143.7 { 61 ng/mL, P Γ΅ .001).
failure. 9a Thus, the present study was undertaken to define The levels increased transiently in 3 patients who had whether elevated serum sCR1 might be related to specific Amanita phalloides intoxication. In 25 patients with adliver diseases and to analyze the relationship between the vanced cirrhosis (pretransplantation screening), there level of sCR1 and liver function. were significant inverse correlations between sCR1 and both the prothrombin index (r s Γ
0.60, P Γ΅ .002) and the PATIENTS AND METHODS aminopyrine breath test (r s Γ
0.51, P Γ΅ .01). Following liver transplantation, the levels dropped from 166 { 70 Study Population. The study population included: (1) Thirty-five patients who had cirrhosis on biopsy. The etiology to 49 { 24 ng/mL (P Γ΅ .0001), and serial measurements of cirrhosis was as follows: hepatitis C virus in 13, as demonstrated Abbreviations: CR1, complement receptor 1; sCR1, soluble complement receptor 1;
well plates (Nunc Maxisorp immunoplates, Gibco BRL, Basel, Swit-ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; HBV, hepatitis B virus; PBS, phosphatebuffered saline. zerland) were coated with 100 mL of purified 3D9 (0.3 mg/well, in