Study of serum procollagen type III peptide in patients with hepatic cirrhosis from a clinical point of view

✍ Scribed by D�az, F. ;Collazos, J. ;Genoll�, J.

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 300 KB
• Volume: 71
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1432-1440
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00186633

✦ Synopsis

N-terminal procollagen-III peptide (P-III-P) has been considered a marker of fibrogenesis and inflammatory activity of the liver. We measured the P-III-P serum levels in 83 cirrhotic patients fully characterized from a clinical and laboratory point of view. Cirrhotic patients had significantly higher P-III-P serum levels than controls (P<0.0001). Of the cirrhotic patients 73.5% had increased P-III-P. A significant negative correlation was found between P-III-P and transaminases, and patients with normal values of alanine aminotransferase had higher P-III-P serum levels than those with increased values (P = 0.03). On the other hand, no significant association was found with portal hypertension, Child classes, or alcoholic liver disease. No one independent factor appears to be responsible for the increase in P-III-P. The measurement of serum P-III-P is of little if any use in the evaluation of cirrhotic patients.