Dataset Information

Thrombopoietin concentrations are low in patients with cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia and are restored after orthotopic liver transplantation.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Thrombocytopenia in cirrhotic patients may be due to deficient production of thrombopoietin. AIMS: To determine the relation between thrombopoietin and thrombocytopenia in cirrhotic patients before and after orthotopic liver transplantation. METHODS: Thrombopoietin concentrations and platelet counts were measured in 43 cirrhotic patients and 21 normal controls and serially for 14 days after transplantation in 23/43 patients. RESULTS: 27 of the 43 patients had thrombocytopenia (platelet count less than 120 x 10(9)/l; group 1) whereas 16 patients had normal platelet count (group 2). Thrombopoietin concentrations were lower in group 1 than in group 2 (92.5 (20.3-286.3) v 226.6 (30.1-848.3) pg/ml, p=0.003) and normal controls (92.5 (20.3-286.3) v 158.3 (22.5-232.9) pg/ml, p=0.028). Post-transplantation thrombopoietin concentrations increased with a peak at day 5. The rise was significant in patients with low pretransplantation platelet count (89.1 (21.29-247.6) to 545.1 (66.2-2569) pg/ml; n=16, p=0.001) but not in those with normal platelet count (262.8 (30.1-848.3) to 315.1 (114-954.6) pg/ml; n=7, p=0.47). No correlation was found pretransplantation between spleen volume and platelet count (r=-0.11, p=0.6) or thrombopoietin concentrations (r=-0.04, p=0.8). However, pretransplantation thrombopoietin concentrations correlated with platelet count (r=0.47, p=0.0015), whereas an inverse correlation was found between peak thrombopoietin concentrations and nadir platelet count (r=-0.41 p=0. 049) post-transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate thrombopoietin production may contribute to cirrhotic thrombocytopenia. Thrombopoietin production is restored after liver transplantation leading to the resolution of thrombocytopenia.

SUBMITTER: Goulis J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1727482 | biostudies-other | 1999 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Liver fibrosis is associated with arterial calcification (AC). Since the liver is a source of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), an anti-calcifying compound, we investigated the relationship between plasma PPi ([PPi]pl), liver fibrosis, liver function, AC, and the hepatic expression of genes regulating PPi homeostasis. To that aim, we compared [PPi]pl before liver transplantation (LT) and 3 months after LT. We also assessed the expression of four key regulators of PPi in liver tissues and established correlations between AC, and scores of liver fibrosis and liver failure in these patients. LT candidates with various liver diseases were included. AC scores were assessed in coronary arteries, abdominal aorta, and aortic valves. Liver fibrosis was evaluated on liver biopsies and from non-invasive tests (FIB-4 and APRI scores). Liver functions were assessed by measuring serum albumin, ALBI, MELD, and Pugh–Child scores. An enzymatic assay was used to dose [PPi]pl. A group of patients without liver alterations from a previous cohort provided a control group. Gene expression assays were performed with mRNA extracted from liver biopsies and compared between LT recipients and the control individuals. [PPi]pl negatively correlated with APRI (r = −0.57, p = 0.001, n = 29) and FIB-4 (r = −0.47, p = 0.006, n = 29) but not with interstitial fibrosis index from liver biopsies (r = 0.07, p = 0.40, n = 16). Serum albumin positively correlated with [PPi]pl (r = 0.71; p < 0.0001, n = 20). ALBI, MELD, and Pugh–Child scores correlated negatively with [PPi]pl (r = −0.60, p = 0.0005; r = −0.56, p = 0.002; r = −0.41, p = 0.02, respectively, with n = 20). Liver fibrosis assessed on liver biopsies by FIB-4 and by APRI positively correlated with coronary AC (r = 0.51, p = 0.02, n = 16; r = 0.58, p = 0.009, n = 20; r = 0.41, p = 0.04, n = 20, respectively) and with abdominal aorta AC (r = 0.50, p = 0.02, n = 16; r = 0.67, p = 0.002, n = 20; r = 0.61, p = 0.04, n = 20, respectively). FIB-4 also positively correlated with aortic valve calcification (r = 0.40, p = 0.046, n = 20). The key regulator genes of PPi production in liver were lower in patients undergoing liver transplantation as compared to controls. Three months after surgery, serum albumin levels were restored to physiological levels (40 [37–44] vs. 35 [30–40], p = 0.009) and [PPi]pl was normalized (1.40 [1.07–1.86] vs. 0.68 [0.53–0.80] µmol/L, p = 0.0005, n = 12). Liver failure and/or fibrosis correlated with AC in several arterial beds and were associated with low plasma PPi and dysregulation of key proteins involved in PPi homeostasis. Liver transplantation normalized these parameters.

Project description:Thrombocytopenia occurs frequently in patients with cirrhosis. The immature platelet fraction (IPF%) is measured to differentiate the causes of thrombocytopenia. To date the relevance of thrombopoietin (TPO) in the context of cirrhosis is unknown. The aim of our study was to investigate the cause of thrombocytopenia in patients with liver cirrhosis by measuring IPF%, TPO and spleen size. In addition we examined the use of IPF% to evaluate the severity of cirrhosis and its complications.Overall, we included 88 in-patients with cirrhosis in our study. The collected data comprises current health status, blood parameters, severity of cirrhosis evaluated by Child-Pugh score and MELD score, spleen diameter, ascites and esophageal varices. The IPF% was measured using an automatic hematology analyzer. TPO was measured with ELISA.IPF% (p = 0.003) and spleen diameter (p = 0.001) were significantly higher in patients with thrombocytopenia. There was no significant difference in TPO between patients with and without thrombocytopenia. The mean values of IPF% varied significantly (p = 0.044) in Child-Pugh stages. IPF% was significantly (p = 0.005) elevated in patients with esophageal varices. Moreover, IPF% higher than 3.85% displayed sensitivity of 76.6% and specificity of 52.4% with an area under receiver operating curve characteristics of 0.669 for the presence of esophageal varices.On closer examination of the three compartments known to have an influence on platelet count splenomegaly seems to be the major cause of thrombocytopenia in patients with cirrhosis according to current knowledge. Higher IPF% in patients with thrombocytopenia indicates peripheral consumption of platelets. The relation between spleen diameter and platelet count indicates the spleen to be the major place of platelets' consumption. TPO did not differ between patients with and without thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, we cannot exclude an influence of impaired thrombopoietin synthesis on platelet counts. The association between IPF% and platelet count suggests that there is physiological regulation of platelets in patients with cirrhosis. In our study IPF% is associated with esophageal varices and the stage of cirrhosis. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.

Project description:UnlabelledCirrhosis is characterized by sarcopenia and malnutrition, leading to progressive functional decline. We aimed to objectively measure functional decline in patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation and its association with waiting list mortality. Consecutive adults listed for liver transplantation with laboratory Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) ≥12 at a single center underwent functional status assessments at every outpatient visit using the Short Physical Performance Battery (0 = impaired to 12 = robust), consisting of gait, chair stands, and balance tests. Joint linear time-to-event analyses modeled the simultaneous impact of the longitudinal trajectory of physical function on waiting list mortality (=death or delisted for being too sick for liver transplantation). Included were 309 liver transplantation candidates. Median laboratory MELD was 15, serum albumin was 3.0 g/dL, 28% had ascites, 18% had hepatic encephalopathy, and 83% were Child class B or C. At a median follow-up of 14 months, 15% died or were delisted and 28% underwent liver transplantation. Average physical function worsened per 3 months on the waiting list: -0.38 kg in grip strength, -0.05 meters/second in gait, 0.03 seconds in chair stands, and -0.16 Short Physical Performance Battery points. In joint models of longitudinal trajectories of physical function and waiting list mortality adjusted for MELD-Na, albumin, hepatocellular carcinoma, and baseline physical function, the longitudinal trajectories of each physical function measure were significantly associated with waiting list mortality: grip (hazard ratio = 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.83-0.95), gait (hazard ratio = 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.62-0.84), chair stands (hazard ratio = 1.17, 95% confidence interval 1.09-1.25), and Short Physical Performance Battery <10 (hazard ratio = 1.45, 95% confidence interval 1.15-2.20).ConclusionLiver transplantation candidates experience significant functional decline on the waiting list, despite modest wait time and low baseline MELD; decline in physical function is associated with an increased risk of death or delisting, independent of liver disease severity.

Dataset Information

Thrombopoietin concentrations are low in patients with cirrhosis and thrombocytopenia and are restored after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets