Internal Medicine
Online ISSN : 1349-7235
Print ISSN : 0918-2918
ISSN-L : 0918-2918
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Serum Oxidative/anti-oxidative Stress Balance Is Dysregulated in Potentially Pulmonary Hypertensive Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: A Case Control Study
Masako TeraoAkinobu TakakiTakayuki MaruyamaHiroki OeTetsuya YasunakaNaofumi TamakiKazufumi NakamuraTakaaki TomofujiTakahito YagiHiroshi SadamoriYuzo UmedaSusumu ShinouraRyuichi YoshidaKazuhiro NousoDaisuke EkuniKazuko KoikeFusao IkedaHidenori ShirahaManabu MoritaHiroshi ItoToshiyoshi FujiwaraKazuhide Yamamoto
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JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS

2015 Volume 54 Issue 22 Pages 2815-2826

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Abstract

Objective Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is characterized by vascular dilatation and hyperdynamic circulation, while portopulmonary hypertension (POPH) is characterized by vasoconstriction with fibrous obliteration of the vascular bed. Vasoactive molecules such as nitric oxide (NO) are candidate factors for cirrhotic complications associated with these diseases. However, oxidative stress balance is not well characterized in HPS and POPH. The present objective is to investigate the oxidative stress and anti-oxidative stress balance and NO pathway balance in patients with potential HPS and POPH.
Methods We recruited patients with decompensated cirrhosis (n=69) admitted to our hospital as liver transplantation candidates. Patients exhibiting partial pressure of oxygen lower than 80 mmHg and alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient (AaDO2) ≥15 mmHg were categorized as potentially having HPS (23 of 69 patients). Patients exhibiting a tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient ≥25 mmHg were categorized as potentially having POPH (29 of 61 patients). Serum reactive oxygen metabolites were measured and anti-oxidative OXY-adsorbent test (OXY) were performed, and the balance of these tests was defined as the oxidative index. The correlation between these values and the clinical characteristics of the patients were assessed in a cross-sectional study.
Results Potential HPS patients exhibited no correlation with oxidative stress markers. Potential POPH patients exhibited lower OXY (p=0.037) and higher oxidative index values (p=0.001). Additionally, the vascular NO synthase enzyme inhibiting protein, asymmetric dimethylarginine, was higher in potential POPH patients (p=0.049). The potential POPH patients exhibited elevated AaDO2, suggesting the presence of pulmonary shunting.
Conclusion Potential POPH patients exhibited elevated oxidative stress with decreased anti-oxidative function accompanied by inhibited NO production. Anti-oxidants represent a candidate treatment for potential POPH patients.

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© 2015 by The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
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