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Changes of sex hormone levels in patients with hepatitis B virus-related postnecrotic cirrhosis: relationship to the severity of portal hypertension.
- Source :
-
Journal of hepatology [J Hepatol] 1993 Apr; Vol. 18 (1), pp. 101-5. - Publication Year :
- 1993
-
Abstract
- The effect of portal hypertension on plasma sex steroid levels was studied in 49 patients with hepatitis B virus-related postnecrotic cirrhosis. In accordance with the Child-Pugh classification, 18 patients were classified as grade A, 15 grade B and 16 grade C. At the same time, 25 males who were admitted for physical check-up served as normal controls. Serum testosterone levels decreased (3.31 +/- 2.03 vs. 5.65 +/- 0.13 ng/ml) and estrone levels increased (0.16 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.09 +/- 0.02 ng/ml) significantly in patients with cirrhosis compared to the levels obtained in the controls. Moreover, these changes were associated with an increased severity of cirrhosis (P < 0.05 when severity increased from grade A to C). Hemodynamic values regarding hepatic venous pressure gradient and cardiac output demonstrated significant differences in patients from grade A to C, but the correlation between these two parameters was poor (r = 0.3242). The hepatic venous pressure gradient, the only direct measurement of portal hypertension, did not correlate with any of the measured hormone levels in patients with cirrhosis. There was, however, a highly significant negative correlation between cardiac output and testosterone levels (r = -0.8754, P < 0.01) and a positive correlation between cardiac output and estrone levels (r = 0.7522, P < 0.05) in grade C patients. On the basis of these results, we concluded that gonadal dysfunction is a common finding in patients with hepatitis B related postnecrotic cirrhosis, especially in those with decompensated liver function. The relationship between cardiac output and severity of liver disease suggests that the degree of portosystemic shunting probably increases as liver disease worsens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
- Subjects :
- Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Humans
Hypertension, Portal blood
Liver Cirrhosis complications
Liver Cirrhosis pathology
Male
Middle Aged
Necrosis
Gonadal Steroid Hormones blood
Hepatitis B virus isolation & purification
Hypertension, Portal etiology
Liver Cirrhosis blood
Liver Cirrhosis microbiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0168-8278
- Volume :
- 18
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of hepatology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 8340601
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0168-8278(05)80016-9