Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0019209 (hepatomegaly)
 5,798 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Serum laminin levels were measured in patients with chronic hepatic schistosomiasis. A significant increase in the mean serum laminin level was observed in 14 patients with hepatosplenic schistosomiasis (2.57 +/- 0.83 units/ml [standard deviation]) compared to the level in 10 patients with the hepatointestinal form of the disease (1.38 +/- 0.45 units/ml) and in the control group of 10 (1.15 +/- 0.31 units/ml). In the hepatosplenic patients there was a significant direct relation between serum laminin and percutaneous splenic pulp pressure (r = 0.68). However, this relation was not observed with either liver function tests or levels of N-terminal propeptides of type III procollagen. These findings are compatible with an increased production of laminin in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis, which may be related to the observed enlarged liver and spleen basement membranes in such disease.
 ...
PMID:Serum laminin in hepatic schistosomiasis. 144 Jul 82

The aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) and hyaluronan have previously been studied in different liver diseases. The results of these studies are controversial. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between PIIINP and hyaluronan levels and the clinical, biochemical and histological features of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and its prognosis. Fifty-five PBC patients were studied at the time of diagnosis of PBC and were followed up for a mean of 58 months. During the follow-up period 21 patients died. In addition, 30 healthy subjects were examined in the present study. Hyaluronan and PIIINP were measured by radioimmunoassay and the levels of both PIIINP and hyaluronan were higher in PBC patients than in healthy volunteers (P < 1.8 x 10(-6) and 1.6 x 10(-9), respectively). Hyaluronan and PIIINP levels were above normal values in 82 and 84% of PBC patients, respectively. There were correlations between PIIINP and hyaluronan and the histological stage of PBC (r = 0.44, P < 0.004 and r = 0.56, P < 0.00001, respectively). The correlation between PIIINP and hyaluronan was 0.46 (P < 0.0035). In symptomatic patients, both PIIINP and hyaluronan values were higher than in controls (P < 0.002 and P < 0.006, respectively). The levels of PIIINP correlated significantly with bilirubin (r = 0.43, P < 0.006), while hyaluronan was correlated with age (r = 0.33, P < 0.015), pruritus (r = 0.32, P < 0.02), fatigue (r = 0.41, P < 0.003), hepatomegaly (r = -0.46, P < 0.0008), the presence of oesophageal varices (r = 0.34, P < 0.002), weight loss (r = 0.29, P < 0.05), bilirubin (r = 0.54, P < 0.0001), albumin (r = -0.30, P < 0.04), extent of fat excretion (r = 0.53, P < 0.009) and length of symptomatic period before diagnosis of PBC (r = 0.43, P < 0.002). Using Cox's logistic regression analysis, survival was found to be influenced by bilirubin concentration but not by hyaluronan, PIIINP, age, albumin or histological stage. Therefore, hyaluronan is a more sensitive marker for predicting advanced PBC than is PIIINP. However, neither hyaluronan nor PIIINP gave any indication of prognostic outcome.
 ...
PMID:Aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen and hyaluronan in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis: markers of fibrosis in primary biliary cirrhosis. 898 19