Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Histidine-rich glycoprotein (HRG) reduces by complex formation with plasminogen the amount of "free" plasminogen in circulation and is therefore considered an inhibitor of fibrinolysis. We studied the levels of both HRG and plasminogen in patients with different degrees of liver cirrhosis to assess the role of HRG in enhanced fibrinolysis in these patients. In mild (Child A) cirrhosis, HRG levels unexpectedly were significantly increased. The total plasminogen level and the calculated amount of free plasminogen were decreased. In moderate (Child B) cirrhosis, both HRG levels and total plasminogen levels were reduced, resulting in a normal amount of free plasminogen in circulation. In severe (Child C) cirrhosis, HRG level, total plasminogen level, and free plasminogen level were all decreased. Because the HRG level is increased in Child A liver cirrhosis, we suggest that other mechanisms, other than simply a decreased synthetic capacity of the liver, contribute to the changes in HRG levels in patients with liver disease. Because of the reduction of free plasminogen levels in severe liver cirrhosis, we propose that the decrease in HRG levels in liver cirrhosis plays no role in enhanced fibrinolysis in these patients. The increase in the HRG level in Child A liver cirrhosis may be of importance in future studies on familial thrombosis associated with elevated levels of HRG, where mild liver dysfunction should at least be excluded.
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PMID:Histidine-rich glycoprotein is elevated in mild liver cirrhosis and decreased in moderate and severe liver cirrhosis. 270 60

Histidine-rich glycoprotein is a 3.8s alpha 2-glycoprotein of human plasma originally isolated in 1972 [1,2]. The biologic function of histidine-rich glycoprotein, however, is unknown. A recent report suggests that histidine-rich glycoprotein binds to the high-affinity lysine-binding sites of plasminogen and that histidine-rich glycoprotein may retard fibrinolysis by interfering with the binding of plasminogen to fibrin [3]. We have measured the plasma titers of histidine-rich glycoprotein in normal subjects and patients with advanced hepatic cirrhosis by single radial immunodiffusion with a monospecific antiserum. The levels in 22 patients were 7.0 +/- 2.5 mg/dl (mean +/- SD), whereas those in 20 control subjects were 11.8 +/- 2.7 (p less than 0.001). Upon two-dimensional crossed immunoelectrophoresis, the pattern of histidine-rich glycoprotein in liver cirrhosis was similar to that of normal histidine-rich glycoprotein. Since histidine-rich glycoprotein seems to function as an antifibrinolytic agent, the decreased titers in cirrhosis may be one factor contributing to the enhanced fibrinolysis commonly seen in this disorder.
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PMID:Reduced histidine-rich glycoprotein levels in plasma of patients with advanced liver cirrhosis. Possible implications for enhanced fibrinolysis. 711 73