The changes of blood NO and ET-1 in cirrhotic patients and their clinical significance

Objective To explore the changes of blood nitrogen oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels in cirrhotic patients with Child-Pugh grade A,B,or C and the clinical significance of these changes. Methods Serum NO levels were detected by nitrate reductase assay and plasma ET-1 levels by radioimmunoassay in 73 cirrhotic patients and 40 healthy controls. Results Levels of NO and ET-1 were markedly higher in the groups with cirrhosis than in the control group (P 0.01). In the groups with cirrhosis, NO and ET-1 levels were increased gradually with deterioration of liver function, and there was statistic difference in ET-1 level among the grades (P 0.05). NO level differed significantly between grade A and grade B or C, while there was no statistic difference between grade B and grade C (P 0.05). As compared with the controls, the NO / ET-1 ratio was increased in cirrhosis patients (P 0.05). The NO / ET-1 radio differed significantly between grade A and grade B or between grade B and grade C (P 0.05) but did not differ between grade A and grade C (P 0.05). Conclusions In cirrhotic patients, levels of NO and ET-1 have important values in predicting liver function, signaling the severity of cirrhosis. Both biochemical indices play a vital role in the mechanism of portal hemodynamic disturbance but are not the only relevant factors.