Brief Article
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Co.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 7, 2014; 20(9): 2374-2382
Published online Mar 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i9.2374
Table 1 Characteristics of the 88 patients studied
Primary liver diseaseETOHNASHHCVCardiac/miscellaneousTotal
Patients
Ascites (+)21081241
Ascites (–)131123047
Age (yr)54 ± 11
Ascites (+)50 ± 158 ± 554 ± 1055 ± 11
Ascites (–)48 ± 556 ± 853 ± 956 ± 12
Gender (M/F)66/22
Ascites (+)11/9N/A14/99/8
Ascites (–)8/33/84/4N/A
MELD score9.6 ± 3.5
Ascites (+)9.6 ± 2.19.3 ± 1.610.3 ± 5.08.6 ± 2.5
Ascites (–)9.4 ± 2.29.2 ± 2.010.0 ± 4.68.6 ± 3.1
CTP score5.6 ± 1.2
Ascites (+)5.8 ± 1.55.3 ± 0.65.6 ± 1.55.4 ± 0.8
Ascites (–)5.6 ± 2.05.3 ± 0.85.6 ± 1.25.3 ± 1.2
Table 2 Biochemical data of the 88 patients
ParameterAscitic Group 1(n = 41)Non-ascitic Group 2(n = 47)P value
Hemoglobin (g/dL)10.8 ± 0.410.4 ± 1.7NS
WBC (cells × 103/μL)8.3 ± 1.36.7 ± 2.8NS
Platelets (cells × 103/μL)132 ± 13157 ± 66NS
Prothrombin time (s)20.5 ± 1.217.7 ± 1.1< 0.05
INR1.8 ± 0.11.5 ± 0.1< 0.05
BUN (mg/dL)13.3 ± 7.221 ± 4NS
Creatinine (mg/dL)1.0 ± 0.70.9 ± 0.2NS
Total bilirubin (mg/dL)5.9 ± 1.04.7 ± 1.9NS
AST (IU/L)110 ± 4098 ± 15NS
ALT (IU/L)66 ± 8210 ± 111< 0.05
Albumin (g/dL)2.2 ± 0.12.6 ± 0.1< 0.05
Ascitic fluid WBC (cells × 103/μL)417.7 ± 172.5N/AN/A
Ascitic fluid PMN (cells × 103/μL)196.9 ± 144.2N/AN/A
Ascitic fluid albumin (g/dL)0.90 ± 0.14N/AN/A
Ascitic fluid cultureAll negativeN/AN/A
Table 3 Serum and ascitic fluid levels of inflammatory markers in the 88 patients studied
Ascites Group 1
Non-ascitic Group 2ControlP value
SerumAscitic fluidP valueSerumNPPP valueGroup 1 (serum) vs Group 2Group 1 (serum) vs NPP
IL-1A (ng/mL)0.21 ± 0.080.21 ± 0.04NS0.17 ± 0.070.09 ± 0.01NSNS< 0.05
IL-1B (ng/mL)6.15 ± 2.833.10 ± 0.48NS3.56 ± 1.112.38 ± 0.62NSNS< 0.05
IL-2 (ng/mL)5.61 ± 3.491.31 ± 0.35< 0.050.96 ± 0.011.01 ± 0.40NS< 0.05< 0.05
IL-4 (ng/mL)2.51 ± 0.799.48 ± 1.21< 0.051.25 ± 0.071.21 ± 0.39NS< 0.05< 0.05
IL-6 (ng/mL)94.43 ± 29.581240.5 ± 365.64< 0.057.27 ± 1.930.64 ± 0.16< 0.05< 0.05< 0.05
IL-8 (ng/mL)111.83 ± 37.01335.08 ± 60.0< 0.0550.19 ± 18.842.22 ± 0.79< 0.05< 0.05< 0.05
IL-10 (ng/mL)1.47 ± 0.3157.15 ± 22.32< 0.050.95 ± 0.230.62 ± 0.08< 0.05NS< 0.05
MCP-1 (ng/mL)141.23 ± 23.39456.35 ± 42.03< 0.05200.69 ± 18.1957.11 ± 12.59< 0.05< 0.05< 0.05
TNF-α (ng/mL)5.26 ± 1.1826.32 ± 7.13< 0.059.89 ± 3.541.61 ± 0.80< 0.05NS< 0.05
IFNγ (ng/mL)1.08 ± 0.381.61 ± 0.41NS0.51 ± 0.040.47 ± 0.34NS< 0.05NS
VEGF (ng/mL)38.31 ± 18.73234.82 ± 103.1155.94 ± 11.377.14 ± 4.06NS< 0.05
EGF (ng/mL)72.42 ± 14.951.78 ± 0.3645.70 ± 7.383.12 ± 0.99< 0.05< 0.05
Table 4 Serum and ascitic procalcitonin levels segregated by liver disease
SerumAscitesP value
EtOH (ng/mL)0.38 ± 0.220.22 ± 0.13NS
HCV (ng/mL)0.44 ± 0.270.13 ± 0.12NS
Cardiac/miscellaneous (ng/mL)0.95 ± 0.740.77 ± 0.07NS
P valueNS< 0.05a
Table 5 The serum-ascitic fluid (P-A) gradient for Group 1
Serum-ascitic fluid gradientValue
IL-1A (ng/mL)-0.0008 ± 0.097
IL-2 (ng/mL)4.30 ± 3.53
IL-4 (ng/mL)-6.96 ± 1.48
IL-6 (ng/mL)-1146.11 ± 362.15
IL-8 (ng/mL)-223.24 ± 58.54
IL-10 (ng/mL)-55.68 ± 22.18
MCP-1 (ng/mL)-315.13 ± 39.24
TNF-α (ng/mL)-21.06 ± 7.33
IFNγ (ng/mL)-0.52 ± 0.48
VEGF (ng/mL)196.52 ± 105.60
EGF (ng/mL)70.64 ± 14.74
PCT (ng/mL)-0.134 ± 0.12