BACKGROUND/AIMS: Most liver diseases lead to a pathobiochemical reaction termed liver fibrosis. Hepatic fibrosis is not a uniform phenomenon and it comprises increased deposition of the liver connective tissue components(collagen, noncollagenous glycoprotein, proteoglycan) in the intercellular space, leading to disturbances of intrahepatic blood flow and hindrance of exchange processes between blood and cells, Fibrosis can be determined by morphological examination o f the liver, but this approach cannot be used to assess accurately the activity of collagen synthesis at any given point in time, Thus, the development of biochemical markers of hepatic fihrosis might allow a promising diagnostic approach for the identification and quantitation of this process, Aminoterminal procollagen III pn) peptide(PIIINP) and carboxytermina1 procollagen I propeptide(PICP) are known as the most widely used parameter for evaluating liver fibrosis, but it is diAicult to find previous report discribing the correlation ot each other. To elucidate the clinical significance of the corretation of PICP(x) and PIIINP(y) concentrations in patients with chronic liver diseases, radioimmunoassay was employed in this investigation. METHODS: Sera tested were obtained from pathologically proven 43 patients;4 cases of fatly liver, 11 cases of chronic persistent hepatitis, 13 cases of chronic active hepatitis, l5 cases of liver cirrhosis. All the patients except 4 cases ot fatty liver were shown positivity of HBsAg. PICP and PIIlNP radioimmunoassay kits(Farrnos Diagnostica, Oulunsalo, Finland) wcre purchased for this study. RESULTS: In the patients among the three groups of chronic active hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, chmnic persistent hepatitis, the correlations were significant in orders(y= - 10.27 +0.l3938x, r=0.92286, p=0.000007;y=-1.185+0.06611x, r=0.73656, p=0.001737;y=1.1174+0.03273x, r=0.56879, p=0.067849). Four cases of fatty liver reveal no signiticant correlation (y=4,8671- 0,0079x, r= 0.1959, p=0.804054). CONCLUSION: 0n the basis of these data, we s st that the correlation of each showed a significant increase with heightening degree of inflammation, activity of diseases and fibrosis.
Biomarkers ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Extracellular Space ; Fatty Liver ; Fibrosis ; Glycoproteins ; Hepatitis ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis, Chronic ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Liver Diseases* ; Liver* ; Procollagen* ; Radioimmunoassay

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cigarette smoking is a risk significant factor in coronary artery disease (CAD) and vasospastic angina (VSA). However, it is largely unknown whether smoking adds to any long-term clinical risk in VSA patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 2797 patients without significant CAD underwent acetylcholine (Ach) provocation test between November 2004 and October 2010. Patients were divided into three groups, based on the presence of coronary artery spasm (CAS) and smoking habits (non-CAS group: n=1188, non-smoking CAS group: n=1214, smoking CAS group: n=395). All CAS patients were prescribed with anti-anginal medications for at least 6 months. The incidence of major clinical outcomes and recurrent angina of these groups were compared up to 3 years. RESULTS: There were considerable differences in the baseline clinical and angiographic characteristics among the three groups, but there was no difference in the endpoints among the three groups (including individual and composite hard endpoints) such as death, myocardial infarction, de novo percutaneous coronary intervention, cerebrovascular accident, and major adverse cardiac events. However, there was a higher incidence of recurrent angina in both the non-smoking CAS group and smoking CAS group, as compared to the non-CAS group. In multivariable adjusted Cox-proportional hazards regression analysis, smoking CAS group exhibited a higher incidence of recurrent angina compared with the non-CAS group (hazard ratio [HR]; 2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.46-4.14, p=0.001) and non-smoking CAS group (HR; 1.76, 95% CI; 1.08-2.87, p=0.021). CONCLUSION: Cigarette smoking CAS group exhibited higher incidence of recurrent angina during the 3-year clinical follow-up compared with both the non-CAS group and non-smoking CAS group. Quitting of smoking, paired with intensive medical therapy and close clinical follow-up, can help to prevent recurrent angina.
Acetylcholine ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Myocardial Infarction ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Smoke ; Smoking* ; Spasm ; Stroke ; Tobacco Products*