Usefulness of ascitic fluid lactoferrin levels in patients with liver cirrhosis

BMC Gastroenterology

Research Article

Jin Hyun Kim¹  Hyun Ju Min²  Chang Yoon Ha²  Hyun Chin Cho²  Ja Yun Choi²  Hong Jun Kim²  Jae Min Lee³  Sang Soo Lee³  Jin Joo Kim³  Ok-Jae Lee⁴  Tae Hyo Kim⁴  Hyun Jin Kim⁵ 

[1]Biomedical Research Institute, Gyeongsang National University Hospital, Jinju, Republic of Korea

[2]Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, 15, Jinju-daero 816 beon-gil, 52727, Jinju, Gyeongnam, Republic of Korea

[3]Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, 15, Jinju-daero 816 beon-gil, 52727, Jinju, Gyeongnam, Republic of Korea

[4]Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Jinju, Republic of Korea

[5]Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, 15, Jinju-daero 816 beon-gil, 52727, Jinju, Gyeongnam, Republic of Korea

[6]Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea

[7]Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Hospital, 15, Jinju-daero 816 beon-gil, 52727, Jinju, Gyeongnam, Republic of Korea

[8]Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea

[9]Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine and Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Jinju, Republic of Korea

关键词: Lactoferrin;    Ascites;    Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis;    Liver cirrhosis;    Hepatocellular carcinoma;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12876-016-0546-9

 received in 2016-05-11, accepted in 2016-09-30,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAlthough elevated levels of lactoferrin provide a biomarker for inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer, the clinical significance of these elevated levels in ascitic fluid of patients with ascites caused by liver cirrhosis is limited. The aims of our study were to investigate the usefulness of ascitic fluid lactoferrin levels for the diagnosis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients with cirrhosis and to evaluate the association between lactoferrin levels and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsA total of 102 patients with ascites caused by cirrhosis were consecutively enrolled into the study, from December 2008 to December 2011. Ascitic fluid lactoferrin levels were quantified using a human lactoferrin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.ResultsThe median ascitic fluid lactoferrin levels were significantly higher in patients with SBP than in those without SBP (112.7 ng/mL vs. 0.6 ng/mL; p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for the diagnosis of SBP was 0.898 (95 % confidence interval, 0.839–0.957, p < 0.001), with a sensitivity and specificity for a cut-off level of 51.4 ng/mL of 95.8 % and 74.4 %, respectively. Moreover, the incidence of HCC in the 78 patients without SBP was significantly higher in patients with high ascitic fluid lactoferrin levels (≥35 ng/mL) than in those with low ascitic fluid lactoferrin level (<35 ng/mL).ConclusionsAscitic fluid lactoferrin level can be a useful diagnostic tool to identify SBP in patients with ascites caused by cirrhosis. Elevated ascitic fluid lactoferrin level in patients without SBP may be indicative of a developing hepatocellular carcinoma.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2016