Plasma nitrites/nitrates in HCV infection and hepatocellular carcinoma

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Abstract
Nitric oxide (NO) is produced in response to inflammatory and mitogenic stimuli and may have a role in carcinogenesis. However, the role of NO in hepatitis Cassociated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. In this study, we investigated the potential role of NO in HCC complicating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We measured plasma nitrites/nitrates as being representative for NO release in blood of patients with chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis (n= 20), cirrhosis of different aetiologies (n= 30) including HCV, HCC (n= 22) and in healthy controls (n= 8), by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Plasma NO levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis (32.3 ± 8.94 μmol/l) were not significantly different from those in healthy control subjects (35.5 ± 15.12 μmol/l). Also, there were no statistical differences between plasma NO levels in patients on α-interferon (α-IFN) therapy (n= 10) (31.60 ± 10.55 μmol/l) and in non-treated patients (n= 10) (33.00 ± 7.51 μmol/l) within the group of chronic hepatitis C. Plasma NO levels in patients with cirrhosis (42.36 ± 26.86 μmol/l) were significantly higher than those with chronic hepatitis C (PPr= 0.528) (P= 0.0001), bilirubin (r= 0.244) (P= 0.039) and GGT (gamma glutamyltransferase) (r= 0.255) (P= 0.030).ConclusionThe results of this study demonstrate that patients with chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis have the same plasma NO levels as controls, and that α-IFN therapy had no effect on NO production in these patients. However, patients with HCC have elevated plasma NO levels compared with patients with cirrhosis. These data support the concept that NO is elevated in cirrhosis and HCC, but HCV infection does not appear to be responsible for the increase of NO in these patients. The severity of liver disease may be an important factor.Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol12:159-163 © 2000 Lippincott Williams & WilkinsEuropean Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2000, 12:159-163 The results of this study demonstrate that patients with chronic hepatitis C without cirrhosis have the same plasma NO levels as controls, and that α-IFN therapy had no effect on NO production in these patients. However, patients with HCC have elevated plasma NO levels compared with patients with cirrhosis. These data support the concept that NO is elevated in cirrhosis and HCC, but HCV infection does not appear to be responsible for the increase of NO in these patients. The severity of liver disease may be an important factor.Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol12:159-163 © 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology 2000, 12:159-163

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