SERUM SOMATOMEDIN ACTIVITY MEASURED AS SULPHATION FACTOR IN PERIPHERAL, HEPATIC AND RENAL VEINS OF PATIENTS WITH ALCOHOLIC CIRRHOSIS

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Abstract
Serum somatomedin (SM) activity, measured as a sulfation factor on chick embryo cartilage, and growth hormone (GH) levels were measured in peripheral, hepatic and renal veins of 23 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. SM activity (mean .+-. SEM [standard error of the mean]) was 0.65 .+-. 0.05 U[units]/ml in peripheral vein, 0.59 .+-. 0.04 U/ml in hepatic vein, and 0.74 .+-. 0.07 U/ml in renal vein. Mean GH levels were, respectively, 2.8, 2.5 and 3.1 ng/ml. Compared to peripheral vein, SM increase in renal vein was 19% (P < 0.05). Serum SM activity was significantly lower in 13 patients with alcoholic hepatitis associated with cirrhosis than in 10 other patients (P < 0.02 in hepatic blood and P < 0.05 in peripheral blood). The decrease of SM activity seems related to cytolysis and hepato-cellular insufficiency. In patients with alcoholic hepatitis, SM activity was lower in the hepatic vein than in the peripheral vein (P < 0.05). The cause of this difference remains under discussion; no SM inhibitors were found in the serum samples used in this study.

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