Increased levels of platelet‐activating factor in blood from patients with cirrhosis of the liver

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Abstract
The levels of platelet-activating factor (paf-acether) were measured in blood and ascitic fluid from cirrhotic patients and in blood from a group of controls, using a recently described technique for extraction and measurement. In addition, activity of acetylhydrolase, the main catabolic enzyme for paf-acether, was also measured. The highest levels of paf-acether in blood were found in decompensated cirrhotics (1.78 .+-. 0.62 ng ml-1; mean .+-. SD, n=8). Compensated cirrhotics showed lower blood values (0.79 .+-. 0.21, n=4), but higher than controls (0.20 .+-. 0.04, n=12). Paf-acether levels in ascitic fluid were similar to those of blood. Values of acetylhydrolase in serum were similar in all the groups studied (3.0 .+-. 0.4 in cirrhotics vs. 2.3 .+-. 0.4 nmol min-1 mg-1 of protein in controls). These data suggest an enhanced production of paf-acether in cirrhotic patients rather than a decreased catabolism. High levels of paf-acether in blood could be involved in the impaired haemodynamics of cirrhotic patients and in their renal function alterations.

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