Background
Results
Patient baseline characteristics
Variable | Patients with cirrhosis and culture-negative ascites (n = 45) | |
---|---|---|
Etiology
|
ALC-C (30)
|
HCV-C (15)
|
Age | 58.5 (12.5) | 58 (24) |
Male sex n (%) | 30 (100.0) | 14 (93.3) |
Previous episodes of ascites n (%) | 25 (83.3) | 13 (86.6) |
Child-Pugh mean score | 10 (3) | 9 (3) |
Meld mean score | 14.5 (10) | 14 (5) |
Bilirubin (mg/dl) | 2.7 (3) | 1.85 (1.7) |
Albumin (g/dl) | 2.9 (1.1) | 2.85 (0.9) |
Quick (%) | 64 (18) | 54 (24) |
Serum creatinine (mg/dl) | 1.07 (1.2) | 1 (0.5) |
Serum sodium (mEq/l) | 134 (6.3) | 136 (7) |
INR | 1.45 (0.3) | 1.46 (0.6) |
Blood WBC/mm3 | 4260 (2400) | 3930 (4040) |
Ascites WBC/mm3 | 21.29 (47.4) | 49 (82.8)* |
Ascites Total protein (g/dl) | 1.7 (0.3) | 1.6 (1) |
HCV-C is associated with increased counts of some leukocyte subpopulations in ascites
Etiology | ||
---|---|---|
Cell type/mm
3
|
ALC-C
|
HCV-C
|
PMNs | 0.5 (4.4) | 3.4 (7)* |
M-DM | 6.95 (12.6) | 14.8 (19.9)* |
T Lymphocytes | 7.37 (12.6) | 14,66 (22.6)* |
B Lymphocytes | 0.16 (0.5) | 0.21 (0.3) |
NK cells | 1.22 (2.2) | 2.01 (5.6) |
Anti-inflammatory cytokine levels are higher and pro-inflammatory levels are lower in the ascites of HCV-C cirrhotic patients
Peritoneal M-DM isolated from ascites of cirrhotic patients maintain their cytokine secretory profile in vitro
Peritoneal M-DM isolated from ascites of cirrhotic patients are able to further respond to in vitro stimulation with several microbial stimuli
Cytokines | Etiology | Fold activation | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
LPS | ODN |
C. albicans
| ||
TNF-α
| ALC-C | 89.26 (204.5)
a
| 0.89 (1.7) | 170.92 (374.6)
a
|
HCV-C | 97.61 (163.9)
a
| 2.42 (4.9) | 4334.96 (595.4)
a
| |
IL-6
| ALC-C | 2.73 (3.5)
a
| 0.84 (5.8) | 3.35 (10.4)
a
|
HCV-C | 5.97 (19.6) *
,a
| 1.26 (7.2)*
,a
| 5.68 (37.2) *
,a
| |
IL-10
| ALC-C | 9.06 (6.2)
a
| 0.77 (0.6) | 13.7 (24.5)
a
|
HCV-C | 11.33 (13.9)
a
| 1.4 (2.6) *
,a
| 223.4 (45.3)
a
| |
IL-12
| ALC-C | 1.75 (3.4)
a
| 2.1 (8.4) | 3.7 (6.6)
a,
* |
HCV-C | 3.15 (4.8) | 6.6 (17.4) | 1.93 (1.1) | |
IL-1β
| ALC-C | 20.21 (63)
a
| 1.5 (10) | 46.85 (135.6)
a
|
HCV-C | 10.89 (24.7)
a
| 2.11 (2.73) | 15.4 (28.5)
a
|