Background/aims: This paper presents the results of the radioimmunologic determination of laminin in serum of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis with a preserved hepatic function, trying to evaluate its predictive value for the risk of variceal bleeding, assessed by a portal pressure level equal to or higher than 12 mmHg.
Patients and methods: Twenty alcoholic cirrhotic patients with a preserved hepatic function as assessed by the Child-Pugh classification, had their peripheral blood taken for radioimmunological determination of serum laminin and were submitted to hepatic vein catheterization for portal pressure measurement.
Results: A positive and significant correlation (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) was found between serum laminin levels (mean value + SD = 2.70 + 1.13 U/ml) and hepatic vein pressure gradient (mean HVPG + SD = 16.30 + 6.06 mmHg). Such correlation prompted us to find a value for the level of laminin that more closely represented a HVPG of 12 mmHg, a well known threshold pressure for esophageal varices bleeding. At a cut-off concentration for laminin of 2.19 U/ml, sensitivity was 73%, specificity 60%, the positive predictive value was 85% and the negative predictive value 43%. In this study population, with a prevalence of 75% of a HVPG > or = 12 mmHg, the diagnostic accuracy for such levels of serum laminin was 70%.
Conclusions: Although a valid attempt in having a non invasive parameter for the investigation of portal hypertension, peripheral serum laminin alone doesn't seem to be a reliable marker for predicting portal hypertension and to assess the risk of variceal bleeding in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.