Lack of relationship between plasma thrombomodulin and portal hypertension in alcoholic liver disease

The present study was performed to analyze the relationship between portal hypertension and alterations of the endothelium-derived proteins thrombomodulin, plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), which were determined in plasma samples of 28 alcoholic cirrhotic patients and 46 controls. Although cirrhotics showed lower levels of PAI-1, but higher thrombomodulin and t-PA levels than controls, no relationship was observed between thrombomodulin, I-PA or PAI-1 and portal pressure. Therefore, the hypothesis that splachnic endothelial damage secondary to portal hypertension leads to altered thrombomodulin, t-PA and PAI-1 levels in alcoholic cirrhosis is not supported by the results of this study. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.