Abstract

The extent of the acute phase response and the relation between acute phase proteins and cytokines in plasma was investigated in 50 patients with fulminant hepatic failure. On admission, C reactive protein was significantly higher in fulminant hepatic failure (median: 12.4 micrograms/ml, range:0.2-112 micrograms/ml) than in 20 controls (median: 0.8 microgram/ml, range: 0.3-2.9 micrograms/ml, p < 0.001). Serial measurements showed that plasma C reactive protein increased daily after admission until day 5, the end of the study period. alpha 1-Antitrypsin (AAT) (median: 69.1%, range: 27.5-124%) and fibrinogen (median: 1.10 g/l, range: 0-2.82 g/l) were significantly lower in fulminant hepatic failure on admission than in controls (AAT: median: 126%, range: 75.4-149%; fibrinogen: median 2.48 g/l, range: 1.82-3.39 g/l, p < 0.001) and did not change subsequently. Both AAT and fibrinogen were maintained at significantly higher concentrations in survivors than in those who did not. Bacterial infection occurred in 23 patients during the course of fulminant hepatic failure, but did not influence the concentrations of these three proteins. Interleukin 6 was significantly higher in fulminant hepatic failure (median: 21.2 pg/ml, range: 0-871 pg/ml) than in controls (median: 2.4 pg/ml, range: 1.5-8.2 pg/ml, p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between interleukin 6 and the C reactive protein concentrations in patients with viral hepatitis on admission and in all patients 48 hours later, consistent with other evidence that interleukin 6 stimulates synthesis of this acute phase protein.