Search

We have found out the clinical presentations and peculiarities of endoscopic and morphologic view of pathologies of mucous membrane of gastroduodenal zone caused by liver cirrhosis. We have examined 74 patients with liver cirrhosis of viral and nonviral etiology using the clinical, endoscopic, morphologic and immunohistochemical methods.We have found that during liver cirrhosis morphometric rates of epithelial cells of mucous coat of stomach that produce somatostatin and endothelin-1 decrease and morphometric rates of epithelial cells that produce nitrogen oxide synthase increase. We have also found out that during liver cirrhosis proliferate activity decrease and apoptosis of epithelial cell of mucous coat of stomach increase.

An original quantitative examination of oxidation-reduction enzymes activity in endotheliocytes of hemomicroclrculatory vessels of jejunum and rectum submucosal base in normal state and in portal hypertension was performed by the authors. Comparative analysis of the activity of the enzymes studied revealed different metabolic processes intensity in these organs, dependent on current hemodynamic conditions. Cytochemical changes in hemomicrocirculatory bed are consistent with structural reorganizations that arise in the wall of vessels studied, consist of several phases and may be used as an assessment criterion for defining the portal hypertension stage.

Glycogen and protein concentrations and the activities of liver glycogen metabolic enzymes were measured in 22 children aged 4 to 15, suffering from extrahepatic portal hypertension. Glucose-6-phosphatase, amylo-1,6-glucosidase, fructose-1,6-diphosphatase, phosphorylases alpha and beta, phosphoglucomutase, and phosphohexose isomerase levels were analyzed. Liver biopsy specimens obtained by surgical marginal biopsy were used in the study. No or drastic reduction of phosphorylase alpha activity and reduction of glycogen concentration and glucose-phosphatase activity were found characteristic of extrahepatic hypertension. Analysis of correlations of the findings has demonstrated a medium correlation in 4 cases and a strong correlation between the findings in 1 case, the possibility being estimated as 0.95-0.99. The highest number of correlations was observed with phosphorylase alpha and glucose-6-phosphatase (3 correlations). Liver blood stream impairments result in injury to one of its main biochemical functions, i.e., the maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis, this leading to reduction of the adaptation potential of the body; this should be borne in mind when planning therapeutic measures for patients with extrahepatic hypertension.