Biomaterial Database

Oxygen and bile acid content in the azygos blood. Clues to the azygos derivation in patients with portal hypertension. 1987

A Hadengue, and S S Lee, and R Moreau, and D Lebrec

Unité de Recherches de Physiopathologie Hépatique (INSERM U24), Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France.

In patients with cirrhosis, elevation of azygos blood flow has been attributed on indirect grounds to cephalad portosystemic collaterals. To gather more information on the origin of the azygos blood, we studied the oxygen and bile acid content of the azygos and mixed venous blood in patients with portal hypertension. Azygos oxygen saturation was 59.6 +/- 6.0% in 8 controls, and significantly higher in 35 patients with cirrhosis (76.7 +/- 7.6%; P less than 0.01) as well as in 6 patients with noncirrhotic portal hypertension (84.0 +/- 8.2%; P less than 0.01). High oxygen saturation, however, was not correlated to azygos blood flow in patients with cirrhosis. In cirrhotic patients, total bile acid concentrations were 28.1 +/- 20.4 mumol/l in the pulmonary artery and 25.9 +/- 17.6 mumol/l in the azygos vein, giving an azygos to mixed venous ratio of 0.95 +/- 0.18. These results provide new evidence that elevated azygos blood flow in patients with portal hypertension is derived from the portal system, and perhaps predominantly from the splenic territory.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D006975	Hypertension, Portal	Abnormal increase of resistance to blood flow within the hepatic PORTAL SYSTEM, frequently seen in LIVER CIRRHOSIS and conditions with obstruction of the PORTAL VEIN.	Cruveilhier-Baumgarten Disease,Cruveilhier-Baumgarten Syndrome,Cruveilhier Baumgarten Disease,Cruveilhier Baumgarten Syndrome,Disease, Cruveilhier-Baumgarten,Portal Hypertension,Portal Hypertensions,Syndrome, Cruveilhier-Baumgarten
D008103	Liver Cirrhosis	Liver disease in which the normal microcirculation, the gross vascular anatomy, and the hepatic architecture have been variably destroyed and altered with fibrous septa surrounding regenerated or regenerating parenchymal nodules.	Cirrhosis, Liver,Fibrosis, Liver,Hepatic Cirrhosis,Liver Fibrosis,Cirrhosis, Hepatic
D010100	Oxygen	An element with atomic symbol O, atomic number 8, and atomic weight [15.99903; 15.99977]. It is the most abundant element on earth and essential for respiration.	Dioxygen,Oxygen-16,Oxygen 16
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001401	Azygos Vein	A vein which arises from the right ascending lumbar vein or the vena cava, enters the thorax through the aortic orifice in the diaphragm, and terminates in the superior vena cava.	Azygos Veins,Vein, Azygos,Veins, Azygos
D001647	Bile Acids and Salts	Steroid acids and salts. The primary bile acids are derived from cholesterol in the liver and usually conjugated with glycine or taurine. The secondary bile acids are further modified by bacteria in the intestine. They play an important role in the digestion and absorption of fat. They have also been used pharmacologically, especially in the treatment of gallstones.	Bile Acid,Bile Salt,Bile Salts,Bile Acids,Acid, Bile,Acids, Bile,Salt, Bile,Salts, Bile