Biomaterial Database

Heparin elimination in patients with liver cirrhosis. 1977

A N Teien

Heparin (100 U/kg body-weight) was injected intravenously, and heparin concentration in plasma determined by polybrene titration. Mean heparin half-life was 117.8 min in a group of patients with liver cirrhosis and normal renal function (n = 6) as compared to 74.0 min in the normal group (n = 6). The difference between the two groups is statistically significant (p approximately 0.02). Heparin half-life was correlated to galactose half-life in the patients (r=0.83, p= 0.05). The findings suggest that heparin is metabolized in the liver. There was a significant fall in antithrombin III activities in the normals, but not in the patients. A possible explanation may be that the normal liver removes heparin bound to antithrombin III, and that this function is impaired in liver cirrhosis.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
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
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D005260	Female		Females
D005690	Galactose	An aldohexose that occurs naturally in the D-form in lactose, cerebrosides, gangliosides, and mucoproteins. Deficiency of galactosyl-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALACTOSE-1-PHOSPHATE URIDYL-TRANSFERASE DEFICIENCY DISEASE) causes an error in galactose metabolism called GALACTOSEMIA, resulting in elevations of galactose in the blood.	D-Galactose,Galactopyranose,Galactopyranoside,D Galactose
D006493	Heparin	A highly acidic mucopolysaccharide formed of equal parts of sulfated D-glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid with sulfaminic bridges. The molecular weight ranges from six to twenty thousand. Heparin occurs in and is obtained from liver, lung, mast cells, etc., of vertebrates. Its function is unknown, but it is used to prevent blood clotting in vivo and vitro, in the form of many different salts.	Heparinic Acid,alpha-Heparin,Heparin Sodium,Liquaemin,Sodium Heparin,Unfractionated Heparin,Heparin, Sodium,Heparin, Unfractionated,alpha Heparin
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D000990	Antithrombin III	A plasma alpha 2 glycoprotein that accounts for the major antithrombin activity of normal plasma and also inhibits several other enzymes. It is a member of the serpin superfamily.	Heparin Cofactor I,Antithrombin III-Alpha,Atenativ,Heparin Co-Factor I,Kybernin,Serpin C1,Thrombate III,Antithrombin III Alpha,Antithrombin IIIAlpha,Cofactor I, Heparin,Heparin Co Factor I