Biomaterial Database

Amyloid A fibril degrading activity in serum in liver disease--relation to serum acute phase and other protein levels. 1983

C P Maury, and A M Teppo, and M P Salaspuro

Human serum contains amyloid A degrading activity. This activity is decreased in patients with reactive systemic amyloidosis. To study the specificity of this finding, we evaluated the effect of liver disease per se on the amyloid degrading activity in serum as well as its relation to serum amyloid A (SAA), the putative precursor of amyloid A fibrils, and other serum protein levels in alcoholic and non-alcoholic non-malignant liver diseases without signs of amyloidosis. The amyloid A-degrading activity was significantly decreased in liver cirrhosis. The lowest activity was seen in patients with advanced cirrhosis. There was a positive correlation between the degradative activity and indices of hepato-cellular synthetic function (serum albumin, r = 0.77; serum prealbumin, r = 0.65). Most of the patients with liver disease had a detectable SAA level; 77% had a level higher than 5 mg/l (compared to 12% among blood donors). However, the SAA increase was generally only slight, e.g. in alcoholic liver cirrhosis the median SAA level was 15 mg/l. The results show that liver dysfunction per se decreases amyloid A-degrading activity in serum. A reduced activity cannot therefore be regarded as specific for reactive amyloidosis. Since reactive amyloidosis is extremely rare in liver cirrhosis, it seems obvious that a reduced amyloid degrading activity alone, in the absence of a markedly elevated SAA level, does not predispose, at least in patients with liver disease, to amyloidosis.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008104	Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic	FIBROSIS of the hepatic parenchyma due to chronic excess ALCOHOL DRINKING.	Alcoholic Cirrhosis,Hepatic Cirrhosis, Alcoholic,Alcoholic Hepatic Cirrhosis,Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis
D008105	Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary	FIBROSIS of the hepatic parenchyma due to obstruction of BILE flow (CHOLESTASIS) in the intrahepatic or extrahepatic bile ducts (BILE DUCTS, INTRAHEPATIC; BILE DUCTS, EXTRAHEPATIC). Primary biliary cholangitis involves the destruction of small intra-hepatic bile ducts and decreased bile secretion. Secondary biliary cholangitis is produced by prolonged obstruction of large intrahepatic or extrahepatic bile ducts from a variety of causes.	Biliary Cirrhosis,Biliary Cirrhosis, Primary,Biliary Cirrhosis, Secondary,Cholangitis, Chronic Nonsuppurative Destructive,Liver Cirrhosis, Obstructive,Primary Biliary Cholangitis,Biliary Cirrhosis, Primary, 1,Primary Biliary Cirrhosis,Secondary Biliary Cholangitis,Secondary Biliary Cirrhosis,Biliary Cholangitides, Primary,Biliary Cholangitis, Primary,Biliary Cholangitis, Secondary,Cholangitides, Primary Biliary,Cholangitis, Primary Biliary,Cholangitis, Secondary Biliary,Cirrhosis, Biliary,Cirrhosis, Secondary Biliary,Liver Cirrhoses, Biliary,Obstructive Liver Cirrhosis,Primary Biliary Cholangitides,Secondary Biliary Cholangitides
D008107	Liver Diseases	Pathological processes of the LIVER.	Liver Dysfunction,Disease, Liver,Diseases, Liver,Dysfunction, Liver,Dysfunctions, Liver,Liver Disease,Liver Dysfunctions
D008297	Male		Males
D011228	Prealbumin	A tetrameric protein, molecular weight between 50,000 and 70,000, consisting of 4 equal chains, and migrating on electrophoresis in 3 fractions more mobile than serum albumin. Its concentration ranges from 7 to 33 per cent in the serum, but levels decrease in liver disease.	Proalbumin,Transthyretin
D005234	Fatty Liver	Lipid infiltration of the hepatic parenchymal cells resulting in a yellow-colored liver. The abnormal lipid accumulation is usually in the form of TRIGLYCERIDES, either as a single large droplet or multiple small droplets. Fatty liver is caused by an imbalance in the metabolism of FATTY ACIDS.	Liver Steatosis,Steatohepatitis,Steatosis of Liver,Visceral Steatosis,Liver Steatoses,Liver, Fatty,Steatohepatitides,Steatoses, Liver,Steatoses, Visceral,Steatosis, Liver,Steatosis, Visceral,Visceral Steatoses
D005260	Female		Females
D006521	Hepatitis, Chronic	INFLAMMATION of the LIVER with ongoing hepatocellular injury for 6 months or more, characterized by NECROSIS of HEPATOCYTES and inflammatory cell (LEUKOCYTES) infiltration. Chronic hepatitis can be caused by viruses, medications, autoimmune diseases, and other unknown factors.	Chronic Hepatitis,Cryptogenic Chronic Hepatitis,Hepatitis, Chronic, Cryptogenic,Hepatitis, Chronic Active,Hepatitis, Chronic Persistent,Chronic Active Hepatitis,Chronic Hepatitis, Cryptogenic,Chronic Persistent Hepatitides,Chronic Persistent Hepatitis,Hepatitis, Cryptogenic Chronic
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000682	Amyloid	A fibrous protein complex that consists of proteins folded into a specific cross beta-pleated sheet structure. This fibrillar structure has been found as an alternative folding pattern for a variety of functional proteins. Deposits of amyloid in the form of AMYLOID PLAQUES are associated with a variety of degenerative diseases. The amyloid structure has also been found in a number of functional proteins that are unrelated to disease.	Amyloid Fibril,Amyloid Fibrils,Amyloid Substance,Fibril, Amyloid,Fibrils, Amyloid,Substance, Amyloid