The Value of Circulating Nogo-B for Evaluating Hepatic Functional Reserve in Patients with Cirrhosis

الملخص EN

Objective.

To examine Nogo-B in liver tissues and plasma of patients with liver cirrhosis and associate them with various clinical parameters.

Materials and Methods.

Nogo-B protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in 24 human fibrotic/cirrhotic liver specimens and 10 healthy controls.

We determined plasma Nogo-B levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 301 patients with liver cirrhosis and 153 healthy controls, and then analyzed various clinical parameters.

Results.

Nogo-B was mainly expressed in nonparenchymal cells in the liver and was marked increased in liver with significant fibrosis/cirrhosis compared to controls.

Moreover, Metavir F4 showed a higher level of expression than F2.

Plasma Nogo-B levels were significantly higher in cirrhotic patients than in healthy controls and were the highest in Child-Pugh class C patients.

Plasma Nogo-B levels were positively correlated with Child-Pugh scores.

However, there was no relationship between plasma Nogo-B levels and etiology of liver diseases, ALT, AST, platelet counts, and the severity of esophagogastric varices.

Conclusions.

Nogo-B is mainly expressed in hepatic nonparenchymal cells and is present in plasma.

Abnormally high plasma levels of Nogo-B are associated with hepatic cirrhosis and Child-Pugh score, but not correlated with the grade of liver inflammation or portal hypertension.

Plasma Nogo-B may be a novel surrogate marker to reflect liver function reserve.