EXHALED AND PLASMA NITRITE: a comparative study among healthy, cirrhotic and liver transplant patients

Nitrito exalado e plasmático: um estudo comparativo entre pacientes transplantados saudáveis, cirrose e fígado

Context

There is a relative lack of studies about exhaled nitrite (NO₂^-) concentrations in cirrhotic and transplanted patients.

Objective

Verify possible differences and correlations between the levels of NO₂^-, measured in plasma and exhaled breath condensate collected from patients with cirrhosis and liver transplant.

Method

Sixty adult male patients, aged between 27 and 67 years, were subdivided into three groups: a control group comprised of 15 healthy volunteers, a cirrhosis group composed of 15 volunteers, and a transplant group comprised of 30 volunteers. The NO₂^- concentrations were measured by chemiluminescence.

Results

1) The analysis of plasma NO₂^- held among the three groups showed no statistical significance. 2) The comparison between cirrhotic and control groups, control and transplanted and cirrhotic and transplanted was not statistically significant. 3) The measurements performed on of NO₂^- exhaled breath condensate among the three groups showed no statistical difference. 4) When comparing the control group samples and cirrhotic, control and transplanted and cirrhotic and transplanted, there was no significant changes in the concentrations of NO₂^-.

Conclusion

No correlations were found between plasma and exhaled NO₂^-, suggesting that the exhaled NO₂^- is more reflective of local respiratory NO release than the systemic circulation.

Liver transplantation; Liver cirrhosis; Nitric oxide, diagnostic use.