SERUM CD44 LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASES

CD44 is a cell surface adhesion molecule demonstrated to be a receptor for hyaluronate (HA). Since serum HA is known to increase in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), we investigated whether serum CD44 levels are increased in patients with chronic liver diseases. Serum CD44 conc entration in patients with LC was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that in patients with chronic hepatitis (CH). Patients with CH had al so significantly more elevated levels of serum CD44 than normal contro ls (P < 0.01). However, no significant difference was observed in seru m CD44 levels among chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic aggressive h epatitis with moderate activity (CAH 2A) and chronic aggressive hepati tis with severe activity (CAH 2B). Similar results were obtained for s erum HA. Serum CD44 levels also showed significant (P < 0.01) correlat ion between serum HA in patients with CH and-LC. These results indicat e that serum CD44 as well as HA is increased in patients with chronic liver diseases, especially with LC.