SERUM LAMININ P1 IN CHRONIC VIRAL-HEPATITIS - CORRELATIONS WITH LIVERHISTOLOGICAL ACTIVITY AND DIAGNOSTIC-VALUE

Laminin is a major basement membrane-associated, non-collagenous glyco protein of the extracellular matrix and is deposited in the space of D isse during sinusoidal capillarisation. Laminin P1, a pepsin-resistant fragment originating from the central portion of the cross-shaped lam inin molecule, is detectable in serum and has been related to liver fi brosis and portal hypertension. In this study we investigated the beha viour of serum laminin P1, measured by radioimmunoassay, in a homogene ous group of 95 patients suffering from chronic viral hepatitis, types C or B, in order to determine the relationships between serum laminin P1 and each of the main histological aspects of the disease process ( i.e. portal-periportal activity, lobular activity and fibrosis), which were assigned numerical scores. Moreover, we computed, at several cut -off levels, the sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative pr edictive values of laminin P1 in detecting both necroinflammatory acti vity and fibrosis in the liver. The results show that serum laminin P1 levels parallel the severity of liver disease, the highest laminin co ncentrations being observed in cirrhotic patients, They suggest also t hat serum laminin P1 should be considered a marker of the liver diseas e process as a whole, rather than a marker exclusively linked to fibro sis. Nevertheless, the usefulness of serum laminin P1 measurement, as investigated in this study, seems too limited to be recommended for ro utine clinical practice.