ROLE OF FIBRONECTIN AND COMPLEMENT IN IMMUNOPATHOGENESIS OF ACUTE ANDSUBACUTE HEPATIC-FAILURE

The present study describes the plasma levels of soluble fibronectin ( FN), C3d, the breakdown product Of C3 complement and Ba, the breakdown product of properdin factor B, in 30 patients of uncomplicated acute viral hepatitis (AVH), 64 patients of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) and 29 patients of subacute hepatic failure (SAHF) with different hepa titis viral infectionse. Aetiological analysis of these patients demon strated hepatitis B, hepatitis C and hepatitis non-A, non-B, non-C (NA NB-NC) infections in 6.7, 13.3 and 80% cases, respectively, of the AVH group; 18.8, 42.2. and 39.0% cases, respectively, of the FHF group; a nd 31.0, 34.5 and 34.5% cases of the SAHF group. None of them had hepa titis A infection. The analysis of data showed that the plasma FN leve l was significantly reduced in patients with FHF and SAHF as compared to AVH patients and healthy persons. Fibronectin levels in AVH was com parable to that in the healthy group. Further, the FN level was not de pendent on the nature of aetiological virus. The level Of C3d in plasm a was significantly high in all patients of FHF and SAHF, irrespective of their viral aetiology, compared to the AVH group and the healthy g roup. Like FN, the C3d level was comparable in the AVH and healthy gro ups. However, the Ba level was comparable to the normal value in all t ypes of infections including the AVH, FHF and SAHF groups. These findi ngs were used to explain the possible roles of fibronectin and complem ent in the immunopathogenesis of liver injury in patients of acute liv er failure of viral aetiology.