Evaluation of plasma urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor in patients with chronic hepatitis B, C and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

ABSTRACTBackground: Progressive hepatic fibrosis is the main predictor of outcome and prognosis in chronic liver diseases. The importance of the coagulation cascade has been defined in liver fibrosis, the role of the fibrinolytic pathway is yet unclear.Aim of study: We evaluated the association of serum levels of the fibrinolysis associated soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) with the severity of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B, C and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.Materials and methods: 96 chronic hepatitis B, 22 chronic hepatitis C and 11 NAFLD together with 47 healthy controls were enrolled. uPAR in plasma were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELİSA) kits.Results: The level of uPAR in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C significantly exceeded those in healthy controls (p<0,001). Mean uPAR levels in patients with NAFLD were not different from healthy control subjects. Both mean uPAR levels in chronic viral hepatitis patients with F1-F3 fibrosis and F4-F6 fibrosis were higher than control group (p<0,001). Mean uPAR level in patients with F4-F6 fibrosis issignificantly higher than patients with F1-F3 fibrosis (p<0,001).Conclusion: It is suggested that plasma levels of uPAR are closely related to the fibrosis stage in chronic hepatitis B and C and that uPAR might be a noninvasivemarker of liver fibrosis.