Correlation between Plasma Malondialdehyde Level and Severity of Portal Hypertension in Cirrhotic Patients

Abstract

P ortal hypertension is an abnormal elevation in the blood pressure within the portal circulation which is caused by a functional resistance to blood flow at any part of portal venous system and also increase in the blood flow of the portal venous system. Oxidative stress not only promotes the development of liver fibrosis, but also changes the patient’s cirrhotic liver hemodynamics. Malondialdehyde (MDA), a typical aldehydic product of lipid peroxidation which results from lipid peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids so the increased plasma MDA level may strongly correlate with hemodynamic disorder and portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients. This study was conducted to evaluate the relevance between the malondialdehyde (MDA) level and portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients and to reveal the potential role of MDA as an important non-invasive diagnostic method in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension. To fulfill the aim of this study, sixty participants were included. They were admitted to Tropical Medicine Department, Ain Shams University Hospital