Platelet aggregation is affected by nitrosothiols in patients with chronic hepatitis: In vivo and in vitro studies

Table 1 Enrolled subjects: main findings (mean ± SD)

	Controls	HCV-positive CH patients
Total number	50	114
M/F	26/24	59/55
Median age, yr (range)	53 (26-74)	54 (22-81)
ALT (IU/L, nv < 40)	12 ± 11	90.2 ± 60.4
γGT (IU/L, nv < 50)	28 ± 9	77 ± 52
Total proteins (g/dL)	6.8 ± 2.7	7.2 ± 1.2
Albumin (g/dL)	4.1 ± 1.2	3.6 ± 0.8
Total bilirubin (mg/dL)	0.8 ± 0.3	0.9 ± 0.3
Prothrombin time (s)	10.3 ± 2.1	10.5 ± 2.3
Platelets (n x 103/μL)	278 ± 89	159 ± 52
Ishak score for grading (median and range)	-	9 (5-11)
Ishak score for staging	-	3 (2-3)
(median and range)

CH: chronic hepatitis; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; γGT: gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.

Table 2 Plasma parameters (mean ± SD)

		HCV-infected patients
	Controls	CH (all patients)	CH with platelets > 150 000/μL	CH with platelets < 150 000/μL
Nitrite (μmol/L)	6.51 ± 4.64	7.98 ± 3.92	5.78 ± 2.03	10.64 ± 3.51ab
NPSH (μmol/L)	367 ± 24	323 ± 26	372 ± 28	254 ± 21bd
GSH (μmol/L)	8.1 ± 2.4	7.3 ± 3.5	8.8 ± 2.6	2.7 ± 1.0bd
CYS (μmol/L)	17 ± 4.1	14 ± 5.2	16.8 ± 5.2	10 ± 2.9bd
S-NO (μmol/L)	7.4 ± 1.5	27.9 ± 8.4b	33.8 ± 7.5b	21.4 ± 6.9ab
MDA (μmol/L)	0.28 ± 0.05	0.25 ± 0.90	0.21 ± 0.18	0.46 ± 0.13ab
4-HNE (μmol/L)	0.20 ± 0.08	0.24 ± 0.12	0.29 ± 0.11	0.59 ± 0.31bd
TNFα (pg/mL)	26.7 ± 9.1	29.9 ± 5.7	36.4 ± 3.1b	26.2 ± 3.9d
IL-6 (pg/mL)	28.9 ± 7.3	31 ± 6.1	46.4 ± 3.1b	26.5 ± 6.4d
Score of fibrosis (median and range)	0	2 (1-4)	2 (1-2)	3 (2-4)a
HCV-RNA (× 106 UI/mL)	0	6.24 ± 1.38	5.48 ± 1.32	6.18 ± 2.1

^bP < 0.01 vs controls;

^aP < 0.05,

^dP < 0.01 vs CH with platelet counts > 150 000/μL.