Atrial natriuretic factor in the ascitic fluid of cirrhotic patients.

The simultaneous measurement of plasma and ascitic fluid atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) concentrations in six cirrhotic patients revealed that ANF is present in high concentrations (mean = 89 +/- 4 pg/ml) in the ascitic fluid of these patients. The concentration of atrial natriuretic factor in ascitic fluid was nearly equal to the concentration in plasma (96 +/- 8 pg/ml). The plasma levels of ANF in the cirrhotic patients were considerably higher than the mean plasma concentration of this peptide hormone in 54 persons without cirrhosis (67 +/- 3 pg/ml). The data demonstrate that atrial natriuretic factor is present in ascitic fluid in high concentrations that are nearly equal to that in plasma. This suggests that its presence in ascitic fluid is due to capillary leakage in the hepatic sinusoids.