Immunological and functional determination of the protease inhibitors, protein C and antithrombin III, in liver cirrhosis and in neoplasia.

Using a new rapid coagulant method, protein C activity (PC act) was determined in liver cirrhosis and malignancies and compared with PC antigen and AT III values. PC was decreased in a more pronounced manner than AT III in liver cirrhosis, mainly due to impaired synthesis. This is of special clinical interest because PC proved to be a high sensible indicator of liver cell dysfunction. Decreased levels of PC act (PC ratio act/ag less than 1) in decompensated liver cirrhosis may be caused by the synthesis of dysfunctional PC and/or vitamin K deficiency with production of undercarboxylated PC most sensitively registered by this coagulant assay. An increased clearance of in vivo activated PC induced by DIC may play an insignificant role. In patients with liver metastases, PC act (but not AT III and immunological parameters) was significantly reduced, supporting the conclusion that in these patients liver dysfunction concomitant with synthesis of dysfunctional PC must be discussed as the main cause of this alteration.