Splanchnic and systemic hemodynamics in early abstinence and after ethanol administration in non-cirrhotic alcoholic patients

Abstract

Thirteen asymptomatic chronic alcoholic patients were studied to investigate the early stages of portal hypertension in alcoholic liver disease and the effects of withdrawal and ethanol on hepatic function and hemodynamic variables. None of the patients presented clinical signs of decompensated liver disease, and their liver biopsies showed normal liver or moderate alterations only. In basal conditions and after an intravenous ethanol infusion (1 g/kg body weight), hepatic venous pressure gradient and hepatic blood flow using indocyanine green were measured through hepatic vein catheterization. Hepatic sinusoidal vascular resistance and indocyanine green intrinsic clearance were also calculated. Portal blood flow measurements were obtained by Doppler ultrasound. No correlation was observed between hepatic venous pressure gradient and histologic features, (steatosis, necrosis, fibrosis, inflammation and hepatocyte surface area). In basal conditions, portal hypertension was not found in