Natural anticoagulants and fibrinolytic activity following interferon therapy in chronic viral hepatitis.

Chronic liver disease is accompanied by derangement of hepatocyte function including the synthesis of haemostastic factors. It is, however, not known whether the improvement in liver functions as a result of interferon (IFN)-alpha therapy would be reflected in the plasma levels of these factors. To evaluate the effect of IFN-alpha therapy on the plasma levels of natural anticoagulants and on the fibrinolytic parameters, in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

The liver and the haemeostatic system.

The liver plays a central role in the control of haemostasis being the site of synthesis of most of the coagulation factors and natural anticoagulants, as well as fibrinolytic factors except the main activators of the fibrinolytic system (t-PA and u-PA). The liver also clears many of the activated clotting and fibrinolytic factors, as well as haemostatic activation complexes (TAT and PAP) and end product of fibrin degradation, FDP. Therefore, liver disease results in a complex and multifactorial pattern of defects in haemostatic function in the form of: (i) decreased synthesis of coagulation factors (ii) Abnormal protein synthesis e.