[Clinical investigation of vitamin A deficiency and endotoxemia in patients with liver cirrhosis].

Eighty four patients with liver cirrhosis were studied and their plasma levels of vitamin A, fibronectin and endotoxin were assayed. Various degrees of vitamin A deficiency were found in 79% of the patients, but no deficiency in vitamin A caused the rise in plasma fibronectin. The incidence of endotoxemia and secondary infections in vitamin A deficient patients (82%, 31%) was significantly higher than that in normal vitamin A group (P less than 0.01). In 62% of the patients, vitamin A deficiency and endotoxemia existed simultaneously. For patients in whom vitamin A deficiency and fibronectin decrease coexisted, the incidence of endotoxemia was 93%. The findings demonstrated that vitamin A deficiency is an important cause of complicating endotoxemia and secondary infection in cirrhotic patients. Further efforts should be made to evaluate the clinical value of combined assay of vitamin A and fibronectin in estimating the liver function and prognosis of the patients.