Publications of Faculty of Medicine:STUDY OF PROTEIN ELECTROPHORETIC PATTERN AND LEVEL OF C3 AND C4 IN SERUM AND ASCITIC FLUID IN CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT SPONTANEOUS BACTERIAL PERITONITIS: Abstract

Thirty five cirrhotic ascitic patients - 15 with and 20 without spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) - as well as 10 well matched healthy volunteers comprised the material of our study . Blood analysis was done for the total protein, protein electrophoretic pattern, sALT, sAST, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase,.. C3 and C4 leveL Ascitic fluid analysis was done for the aspect, pH, smear, culture, total leucocyte count, differential leucocytie count, total proteins, protein electrophoretic pattern, C3 and Cy levels. Serum C3 and C4 levels showed significant reduction in both groups of cirrhotic patients when compared to control group. Levels of C3 & C4, both in the serum and ascitic fluid showed significant reduction in cirrhotic patients with SBP when compared to cirrhotic patients without SBP .This could be explained by excessive consumption of complement in patients with SBP and by the fact that liver function was more deranged in these patients. Total proteins as well as all fractions of proteins electrophoresis in the serum & ascitic fluid showed significant reduction in patients with SBP when compared to patients without SBP. The pH of ascitic fluid in patients with SBP was significantly lower when compared to patients without SBP, so it could be considered a, quick, sensitive and specific mean for diagnosis of SBP. The ascitic fluid smear was positive only in 13.3% and the culture was positive in 66.7% in patients with SBP. This points to the fact that negative smear or culture doesn't exclude SBP.