Study on ascitic fluid protein level in cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Complement 3 is an important component of ascitic fluid total protein, which offers local defenceagainst infection of the ascitic fluid. Hepatic synthesis of complement 3 as well as other proteins andtheir concentrations in ascitic fluid is significantly reduced in patients with advanced cirrhosis. Thelevel of protein in ascitic fluid in cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis was comparedwith that in patients without spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Ascitic fluid protein level in spontaneousbacterial peritonitis (n=15) was 1.1 ± 0.3 g/dL whereas it was 1.5 ± 0.5 g/dL in patients withoutspontaneous bacterial peritonitis (n=15). In conclusion, this study suggests that, ascitic fluid proteinlevel is significantly (p=0.008) reduced in cirrhotic patients who develop spontaneous bacterialperitonitis.