الفهرس 
Introduction and Aim of the workOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Aim of the work
Timely diagnosis and treatment of SBP are essential to survival. Therefore the purpose of the present study is to assess the levels and the diagnostic efficacy of CRP and TNF-α in the ascitic fluid and their blood ascitic gradient among cirrhotic patients with SBP versus those with sterile ascitis.
Conclusions
1- SBP is a common complication of liver cirrhosis as about 60% of the cirrhotic involved in our study had SBP.
2- The corner stone in diagnosis of SBP is the presence of PMNs in ascitic fluid analysis >250/cmm irrespective of ascitic fluid culture as 72% of the patients with SBP were culture negative.
3- The presence of prior episode of SBP, advances of liver cirrhosis and the flow ascitic protein levels were found to be the most significant risk factors for SBP among all patients.
4- CRP concentrations in ascitic fluid in SBP cirrhotic patients were significantly greater than in patients with sterile ascites. Similar results were noticed with its blood-ascitic gradient as well.
5- The presence of positive correlation between ascitic LDH and ascitic CRP reinforces its importance as conclusive parameter in diagnosis of SBP.
6- Blood-ascitic gradient of CRP and TNF-α had no significant correlation with that of LDH.
7- There was a higher incidence of significant correlations between ascitic and blood-ascitic gradients of CRP and many risk factors for SBP compared to TNF-α.
8- Sensitivity of ascitic fluid CRP and TNF-α were found to be similar, however, the former had a higher specificity 81% vs 71% respectively.
9- Regarding the blood-ascitic gradients of CRP and TNF-α; the sensitivity and specificity were more or less the same. Also they were nearly comparable to those of ascitic CRP and TNF-α.