Portal endothelial damage in cirrhosis

Introduction: Cirrhotic patients show a systemic heparin-like effect at thromboelastometric tracing during infection or bleeding. Endotoxemia, shear stress and inflammation may lead to endothelial damage and subsequent release of endogenous heparinoids by disruption of glycocalyx. The endothelium of portal vein could be persistently damaged by portal hypertension, and this could correlate with the high incidence of portal vein thrombosis in cirrhosis. Data regarding heparin-like effect in the portal venous system are lacking.