Vitamin K status in cystic fibrosis patients with liver cirrhosis

Abstract The available data on the influence of liver cirrhosis on vitamin K status in CF patients is scarce. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to assess the prevalence of vitamin K deficiency in cirrhotic CF subjects and to determine whether it correlates with liver cirrhosis. The study group comprised of 27 CF patients with and 63 without liver cirrhosis. Vitamin K status was assessed using prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence (PIVKA-II) and the percentage of undercarboxylated osteocalcin (u-OC). PIVKA-II concentrations were higher in cirrhotic than in non-cirrhotic CF patients (median [1st–3rd quartile]: 3.2 ng/ml [1.0–10.0] vs. 1.3 ng/ml [0.2–2.6], p = 0.0029). However, the differences in u-OC percentages between the studied groups did not reach the level of significance (49.4% [7.0–73.8] vs. 8.0% [2.6–59.1], p = 0.0501). Based on multiple linear regression analysis the dose of vitamin K and F508del mutation were potentially defined as determinants of vitamin K deficiency. Liver cirrhosis was not documented to be an independent risk factor. In CF patients with liver cirrhosis vitamin K deficiency is not only more frequent, but also more severe. However, not liver cirrhosis, but the presence of a F508del CFTR mutation constitutes an independent risk factor for vitamin K deficiency.