[Changes in the 24-hour rhythm of plasma melatonin in patients with liver cirrhosis--relation to sleep architecture].

Abstract

A marked alteration of plasma melatonin rhythm is found in cirrhotic patients with subclinical hepatic encephalopathy. This disruption may reflect changes in the output of the circadian pacemaker located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. It is possible that some of the metabolic disturbances that lead to hepatic encephalopathy may also alter the function of the biological "clock".