A model to predict survival in patients with end-stage liver disease

Avoiding falsely low creatinine concentrations measured in patients treated with N-acetylcysteine for acetaminophen intoxication using enzymo-amperometric method - An in vitro and in vivo study

BACKGROUND

Circulating creatinine is a biomarker of paramount importance in clinical practice. In cases of acetaminophen (APAP) intoxication, the antidote, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), interferes with commonly used creatininase-peroxidase methods. This study aimed to assess whether creatininase-amperometric methods were affected in this context.

METHODS

This study includes in vitro interference tests, involving four creatinine assays using NAC-spiked plasma pools and an in vivo retrospective study comparing creatininase-peroxidase and creatininase-amperometric measurements in patients presenting with NAC-treated APAP poisoning.

RESULTS

Creatininase-peroxidase method was impacted by NAC interference in a clinically-significant manner at therapeutic NAC levels (basal value recovery of 80 % and 70 % for 500 and 1000 mg.L-1 of NAC, respectively), surpassing the desirable Reference Change Value (RCV%). Enzymo-amperometric methods were not impacted. Among patients, a mean bias of -45.2 ± 28.0 % was observed for the peroxidase detection method compared to the amperometric in those who received NAC prior plasma sampling and -2.7 ± 5.4 % in those who did not.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that enzymo-amperometric creatinine assays remain unaffected by NAC interference due to the absence of the peroxidase step in the analytical process. Therefore, these methods are suitable to prevent spurious hypocreatininemia in APAP intoxicated patients undergoing NAC therapy.

Artificial Intelligence and liver: Opportunities and barriers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has recently been shown as an excellent tool for the study of the liver; however, many obstacles still have to be overcome for the digitalization of real-world hepatology. The authors present an overview of the current state of the art on the use of innovative technologies in different areas (big data, translational hepatology, imaging, and transplant setting). In clinical practice, physicians must integrate a vast array of data modalities (medical history, clinical data, laboratory tests, imaging, and pathology slides) to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic decision. Unfortunately, machine learning and deep learning are still far from really supporting clinicians in real life. In fact, the accuracy of any technological support has no value in medicine without the support of clinicians. To make better use of new technologies, it is essential to improve clinicians' knowledge about them. To this end, the authors propose that collaborative networks for multidisciplinary approaches will improve the rapid implementation of AI systems for developing disease-customized AI-powered clinical decision support tools. The authors also discuss ethical, educational, and legal challenges that must be overcome to build robust bridges and deploy potentially effective AI in real-world clinical settings.

The Effect of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease 3.0 on Disparities between Patients with and without Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Korea

PURPOSE

The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) 3.0 has recently been suggested for determining liver allocation. We aimed to apply MELD 3.0 to a Korean population and to discover differences between patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study is a retrospective study of 2203 patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis at Severance Hospital between 2016-2022. Harrell's concordance index was used to validate the ability of MELD scores to predict 90-day survival.

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up of 12.9 months, 90-day survival was 61.9% in all patients, 50.4% in the HCC patients, and 74.8% in the non-HCC patients. Within the HCC patients, the concordance index for patients on the waitlist was 0.653 using MELD, which increased to 0.753 using MELD 3.0. Among waitlisted patients, the 90-day survival of HCC patients was worse than that of non-HCC patients with MELD scores of 31-37 only (69.7% vs. 30.0%, p=0.001). Applying MELD 3.0, the 90-day survival of HCC patients was worse than that of non-HCC patients across a wider range of MELD 3.0 scores, compared to MELD, with MELD 3.0 scores of 21-30 and 31-37 (82.0% vs. 72.5% and 72.3% vs. 24.3%, p=0.02 and p<0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

MELD 3.0 predicted 90-day survival of the HCC patients more accurately than original MELD score; however, the disparity between HCC and non-HCC patients increased, particularly in patients with MELD scores of 21-30. Therefore, a novel exception score is needed or the current exception score system should be modified.

Predictors of Short-term Mortality in Patients of Cirrhosis of Liver Presenting as Acute Kidney Injury: An In-hospital Prospective Observational Study

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is known to be associated with increased short-term mortality among cirrhotic patients. On this background, we designed this study to evaluate various causes of AKI among admitted patients with cirrhosis of liver and predictors of 90-day mortality.

Methods

One hundred and two consecutive adult patients with cirrhosis of liver with AKI hospitalized between November 2016 and March 2018 were enrolled in this prospective study. Their detailed clinical profile, including biochemical parameters, the etiology of AKI, and their clinical outcome of survival or mortality at 90-days, were recorded.

Results

The most common causes of AKI were infections, followed by hypovolemia, seen in 55.88% and 31.37% of the patients, respectively. Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) was seen in 10.78%, while parenchymal renal disease was the least common (1.9%). The in-hospital mortality rate was 28.4%, while 90-day mortality was 39.21%. The HRS group had a high 90-day mortality rate of 54.54%. ROC analysis of various biochemical parameters revealed that serum creatinine (sCr), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), International Normalized Ratio (INR), and Neutrophil-Lymphocyte ratio (NLR), followed by Child Turcotte Pugh (CTP), had high area under the curves of 0.785, 0.773, 0.747, 0.740, and 0.718, respectively, for the prediction of 90-day mortality.

Conclusion

Infection is the commonest cause of AKI in cirrhosis; however, mortality in patients with HRS-AKI is higher than that in those with infection-related AKI. Serum creatinine at admission, INR, NLR, and CTP scores predict short-term mortality among patients with AKI in cirrhosis. Further, large prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Predicting outcomes following short-term ventricular assist device implant with the MELD-XI score

BACKGROUND

Short-term continuous flow (STCF) ventricular assist devices (VADs) are utilized in adults with cardiogenic shock; however, mortality remains high. Previous studies have found that high pre-operative MELD-XI scores in durable VAD patients are associated with mortality. The use of the MELD-XI score to predict outcomes in STCF-VAD patients has not been explored. We sought to determine the relationship between MELD-XI and outcomes in adults with STCF-VADs.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of adults implanted with STCF-VADs between 2009 and 2019. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to predict outcomes and Kaplan-Meier analysis was done to assess survival.

RESULTS

Seventy-nine patients were included with a median MELD-XI score of 21.2 (IQR 13.5, 27.0). Patients with an unsuccessful wean from support (p < 0.001) or major post-operative bleeding (p = 0.03) had significantly higher pre-implant MELD-XI scores. The optimal MELD-XI cut-point for mortality was 24.9 with 27.8 for major bleeding. Survival was worse among patients in the high-risk MELD-XI group, however, not statistically significant (p = 0.09). Prior ECMO support, but not MELD-XI, was an independent predictor of unsuccessful wean (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-operative MELD-XI score was a moderate predictor of unsuccessful wean with limited utility in predicting bleeding in patients on STCF-VAD support. This scoring system may be useful in the clinical setting for pre-implant risk stratification and counseling among patients and outcomes.

Shear wave elastography-based deep learning model for prognosis of patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis

PURPOSE

This study aimed to develop and validate a deep learning model based on two-dimensional (2D) shear wave elastography (SWE) for predicting prognosis in patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled 288 acutely decompensated cirrhosis patients with a minimum 1-year follow-up, divided into a training cohort (202 patients, 1010 2D SWE images) and a test cohort (86 patients, 430 2D SWE images). Using transfer learning by Resnet-50 to analyze 2D SWE images, a SWE-based deep learning signature (DLswe) was developed for 1-year mortality prediction. A combined nomogram was established by incorporating deep learning SWE information and laboratory data through a multivariate Cox regression analysis. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated with respect to predictive discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness in the training and test cohorts.

RESULTS

The C-index for DLswe was 0.748 (95% CI 0.666-0.829) and 0.744 (95% CI 0.623-0.864) in the training and test cohorts, respectively. The combined nomogram significantly improved the C-index, accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of DLswe to 0.823 (95% CI 0.763-0.883), 86%, 75%, and 89% in the training cohort, and 0.808 (95% CI 0.707-0.909), 83%, 74%, and 85% in the test cohort (both p < 0.05). Calibration curves demonstrated good calibration of the combined nomogram. Decision curve analysis indicated that the nomogram was clinically valuable.

CONCLUSIONS

The 2D SWE-based deep learning model holds promise as a noninvasive tool to capture valuable prognostic information, thereby improving outcome prediction in patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis.

Waitlist and post-transplant outcomes among candidates listed for liver transplant: Liver alone versus simultaneous liver kidney listings

BACKGROUND

Data comparing waitlist and post-transplant outcomes of liver transplantation (LT) alone (LTA) versus simultaneous liver kidney (SLK) listings are limited.

AIM

To examine 90-days waitlist and 1-year post-transplant outcomes of LT listings since Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN) policy for SLK, who had cirrhosis with eGFR <30 mL/min or on dialysis at listing.

METHODS

Adults (08/2017-03/2021) with first LT listing (2628 SLK) were stratified on renal function from listing: acute kidney injury (AKI): rise of serum creatinine by ≥0.3 mg/dL or <42 days hemodialysis; chronic kidney disease (CKD): eGFR <60 mL/min for ≥90 days or ≥42 days hemodialysis.

RESULTS

Among 7094 adults analyzed, 90-days competing cumulative waitlist mortality was 18.2% in LTA + CKD (n = 37), 15.3% in LTA + AKI (n = 3337), 15% in SLK + AKI (n = 2070), and 11% in SLK + CKD (n = 403), p < 0.001. On fine and gray model, compared to SLK + CKD, LTA + AKI had 1.4-fold waitlist mortality. On a median post-transplant follow up of 1 year, patient survival was similar comparing LTA versus SLK for AKI (89% each, p = 0.83), for CKD (93 vs. 86%, p = 0.55), but lower in recipients listed for SLK with no AKI or CKD (93 vs. 88%, p = 0.02), adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) of 0.7 (0.4-1.2). Among 1024 LTA recipients without AKI or CKD from listing, 117 were listed for SLK, and their 1-year survival was poorer compared to LT alone listings (79 vs. 95%, p < 0.002, adjusted HR 3.6 (1.3-10.3); p = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

Among candidates with renal dysfunction at listing for LT, those listed for LT alone should receive transplant promptly to optimise waitlist outcomes. Those listed for SLK should wait to receive both organs to optimise post-transplant outcomes.

Current status of preoperative risk assessment for posthepatectomy liver failure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Liver resection is an effective therapeutic option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. However, posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) remains a major cause of hepatectomy-related mortality, and the accurate prediction of PHLF based on preoperative assessment of liver functional reserve is a critical issue. The definition of PHLF proposed by the International Study Group for Liver Surgery has gained acceptance as a standard grading criterion. Liver function can be estimated using a variety of parameters, including routine blood biochemical examinations, clinical scoring systems, dynamic liver function tests, liver stiffness and fibrosis markers, and imaging studies. The Child-Pugh score and model for end-stage liver disease scores are conventionally used for estimating liver decompensation, although the alternatively developed albumin-bilirubin score shows superior performance for predicting hepatic dysfunction. Indocyanine green clearance, a dynamic liver function test mostly used in Japan and other Asian countries, serves as a quantitative estimation of liver function reserve and helps determine indications for surgical procedures according to the estimated risk of PHLF. In an attempt to improve predictive accuracy, specific evaluation of liver fibrosis and portal hypertension has gained popularity, including liver stiffness measurements using ultrasonography or magnetic resonance elastography, as well as noninvasive fibrosis markers. Imaging modalities, including Tc-99m-labeled galactosyl serum albumin scintigraphy and gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, are used for preoperative evaluation in combination with liver volume. This review aims to provide an overview of the usefulness of current options for the preoperative assessment of liver function in predicting PHLF.

Predicting COVID-19 prognosis in hospitalized patients based on early status

IMPORTANCE

COVID-19 remains the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Predicting COVID-19 patient prognosis is essential to help efficiently allocate resources, including ventilators and intensive care unit beds, particularly when hospital systems are strained. Our PLABAC and PRABLE models are unique because they accurately assess a COVID-19 patient's risk of death from only age and five commonly ordered laboratory tests. This simple design is important because it allows these models to be used by clinicians to rapidly assess a patient's risk of decompensation and serve as a real-time aid when discussing difficult, life-altering decisions for patients. Our models have also shown generalizability to external populations across the United States. In short, these models are practical, efficient tools to assess and communicate COVID-19 prognosis.

Hepatic Impairment as a Risk Factor for Drug Safety: Suitability and Comparison of Four Liver Scores as Screening Tools

Hepatic impairment (HI) influences the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs and represents an important risk factor for drug safety. A reliable screening tool for HI identification at hospital admission by pharmacists would be desirable but is currently lacking. Therefore, we tested four liver scores as potential screening instruments. We retrospectively recorded liver/bile diagnoses, symptoms and abnormalities (summarized as hepatic findings) of 200 surgical patients followed by an assessment of the relevance of these findings for drug therapy (rating). The agreement between the Model of Endstage Liver Disease (MELD), Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NFS), Fibrosis 4 index (FIB-4), and aspartate-aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) and the rating was quantified by Cohen's Kappa. The performance of the scores in this setting was further evaluated by their sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). Of 200 patients, 18 (9%) had hepatic findings relevant for drug therapy. Fair agreement was found for FIB-4 and MELD and slight agreement for APRI and NFS compared to the rating. The highest values for sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 41.2% (MELD), 99.3% (APRI), 66.7% (APRI), and 93.6% (MELD), respectively. Due to low performance, none of the scores can be recommended for clinical use as a single screening tool for HI at hospital admission.

Novel Morphological Profiling Assay Connects ex Vivo Endothelial Cell Responses to Disease Severity in Liver Cirrhosis

Background and Aims

Endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction in response to circulating plasma factors is a known causal factor in many systemic diseases. However, no appropriate assay is available to investigate this causality ex vivo. In liver cirrhosis, systemic inflammation is identified as central mechanism in progression from compensated to decompensated cirrhosis (DC), but the role of ECs therein is unknown. We aimed to develop a novel ex vivo assay for assessing EC responses to patient-derived plasma (PDP) and assess the potential of this assay in a cohort of liver cirrhosis patients.

Methods

Image-based morphological profiling was utilized to assess the impact of PDP on cultured ECs. Endothelial cell (EC) monolayers were exposed to 25% stabilized PDP (20 compensated cirrhoses, 20 DCs, and 20 healthy controls (HCs). Single-cell morphological profiles were extracted by automated image-analysis following staining of multiple cellular components and high-content imaging. Patient profiles were created by dimension reduction and cell-to-patient data aggregation, followed by multivariate-analysis to stratify patients and identify discriminating features.

Results

Patient-derived plasma (PDP) exposure induced profound changes in EC morphology, displaying clear differences between controls and DC patients. Compensated cirrhosis patients showed overlap with healthy controls and DC patients. Supervised analysis showed Child-Pugh (CP) class could be predicted from EC morphology. Most importantly, CP-C patients displayed distinct EC phenotypes, in which mitochondrial changes were most discriminative.

Conclusion

Morphological profiling presents a viable tool to assess the endothelium ex vivo. We demonstrated that the EC phenotype corresponds with disease severity in liver cirrhosis. Moreover, our results suggest the presence of mitochondrial dysfunction in ECs of CP-C patient.

Glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B expression correlates with the prognosis of acute liver injury/failure

Background: Glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) is expressed in macrophages during recovery from acute liver injury (ALI) in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury model mice. In this retrospective study, we assessed whether GPNMB levels in the serum and injured liver correlate with liver injury severity and prognosis in patients with ALI or acute liver failure (ALF). Methods: The study involved 56 patients with ALI or ALF who visited the Kagoshima University Hospital. Serum GPNMB level was measured over time, and the localization, proportion, origin, and phenotype of GPNMB-expressing cells in the injured liver were assessed. Finally, the phenotypes of human monocyte-derived macrophages and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of patients with ALI and ALF were analyzed. Results: Peak GPNMB levels were significantly higher in patients with ALF and hepatic encephalopathy (HE), as well as in those who underwent liver transplantation or died, than in others. The peak GPNMB level correlated with prothrombin activity, prothrombin time-international normalized ratio, Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, and serum hepatocyte growth factor level. GPNMB was expressed in CD68-positive macrophages, and its level increased with the severity of liver injury. The macrophages showed the same polarization as M2c macrophages induced with interleukin-10 from human monocytes. Moreover, PBMCs from patients with ALF exhibited an immunosuppressive phenotype. Conclusion: We found that GPNMB levels in the serum and injured liver, which increased in patients with ALF, especially in those with HE, correlated with the severity of liver injury and prognosis of ALI and ALF. Moreover, GPNMB-positive macrophages exhibited the M2c phenotype. Our results indicate that persistently high GPNMB levels may be a prognostic marker in patients with ALI and ALF.

Elevated Liver Fibrosis Progression in Isolated PSC Patients and Increased Malignancy Risk in a PSC-IBD Cohort: A Retrospective Study

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease often associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly ulcerative colitis (CU), and rarely with Crohn's disease (CD). Various long-term analyses show different rates of cancer and the need for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in patients with isolated PSC and with concomitant IBD, respectively. However, data on the detailed course of PSC with or without IBD are limited. We aimed to analyze the clinical disease course of PSC patients without IBD compared to PSC patients with UC and CD, respectively. A retrospective data analysis of patients with isolated PSC (n = 41) and of patients with concomitant IBD (n = 115) was performed. In detail, PSC disease characteristics including occurrence of dominant stenoses, liver cirrhosis, OLT and malignancy, as well as the temporal course of PSC activity and disease progression, were analyzed. A multivariable Cox regression model and a Fine-Gray competing risk model were further used for the independent risk factor analysis of cirrhosis development and OLT. Patients with isolated PSC were significantly older at first diagnosis than patients with PSC-IBD (39 vs. 28 years, p = 0.02). A detailed analysis of the course of PSC revealed a faster PSC progression after initial diagnosis in isolated PSC patients compared to PSC-IBD including significantly earlier diagnosis of dominant stenoses (29 vs. 74 months, p = 0.021) and faster progression to liver cirrhosis (38 vs. 103 months, p = 0.027). Patients with isolated PSC have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis than patients with PSC-IBD (Gray's test p = 0.03). OLT was more frequently performed in male patients with isolated PSC compared to males with coincident IBD (48% (n = 13) vs. 33% (n = 25), p = 0.003). Colorectal carcinoma was significantly more often diagnosed in patients with PSC-IBD than in isolated PSC (8.7% vs. 0%, p = 0.042). Patients with isolated PSC seem to have a different clinical course of disease than PSC patients with concomitant IBD characterized by a more pro-fibrotic disease course with earlier onset of liver cirrhosis and dominant stenosis but with less malignancy. These data may be interpreted as either a more progressive disease course of isolated PSC or a later diagnosis of the disease at an advanced disease stage. The different clinical courses of PSC and the underlying mechanisms of the gut-liver axis need further attention.

The current landscape of therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma

Globally, primary liver cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with approximately 830 000 deaths worldwide in 2020, accounting for 8.3% of total deaths from all cancer types (1). This disease disproportionately affects those in countries with low or medium Human Development Index scores in Eastern Asia, South-Eastern Asia, and Northern and Western Africa (2). Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of primary liver cancer, often develops in the background of chronic liver disease, caused by hepatitis B or C virus, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), or other diseases that cause cirrhosis. Prognosis can vary dramatically based on number, size, and location of tumors. Hepatic synthetic dysfunction and performance status (PS) also impact survival. The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system best accounts for these variations, providing a reliable prognostic stratification. Therapeutic considerations of this complex disease necessitate a multidisciplinary approach and can range from curative-intent surgical resection, liver transplantation or image-guided ablation to more complex liver-directed therapies like transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and systemic therapy. Recent advances in the understanding of the tumor biology and microenvironment have brought new advances and approvals for systemic therapeutic agents, often utilizing immunotherapy or VEGF-targeted agents to modulate the immune response. This review will discuss the current landscape in the treatments available for early, intermediate, and advanced stage HCC.

Comparing Three Profoundly Influential Prognostic Scores in Cirrhotic Patients with Acute-on-Chronic-Liver Failure Admitted to the ICU: Prediction of One-Month Mortality-A Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Acute-on-chronic-liver failure (ACLF) demonstrates high short-term mortality rates and usually requires intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Accurate prognostication of these patients is pivotal for timely referral for liver transplantation. The superiority of CLIF-C ACLF, CLIF-C ACLF lactate, and NACSELD-ACLF scores in Asian patients with ACLF admitted to an ICU remains inconclusive.

AIMS

To compare the predictive performance of CLIF-C ACLF, CLIF-C ACLF lactate, and NACSELD-ACLF scores for one-month mortality.

METHODS

276 consecutive cirrhotic patients with ACLF admitted to ICU were enrolled. The prognostic values for one-month mortality were assessed by AUROC analysis.

RESULTS

The primary cause of cirrhosis in this cohort was alcohol abuse (56.5%). AUROC analysis (95% confidence intervals) demonstrated that CLIF-C ACLF lactate [0.802 (0.747-0.856)] outperformed both CLIF-C ACLF [0.791 (0.733-0.848)] and NACSELD-ACLF [0.673 (0.606-0.740)] in predicting one-month mortality. However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the predictive abilities of CLIF-C ACLF and CLIF-C ACLF lactate.

CONCLUSIONS

In critically ill cirrhotic patients with ACLF admitted to the hepatology ICU, CLIF ACLF-lactate outperformed CLIF-C ACLF and NACSELD-ACLF in predicting one-month mortality. Nevertheless, no statistically significant difference was observed between CLIF-C ACLF and CLIF-C ACLF lactate. Larger-scale multi-center prospective studies are warranted to validate these results.

Liver transplantation for elderly patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Although liver resection is a viable option for patients with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), liver transplantation is the optimal treatment. The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of liver transplantation for elderly patients, and to assess the therapeutic benefit derived from liver transplantation over liver resection.

METHODS

This was a population-based study of patients undergoing liver transplantation for HCC in the USA between 2004 and 2018. Data were retrieved from the National Cancer Database. Elderly patients were defined as individuals aged 70 years and over. Propensity score overlap weighting was used to control for heterogeneity between the liver resection and liver transplantation cohorts.

RESULTS

Among 4909 liver transplant recipients, 215 patients (4.1 per cent) were classified as elderly. Among 5922 patients who underwent liver resection, 1907 (32.2 per cent) were elderly. Elderly patients who underwent liver transplantation did not have a higher hazard of dying during the first 5 years after transplantation than non-elderly recipients. After propensity score weighting, liver transplantation was associated with a lower risk of death than liver resection. Other factors associated with overall survival included diagnosis during 2016-2018, non-white/non-African American race, and α-fetoprotein level over 20 ng/dl.

CONCLUSION

Elderly patients with HCC should not be excluded from liver transplantation based on age only. Transplantation leads to favourable survival compared with liver resection.

Predictive Value of the Prothrombin Time-International Normalized Ratio to Albumin Ratio in the Prognosis of Patients with Hepatitis B Virus-Related Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure

Background

Acute-on-chronic liver failure is a common clinical syndrome with high short-term mortality, and early assessment of its mortality risk is crucial, but the search for valid and accurate prognostic biomarkers is a challenging endeavor. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive value of the prothrombin time-international normalized ratio to albumin ratio (PTAR) for mortality in patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF).

Patients and methods

A total of 354 patients with HBV-ACLF were included in the retrospective study. Patients were divided into survival and non-survival groups based on 90-day follow-up. Cox regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between PTAR and 90-day mortality in patients with HBV-ACLF. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the effectiveness of PTAR in predicting mortality.

Results

PTAR was significantly higher in non-survivors than in survivors. The results of multivariate analysis showed that PTAR was a valid independent predictor of mortality in patients with HBV-ACLF. Its predictive ability for mortality was similar to that of the Child-Turcotte-Pugh score, the end-stage liver disease model (MELD) score, and the MELD-sodium score.

Conclusion

PTAR may be a simple and effective tool for predicting the prognosis of patients with HBV-ACLF.

Superoxide dismutase 2 as a predictor in patients with hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure

The prognosis of hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is critical in clinical management. We aimed to assess the prognostic efficacy of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) for 90-day mortality in HBV-ACLF patients. The expression patterns of SOD2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were examined in a derivation set (n = 82) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The results were further validated in a validation set (n = 35). The expression levels of SOD2 were significantly decreased in the derivation set compared to those with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) or the healthy controls (HCs) (P < 0.001). In HBV-ACLF patients, SOD2 levels were negatively correlated with serum total bilirubin (TBIL) (rs = - 0.43, P < 0.001) and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores (rs =  -  0.22, P = 0.047), but positively correlated with alkaline phosphatase (AKP) (rs = 0.23, P = 0.034). SOD2 was identified as an independent risk factor for 90-day mortality in HBV-ACLF patients (hazard ratio: 0.124, 95% confidence interval: 0.059-0.261, P < 0.001). SOD2 yielded a larger area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) than the MELD score in predicting 90-day mortality (0.914 vs. 0.712, P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a favorable overall survival (OS) for the SOD2 high expression group compared with the SOD2 low expression group in both the derivation and validation sets (P < 0.001). SOD2 has promising potential as a predictor of 90-day mortality in patients with HBV-ACLF.

Liver Fibrosis Scores Are Associated With Resting and Exercise Fontan and Pulmonary Artery Wedge Pressures: Insights Into FALD

BACKGROUND

Alterations in liver perfusion and venous hypertension have been implicated in the pathophysiology of Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD). However, the correlation between exercise hemodynamics and markers of FALD have not been studied.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of 32 consecutive adults undergoing exercise catheterisation at the Mayo Clinic, Minnesota. Invasive hemodynamics were correlated with aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI) and the Fibrosis-4 (Fib-4) score, well validated surrogates of liver fibrosis.

RESULTS

The mean age was 30.9 ± 7 years. The mean APRI was 0.5 ± 0.2 and the mean Fib-4 score 1.3 ± 0.8. Fib-4 scores correlated with spleen size on abdominal imaging (r = 0.40; P = 0.03). Resting Fontan pressure was 13.9 ± 3.9 mm Hg and pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP) 10.0 ± 3.5 mm Hg. At peak exercise (69.4 ± 23.2 W), Fontan pressures increased to 26.5 ± 6.2 mm Hg and PAWP to 22.4 ± 7.1 mm Hg. APRI and Fib-4 score were directly related to Fontan pressure and PAWP at rest and during exercise, and inversely related to exercise arterial O2 saturation. Fib-4 inversely correlated with O2 delivery indices. Similarly, when categorising patients according to high APRI (> 0.5 vs ≤ 0.5) or Fib-4 score (≥ 1.45 vs < 1.45) according to previously proposed cutoffs for diagnosis of liver fibrosis, those with elevated scores had higher resting and exercise Fontan and PAWP pressure with lower O2 arterial saturation.

CONCLUSIONS

APRI and Fib-4 score correlated with resting and exercise Fontan pressure and PAWP. In addition, Fib-4 scores were inversely related to O2 delivery indices. These findings support a role played by hepatic venous hypertension and reduced O2 supply in patients with FALD.

The outcomes and prognostic factors of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and Child-Turcotte-Pugh class B

BACKGROUND

The Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score is widely used for assessing the liver's functional reserve in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to explore the outcomes of patients with HCC and CTP class B and to investigate the prognostic accuracy of prediction models for ACLD in these patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled 1143 patients with HCC and CTP class B between 2007 and 2022. We divided the patients into three subgroups based on their CTP scores: CTP-B7, CTP-B8, and CTP-B9. We compared the corrected Akaike information criterion among each mortality prediction model, including the CTP score, albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, modified ALBI score, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), and MELD 3.0.

RESULTS

Among the enrolled patients, 576 (50.3%) were in the CTP-B7 group, 363 (31.8%) were in the CTP-B8 group, and 204 (17.9%) were in the CTP-B9 group. After a median follow-up of 4.6 months (interquartile range IQR 1.8-17.2 months), 963 patients died, and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 11.4%. The 5-year OS rates were 11.6%, 13.6%, and 8.3% in the CTP-B7, CTP-B8, and CTP-B9 groups, respectively. Patients in the CTP-B7 group and CTP-B8 group had comparable OS ( p = 0.089), both of which were better than those in the CTP-B9 group ( p < 0.001). Furthermore, the MELD 3.0 score had the lowest corrected akaike information criteria value and provided a more accurate mortality prediction than the MELD score, ALBI grade, modified ALBI grade, and CTP score.

CONCLUSION

Patients in the CTP-B7 and CTP-B8 groups had comparable OS, both of which were better than those in the CTP-B9 group. Moreover, MELD 3.0 provided the most accurate mortality prediction in patients with HCC and CTP class B.

Echocardiographic hemodynamic assessment in decompensated cirrhosis: comparison between Intensivists and Gastroenterologists

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Ascites is a frequent complication of cirrhosis. In intensive care units, initial hemodynamic assessment is frequently performed by echocardiography. This study evaluated the feasibility and usefulness of early hemodynamic assessment in the gastroenterology ward.

METHODS

This observational cohort study prospectively included all patients admitted to a teaching hospital's gastroenterology unit for decompensated cirrhosis. A gastroenterologist with minimal training and an intensivist both performed an echocardiography exam. The primary outcome was inter-rater agreement and reliability for three echocardiography parameters: visual LVEF (Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction), subaortic VTI (velocity time integral) and E wave velocity. Secondary outcomes were agreement for presence of pleural effusion, description of 3 hemodynamics profiles (hypovolemic, hyperkinetic and intermediate), and 28-day mortality.

RESULTS

From March 2018 to March 2020, 53 patients were included. The median age was 62 years and 81% were men. Patients presented mostly advanced liver disease, with 43% Child-Pugh C and median MELD score of 15.2. The limits of agreement between intensivists and gastroenterologists for subaortic VTI were - 6.6 to 7.2 cm, and ranged from - 0.6 to 0.37 m.s-1 for E wave velocity. Clinically significant differences between intensivists and gastroenterologists were found in 22% for subaortic VTI and 24.5% for E wave velocity. Reliability was good for subaortic VTI (ICC: 0.79, 95% CI [0.58; 0.9;]) and moderate for E wave velocity (0.53, 95% CI [0.19; 0.74]). The three hemodynamics profiles had different prognosis, with a 28-day mortality for Hypovolemic, Intermediate and Hyperkinetic group of 31, 18, and 4%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Reliability of hemodynamic assessment by gastroenterologists was good, while agreement was unsatisfactory, advocating for further training. Transthoracic echocardiography can differentiate hypovolemia from hyperkinetic states. The role of transthoracic echocardiography in managing decompensated cirrhosis requires further study.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

NCT03650660.

Predicting liver-related events in NAFLD: A predictive model

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Management of NAFLD involves noninvasive prediction of fibrosis, which is a surrogate for patient outcomes. We aimed to develop and validate a model predictive of liver-related events (LREs) of decompensation and/or HCC and compare its accuracy with fibrosis models.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

Patients with NAFLD from Australia and Spain who were followed for up to 28 years formed derivation (n = 584) and validation (n = 477) cohorts. Competing risk regression and information criteria were used for model development. Accuracy was compared with fibrosis models using time-dependent AUC analysis. During follow-up, LREs occurred in 52 (9%) and 11 (2.3%) patients in derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. Age, type 2 diabetes, albumin, bilirubin, platelet count, and international normalized ratio were independent predictors of LRE and were combined into a model [NAFLD outcomes score (NOS)]. The NOS model calibrated well [calibration slope, 0.99 (derivation), 0.98 (validation)] with excellent overall performance [integrated Brier score, 0.07 (derivation) and 0.01 (validation)]. A cutoff ≥1.3 identified subjects at a higher risk of LRE, (sub-HR 24.6, p < 0.001, 5-year cumulative incidence 38% vs 1.0%, respectively). The predictive accuracy at 5 and 10 years was excellent in both derivation (time-dependent AUC,0.92 and 0.90, respectively) and validation cohorts (time-dependent AUC,0.80 and 0.82, respectively). The NOS was more accurate than the fibrosis-4 or NAFLD fibrosis score for predicting LREs at 5 and 10 years ( p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The NOS model consists of readily available measures and has greater accuracy in predicting outcomes in patients with NAFLD than existing fibrosis models.

Hepatocyte-derived biomarkers predict liver-related events at 2 years in Child-Pugh class A alcohol-related cirrhosis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

In patients with compensated alcohol-related cirrhosis, reliable prognostic biomarkers are lacking. Keratin-18 and hepatocyte-derived large extracellular vesicle (lEV) concentrations reflect disease activity, but their ability to predict liver-related events is unknown.

METHODS

We measured plasma keratin-18 and hepatocyte lEV concentrations in 500 patients with Child-Pugh class A alcohol-related cirrhosis. The ability of these hepatocyte-derived biomarkers, alone or combined with model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) and FibroTest scores, to predict liver-related events at 2 years was analyzed, taking into account the alcohol consumption at inclusion and during follow-up.

RESULTS

Keratin-18 and hepatocyte lEV concentrations increased with alcohol consumption. In patients without active alcohol consumption at enrollment (n = 419), keratin-18 concentration predicted liver-related events at 2 years, independently of FibroTest and MELD. Patients with both keratin-18 concentrations >285 U/L and FibroTest >0.74 had a 24% cumulative incidence of liver-related events at 2 years, vs. 5% to 14% in other groups of patients. Similar results were obtained when combining keratin-18 concentrations >285 U/L with MELD >10. In patients with active alcohol consumption at enrollment (n = 81), hepatocyte lEVs predicted liver-related events at 2 years, independently of FibroTest and MELD. Patients with both hepatocyte lEV concentrations >50 U/L and FibroTest >0.74 had a 62% cumulative incidence of liver-related events at 2 years, vs. 8% to 13% in other groups of patients. Combining hepatocyte lEV concentrations >50 U/L with MELD >10 had a lower discriminative ability. Similar results were obtained when using decompensation of cirrhosis, defined according to Baveno VII criteria, as an endpoint.

CONCLUSION

In patients with Child-Pugh class A alcohol-related cirrhosis, combining hepatocyte-derived biomarkers with FibroTest or MELD scores identifies patients at high risk of liver-related events, and could be used for risk stratification and patient selection in clinical trials.

IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS

In patients with compensated alcohol-related cirrhosis, reliable predictors of outcome are lacking. In patients with Child-Pugh class A alcohol-related cirrhosis, combining hepatocyte-derived biomarkers (keratin-18 and hepatocyte-large extracellular vesicles) with FibroTest or MELD scores identifies those at high risk of liver-related events at 2 years. The identified patients at high risk of liver-related events are the target-of-choice population for intensive surveillance (e.g., referral to tertiary care centers; intensive control of risk factors) and inclusion in clinical trials.

Child-Pugh Class B or C Liver Disease Increases the Risk of Early Mortality in Patients With Hepatitis C Undergoing Elective Total Joint Arthroplasty Regardless of Treatment Status

BACKGROUND

Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) undergoing primary elective total joint arthroplasty (TJA) are at increased risk of postoperative complications. Patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, specifically Child-Pugh Class B and C, who are undergoing general surgery have high 2-year mortality risks, approaching 60% to 80%. However, the role of Child-Pugh and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease classifications of liver status in predicting survivorship among patients with HCV undergoing elective arthroplasty has not been elucidated.

QUESTION/PURPOSE

What factors are independently associated with early mortality (< 2 years) in patients with HCV undergoing arthroplasty?

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study at three tertiary academic medical centers and identified patients with HCV undergoing primary elective TJA between January 2005 and December 2019. Patients who underwent revision TJA and simultaneous primary TJA were excluded. A total of 226 patients were eligible for inclusion in the study. A further 25% (57) were excluded because they were lost to follow-up before the minimum study requirement of 2 years of follow-up or had incomplete datasets. After the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, the final cohort consisted of 75% (169 of 226) of the initial patient population eligible for analysis. The mean follow-up duration was 53 ± 29 months. We compared confounding variables for mortality between patients with early mortality (16 patients) and surviving patients (153 patients), including comorbidities, HCV and liver characteristics, HCV treatment, and postoperative medical and surgical complications. Patients with early postoperative mortality were more likely to have an associated advanced Child-Pugh classification and comorbidities including peripheral vascular disease, end-stage renal disease, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, both groups had similar 90-day and 1-year medical complication risks including myocardial infarction, stroke, pulmonary embolism, and reoperations for periprosthetic joint infection and mechanical failure. A multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors associated with early mortality, incorporating all significant variables with p < 0.05 present in the univariate analysis.

RESULTS

After accounting for significant variables in the univariate analysis such as peripheral vascular disease, end-stage renal disease, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and liver fibrosis staging, Child-Pugh Class B or C classification was found to be the sole factor independently associated with increased odds of early (within 2 years) mortality in patients with HCV undergoing elective TJA (adjusted odds ratio 29 [95% confidence interval 5 to 174]; p < 0.001). The risk of early mortality in patients with Child-Pugh Class B or C was 64% (seven of 11) compared with 6% (nine of 158) in patients with Child-Pugh Class A (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Patients with HCV and a Child-Pugh Class B or C at the time of elective TJA had substantially increased odds of death, regardless of liver function, cirrhosis, age, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease level, HCV treatment, and viral load status. This is similar to the risk of early mortality observed in patients with chronic liver disease undergoing abdominal and cardiac surgery. Surgeons should avoid these major elective procedures in patients with Child-Pugh Class B or C whenever possible. For patients who feel their arthritic symptoms and pain are unbearable, surgeons need to be clear that the risk of death is considerably elevated.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, therapeutic study.

Serum and plasma protein biomarkers associated with frailty in patients with cirrhosis

Frailty, a clinical phenotype of decreased physiological reserve, is a strong determinant of adverse health outcomes in patients with cirrhosis. The only cirrhosis-specific frailty metric is the Liver Frailty Index (LFI), which must be administered in person and may not be feasible for every clinical scenario. We sought to discover candidate serum/plasma protein biomarkers that could differentiate frail from robust patients with cirrhosis. A total of 140 adults with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation in the ambulatory setting with LFI assessments and available serum/plasma samples were included. We selected 70 pairs of patients on opposite ends of the frailty spectrum (LFI>4.4 for frail and LFI<3.2 for robust) who were matched by age, sex, etiology, HCC, and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Sodium. Twenty-five biomarkers with biologically plausible associations with frailty were analyzed using ELISA by a single laboratory. Conditional logistic regression was used to examine their association with frailty. Of the 25 biomarkers analyzed, we identified 7 proteins that were differentially expressed between frail and robust patients. We observed differences in 6 of the 7 proteins in the expected direction: (a) higher median values in frail versus robust with growth differentiation factor-15 (3682 vs. 2249 pg/mL), IL-6 (17.4 vs. 6.4 pg/mL), TNF-alpha receptor 1 (2062 vs. 1627 pg/mL), leucine-rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (44.0 vs. 38.6 μg/mL), and myostatin (4066 vs. 6006 ng/mL) and (b) lower median values in frail versus robust with alpha-2-Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein (0.11 vs. 0.13 mg/mL) and free total testosterone (1.2 vs. 2.4 ng/mL). These biomarkers represent inflammatory, musculoskeletal, and endocrine/metabolic systems, reflecting the multiple physiological derangements observed in frailty. These data lay the foundation for confirmatory work and development of a laboratory frailty index for patients with cirrhosis to improve diagnosis and prognostication.

The number of hepatocellular carcinoma foci as predictor of poor response to tumor-directed therapies in patients awaiting liver transplantation: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Tumor-directed therapies (TDTs) are a constitutive part of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment in patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT). While most patients benefit from TDTs as a bridge to LT, some patients drop out from the waiting list due to tumor progression. The study aimed to determine the risk factors for poor treatment outcome following TDTs among patients with HCC awaiting LT.

METHODS

A total of 123 patients with HCC were evaluated with 92 patients meeting Milan Criteria enrolled in the prospective cohort study. Tumor response was evaluated using the modified Response Evaluation Criteria for Solid Tumors for HCC 1 month after the procedure. The risk factors for progressive disease (PD) and dropout were evaluated.

RESULTS

After TDT, 55 patients (59.8%) achieved complete or partial response (44.6% and 15.2% respectively), 17 patients (18.5%) had stable disease, and 20 patients (21.7%) were assessed as PD. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant and independent association between the number of HCC foci and PD ( P  = 0.03, OR = 2.68). There was no statistically significant association between treatment response and demographics, MELDNa score, pre-and post-treatment alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), cumulative tumor burden the largest tumor size, or TDT modality. PD was the major cause of dropout in our cohort. Pre-treatment AFP levels ≥200 ng/ml had a strong association with dropout after TDTs ( P  = 0.0005).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated the presence of multifocal HCC is the sole prognostic factor for PD following TDTs in HCC patients awaiting LT. We recommend prioritizing patients with multifocal HCC within Milan criteria by exception points for LT to improve the dropout rate.

Intravascular Ultrasound Guidance for Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt Creation Reduces Laboratory Markers of Acute Liver Injury

PURPOSE

To compare the laboratory markers of acute liver injury after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation performed using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance with those using other techniques.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This single-center, retrospective study examined 293 TIPS procedures performed between 2014 and 2022 (160 men; mean age, 57.4 years; 71.7% with ascites, 158 with IVUS). Laboratory changes on postprocedural day (PPD) 1 were classified based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grades and were compared between IVUS and non-IVUS cases.

RESULTS

IVUS cases had a lower baseline Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (12.5 vs 13.7, P = .016), higher pre- (16.8 vs 15.2, P = .009), and post-TIPS (6.6 vs 5.4 mm Hg, P < .001) pressure gradient, smaller stent diameter (9.2 vs 9.9 mm, P < .001), and fewer needle passes (2.4 vs 4.2, P < .001). IVUS predicted a lower PPD 1 CTCAE grade for aspartate transaminase (8.0% vs 22.2% grade ≥ 2, P = .010), alanine transaminase (ALT) (2.2% vs 7.1%, P = .017), and bilirubin (9.4% vs 26.2%, P < .001), findings confirmed using multivariable regression and propensity score analysis. IVUS predicted fewer adverse events (1.3% vs 8.1%, P = .008) and an increased likelihood of PPD 1 discharge (81% vs 59%, P = .004). IVUS was not associated with differences in PPD 30 MELD scores or 30-day survival; however, higher PPD 1 ALT (β = 1.96, P = .008) and bilirubin levels (β = 1.38, P = .004) predicted larger PPD 30 MELD score increase. Higher increases in ALT level predicted worse 30-day survival (hazard ratio, 1.93; P = .021).

CONCLUSION

IVUS resulted in less laboratory evidence of acute liver injury immediately following TIPS creation.

MELD, MELD 3.0, versus Child score to predict mortality after acute variceal hemorrhage: A multicenter US cohort

BACKGROUND

Acute variceal hemorrhage is a major decompensating event in patients with cirrhosis and is associated with high 6-week mortality risk. Many prognostic models based on clinical and laboratory parameters have been developed to risk stratify patients on index bleeding presentation, including those based on the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP). However, consensus on model performance remains unclear.

METHODS

Using a large US multicenter cohort of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis who presented with acute variceal hemorrhage, this study evaluates, recalibrates, and compares liver severity index-based models, including the more recent MELD 3.0 model, to investigate their predictive performance on 6-week mortality. Models were also recalibrated and externally validated using additional external centers.

RESULTS

All recalibrated MELD-based and CTP-based models had excellent discrimination to identify patients at higher risk for 6-week mortality on initial presentation. The recalibrated CTP score model maintained the best calibration and performance within the validation cohort. Patients with low CTP scores (Class A, score 5-6) were strongly associated with < 5% mortality, while high CTP score (Class C, score > 9) were associated with > 20% mortality.

CONCLUSION

Use of liver severity index-based models accurately predict 6-week mortality risk for patients admitted to the hospital with acute variceal hemorrhage and supports the utilization of these models in future clinical trials as well as their use in clinical practice.

The Model for End-stage Liver Disease 3.0 is not superior to the Model for End-stage Liver Disease-Na in predicting survival: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) 3.0 yields high prognostic performance for patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD). However, its prognostic performance for patients with alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) has limited results. The aim of this study was to perform such an evaluation among Chinese patients.

METHODS

Patients hospitalized with ARLD in one institution between 2015 and 2018 were retrospectively included and followed up for 12 months. The original MELD, MELD-Na, MELD 3.0, and modified Maddrey discriminant function (MDF) scores were calculated for each patient at baseline. Their prognostic performances for 1-year survival were assessed. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed, and AUCs were calculated for each scoring system.

RESULTS

Among the 576 patients included in our analysis, 209 patients had alcoholic hepatitis (AH). By the 1-year follow-up, 14.8% (84/567) of all the patients and 23.4% (49/209) of those with AH had died. Overall, patients who had died had higher MELD, MELD-Na, MELD 3.0, and MDF scores (all p < 0.001) than those who had not. The same was true in the AH subgroup (MELD: p < 0.001, MELD-Na: p < 0.001, MELD 3.0: p = 0.007, MDF: p = 0.017). The AUC of the MELD 3.0 for prediction of 1-year survival among patients with ARLD was 0.682, lower than that of the original MELD (0.728, p < 0.001) and MELD-Na (0.735, p < 0.001). Moreover, in the AH subgroup, the AUC for the prediction of 1-year survival was lower than that in the MELD-Na subgroup (0.634 vs. 0.708, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The MELD 3.0 was not superior to the original MELD or the MELD-Na in predicting the mortality of patients with ARLD.

Efficiency and safety of total plasma exchange in critically ill cirrhotic patients with acute on chronic liver failure: A pilot study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Treatment of patients with acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF) admitted to the ICU is very limited. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficiency on liver function and safety of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) in critically ill cirrhotic patients admitted with ACLF in a liver ICU.

METHODS

This is a prospective cohort of patients with ACLF grade > 2 treated by TPE admitted to the ICU that was matched to a control group. TPE was performed using a plasma filter (TPE2000, BAXTER®) on a CRRT machine (Prismaflex®, Baxter®). Ratio and type of fluid replacement were 50 % with 5 % albumin solution followed by 50 % with fresh frozen plasma.

RESULTS

Seven patients with a mean age of 50.6 ± 7.8 years (all males) and 14 controls matched to age, sex, etiology and cause of decompensation were recruited. At ICU admission, mean MELD score was 39.1 ± 2.7, mean SOFA score was 11.6 ± 5.2 and mean CLIF SOFA score was 12.9 ± 2.6. The grade of ACLF was 3 for 3 patients (42.9 %) and 2 for 4 patients (57.1 %). The TPE group had significantly higher levels of bilirubin (392.3 ± 117.1μmol/l vs. 219 ± 185μmol/l , p = 0.04), and INR values (5.7 ± 3.4 vs. 3.5 ± 0.9, p < 0.005) compared to the control group. Patient survival was respectively 28.6 % and 14.3 % at 30 and 90 days in the TPE group and 35.7 % and 7.14 % in the control group respectively (HR: 1 (95 % CI 0.19- 5.2; p = 1). One patient in the TPE group had a liver transplantation 13 days after admission to ICU and is still alive and none in the control group. Two (28.6 %) patients died from complications related to the double lumen catheter used for TPE.

CONCLUSION

This pilot study of TPE in patients with ACLF grade 2 and 3 showed a marked but transient improvement in liver function tests. TPE worth to be evaluated in large trials in ACLF patients, with a liver transplant project, and less organ failure.

Validation of MELD 3.0 scoring system in East Asian patients with cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation

Recently, a new predictive model that jointly considers the Model of End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) 3.0 and albumin has been proposed. This study investigated the performance of the MELD 3.0 score in predicting the 3-month survival of East Asian patients with cirrhosis compared with the other MELD-based scores. Validation was performed with the retrospective data of 2153 patients in South Korea who were listed for liver transplantation (LT). Discrimination and calibration analyses were performed using the MELD-based scores as an independent variable. On average, patients had the original MELD score of 18.70 ± 9.65. Alcohol (39.99%) and chronic HBV (38.55%) were the 2 main etiologies. The MELD 3.0 with albumin showed slightly better discrimination [c-index = 0.738, incremental AUC (iAUC) = 0.719] compared with the MELD 3.0 without albumin (c-index = 0.737, iAUC = 0.715), MELD-Na (c-index = 0.730, iAUC = 0.707), or the original MELD (c-index = 0.718, iAUC = 0.687) for predicting 3-month survival but not significantly different compared with prior models. Likewise, in the stratified analysis according to the strata of MELD, although the performance of MELD 3.0 was better throughout all the MELD strata than MELD original, there was no statistical difference in performance. The MELD 3.0 with albumin reclassified 22.61% of cases classified by the original MELD to higher MELD score categories, and there was no significant difference in the reclassification rate between males and females. The predictive power of the MELD-based system is lower in Asian populations than in western countries. Nonetheless, the MELD 3.0 score with albumin was significantly better in predicting the short-term prognosis of East Asian patients on the LT waitlist than the current allocation system, original MELD.

Validation of a pre-endoscopy risk score for predicting the presence of gastric intestinal metaplasia in a U.S. population

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Surveillance of gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) may lead to early gastric cancer detection. Our purpose was to externally validate a predictive model for endoscopic GIM previously developed in a veteran population in a second U.S.

POPULATION

METHODS

We previously developed a pre-endoscopy risk model for detection of GIM using 423 GIM cases and 1796 control subjects from the Houston Veterans Affairs Hospital. The model included sex, age, race/ethnicity, smoking, and Helicobacter pylori infection with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of .73 for GIM and .82 for extensive GIM. We validated this model in a second cohort of patients from 6 Catholic Health Initiative (CHI)-St Luke's hospitals (Houston, Tex, USA) from January to December 2017. Cases were defined as having GIM on any gastric biopsy sample and extensive GIM as involving both the antrum and corpus. We further optimized the model by pooling both cohorts and assessing discrimination using AUROC.

RESULTS

The risk model was validated in 215 GIM cases (55 with extensive GIM) and 2469 control subjects. Cases were older than control subjects (59.8 vs 54.7 years) with more nonwhites (59.1% vs 42.0%) and H pylori infections (23.7% vs 10.9%). The model applied to the CHI-St Luke's cohort had an AUROC of .62 (95% confidence interval [CI], .57-.66) for predicting GIM and of .71 (95% CI, .63-.79) for predicting extensive GIM. When the Veterans Affairs and CHI-St Luke's cohorts were pooled, discrimination of both models improved (GIM vs extensive GIM AUROC: .74 vs .82).

CONCLUSIONS

A pre-endoscopy risk prediction model was validated and updated using a second U.S. cohort with robust discrimination for endoscopic GIM. This model should be evaluated in other U.S. populations to risk-stratify patients for endoscopic GIM screening.

Novel Liver Injury Phenotypes and Outcomes in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Background

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) are disorders of the pulmonary vasculature that cause right ventricular dysfunction. Systemic consequences of right ventricular dysfunction include damage to other solid organs, such as the liver. However, the profiles and consequences of hepatic injury due to PAH and CTEPH have not been well-studied.

Methods

We aimed to identify underlying patterns of liver injury in a cohort of PAH and CTEPH patients enrolled in 15 randomized clinical trials conducted between 1998 and 2012. We used unsupervised machine learning to identify liver injury clusters in 13 trials and validated the findings in two additional trials. We then determined whether these liver injury clusters were associated with clinical outcomes or treatment effect heterogeneity.

Results

Our training dataset included 4,219 patients and our validation dataset included 1,756 patients with complete liver laboratory panels (serum total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and albumin). Using k-means clustering paired with factor analysis, we identified four unique liver phenotypes (no liver injury, hepatocellular injury, cholestatic injury, and combined injury patterns). Patients in the cholestatic injury liver cluster had the shortest time to clinical worsening and highest chance of worsening World Health Organization functional class. Randomization to the experimental arm was associated with a transition to healthier liver clusters compared to randomization to the control arm. The cholestatic injury group experienced the greatest placebo-corrected treatment benefit in terms of six-minute walk distance.

Conclusions

Liver injury patterns were associated with adverse outcomes in patients with PAH and CTEPH. Randomization to active treatment of pulmonary hypertension in these clinical trials had beneficial effects on liver health compared to placebo. The independent role of liver disease (often subclinical) in determining outcomes warrants prospective studies of the clinical utility of liver phenotyping for PAH prognosis and contribution to clinical disease.

Liver Transplantation in People Living with HIV: Still an Experimental Procedure or Standard of Care?

Liver transplantation (LT) is the only curative treatment for various liver diseases, including acute liver failure, end-stage liver disease, and selected unresectable liver malignancies. Combination antiretroviral therapy has improved outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH), transforming the status of acquired immune deficiency syndrome from a fatal disease to a chronic and manageable condition. These powerful antiviral therapies have not only increased the number of HIV+ enlisted patients by improving their survival but also made the use of HIV+ organs a viable option. In this review, we summarise current knowledge on the peculiarities of liver transplantation in PLWH. In particular, we focus on the indications, contraindications, specific considerations for treatment, and outcomes of LT in PLWH. Finally, we present available preliminary data on the use of HIV+ liver allografts.

IL-10 predicts the prognosis of patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure combined with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Background

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is common in patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). The prognostic value of interleukin-related serum markers for patients with ACLF is coming to the fore. However, there is an unmet need to predict the survival of such patients. We aimed to analyze the independent predictors of 28- and 90-day mortality in HBV-ACLF patients with SBP.

Methods

This was a retrospective study that included 368 patients with HBV-ACLF. In the SBP group, logistic regression analysis was used to understand the independent predictors of mortality at 28-day and 90-day. The accuracy of prediction was analyzed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). Finally, decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to determine the clinical utility value.

Results

Interleukin 10 (IL-10) levels were statistically significantly different between the HBV-ACLF group with SBP and without. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum sodium, IL-10 and vasoactive drug treatment were independent risk factors for 28-day mortality. International normalized ratio (INR), AST and IL-10 were independent risk factors for 90-day mortality. IL-10 combined with the Chinese Severe Hepatitis B Study Group-ACLF II score (COSH-ACLF IIs) had excellent performance in predicting 28- and 90-day mortality (AUCs: 0.848 and 0.823, respectively). DCA analysis suggests promising clinical utility.

Conclusion

IL-10 is an independent predictor of mortality at 28- and 90-day in HBV-ACLF patients with SBP and predictive performance is improved when combined with COSH-ACLF IIs.

Comparison of Surgical Risk Scores in a European Cohort of Patients with Advanced Chronic Liver Disease

Patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) or cirrhosis undergoing surgery have an increased risk of morbidity and mortality in contrast to the general population. This is a retrospective, observational study to evaluate the predictive capacity of surgical risk scores in European patients with ACLD. Cirrhosis was defined by the presence of thrombocytopenia with <150,000/uL and splenomegaly, and AST-to-Platelet Ratio Index >2, a nodular liver edge seen via ultrasound, transient elastography of >15 kPa, and/or signs of portal hypertension. We assessed variables related to 90-day mortality and the discrimination and calibration of current surgical scores (Child-Pugh, MELD-Na, MRS, NSQIP, and VOCAL-Penn). Only patients with ACLD and major surgeries included in VOCAL-Penn were considered (n = 512). The mortality rate at 90 days after surgery was 9.8%. Baseline disparities between the H. Mar and VOCAL-Penn cohorts were identified. Etiology, obesity, and platelet count were not associated with mortality. The VOCAL-Penn showed the best discrimination (C-statistic90D = 0.876) and overall predictive capacity (Brier90D = 0.054), but calibration was not excellent in our cohort. VOCAL-Penn was suboptimal in patients with diabetes (C-statistic30D = 0.770), without signs of portal hypertension (C-statistic30D = 0.555), or with abdominal wall (C-statistic30D = 0.608) or urgent (C-statistic180D = 0.692) surgeries. Our European cohort has shown a mortality rate after surgery similar to those described in American studies. However, some variables included in the VOCAL-Penn score were not associated with mortality, and VOCAL-Penn's discriminative ability decreases in patients with diabetes, without signs of portal hypertension, and with abdominal wall or urgent surgeries. These results should be validated in larger multicenter and prospective studies.

THE OPTIMUM LEVEL OF MELD TO MINIMIZE THE MORTALITY ON LIVER TRANSPLANTATION WAITING LIST, AND LIVER TRANSPLANTED PATIENT IN SÃO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL

BACKGROUND

After validation in multiple types of liver disease patients, the MELD score was adopted as a standard by which liver transplant candidates with end-stage liver disease were prioritized for organ allocation in the United States since 2002, and in Brazil, since 2006.

AIMS

To analyze the mortality profile of patients on the liver transplant waiting list correlated to MELD score at the moment of transplantation.

METHODS

This study used the data from the Secretary of Health of the São Paulo State, Brazil, which listed 22,522 patients, from 2006 (when MELD score was introduced in Brazil) until June 2009. Patients with acute hepatic failure and tumors were included as well. We also considered the mortality of both non-transplanted and transplanted patients as a function of the MELD score at presentation.

RESULTS

Our model showed that the best MELD score for patients on the liver transplant waiting list associated to better results after liver transplantation was 26.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that the best score for applying to liver transplant waiting list in the State of São Paulo was 26. This is the score that minimizes the mortality in both non-transplanted and liver transplanted patients.

Plasma pentosidine as a useful biomarker of sarcopenia, low gait speed, and mortality in patients with cirrhosis

Purpose

The accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is associated with various diseases and age-related impairments, including loss of muscle mass and function. We investigated the association between plasma pentosidine, which is one of the AGEs, and sarcopenia, low gait speed, and mortality in patients with cirrhosis.

Methods

This retrospective study divided 128 patients with cirrhosis into three groups by 25th and 75th quartiles of baseline plasma pentosidine levels: low (L)-, intermediate (I)-, and high (H)-pentosidine (Pen) groups. Sarcopenia was diagnosed following the Japan Society of Hepatology criteria. Low gait speed was defined as <0.8 m/s. The cumulative survival rates were compared between the three groups. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors associated with mortality.

Results

Of the 128 patients, 40 (31.3%) and 34 (26.6%) had sarcopenia and low gait speed, respectively. The prevalence of sarcopenia and low gait speed significantly increased stepwise with increasing plasma pentosidine levels, with the highest in the H-Pen group (59.4% [19/32] and 56.3% [18/32], respectively) and lowest in the L-Pen group (18.8% [6/32] and 6.3% [2/32], respectively). Multivariate analysis identified plasma pentosidine levels as a significant and independent factor associated with sarcopenia (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; p = 0.036) and low gait speed (OR, 1.06; p = 0.036), with the cutoff levels of 0.0792 μg/mL (sensitivity/specificity, 0.600/0.773) and 0.0745 μg/mL (sensitivity/specificity, 0.735/0.691), respectively. The cumulative survival rates were significantly lower in the H-Pen group than in the L-Pen (hazard ratio [HR], 11.7; p = 0.001) and I-Pen (HR, 4.03; p < 0.001) groups. Plasma pentosidine levels were identified as a significant and independent prognostic factor (HR, 1.07; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Plasma pentosidine levels are associated with sarcopenia, low gait speed, and mortality and may serve as a useful surrogate biomarker for these clinical events in patients with cirrhosis.

Prognostic assessment of liver cirrhosis and its complications: current concepts and future perspectives

Liver cirrhosis is an irreversible stage of chronic liver disease with varying clinical course. Acute decompensation of liver cirrhosis represents a watershed in prognosis and is characterized by the occurrence of clinical complications such as ascites, jaundice, hepatic encephalopathy, infections, or portal-hypertensive hemorrhages. Emergent data indicate that an acute decompensation can be subdivided into stable decompensated cirrhosis (SDC), unstable decompensated cirrhosis (UDC), pre-acute-on chronic liver failure (pre-ACLF) and acute-on chronic liver failure (ACLF), while the mortality risk varies greatly between the respective subgroups. ACLF is the most severe form of acutely decompensated cirrhosis and characterized by the development of organ failure(s) and a high short-term mortality. Due to the dynamic disease course of acute decompensation, it is paramount to detect patients at particular risk for severe complications those at high risk for developing ACLF as early as possible in order to initiate optimal management. This review describes new concepts and perspectives in the definition and classification of decompensated cirrhosis and provides on overview on emerging predictive scoring systems, non-invasive measurement methods and new biomarkers, which allow an early identification of patients with acute decompensation at risk.

The Value of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio to Identify Bacterial Infection and Predict Short-Term Mortality in Patients with Acutely Decompensated Cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis patients are highly susceptible to infections, affecting survival, but current parameters for detecting infection are not reliable enough in this population. We investigated the ability of white blood cell (WBC), ∆WBC, neutrophil and ∆neutrophil counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) and ∆NLR ratios and C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) levels to identify infection and predict short-term mortality in liver cirrhosis patients. We recruited 233 patients with liver cirrhosis hospitalized with acute decompensation (AD) who had an outpatient visit within 1 month (baseline laboratory data) and followed them for 90 days. Difference between laboratory values at baseline and the AD episode was defined as delta (∆) values of the parameters. Delta values did not increase the diagnostic and predictive ability of investigated parameters. The CRP level was found to be the best diagnostic marker for infection in patients with cirrhosis. However, NLR seems to be superior for short-term mortality prediction, better than the WBC count. Distinguishing inflammations of different origin is a remaining clinical challenge in acutely decompensated cirrhosis. Based on our results, NLR might be more suitable for predicting short-term mortality in patients with AD than the WBC count currently included in the CLIF-C AD score.

Fat mass: a novel digital biomarker for remote monitoring that may indicate risk for malnutrition and new complications in decompensated cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

Cirrhosis is associated with sarcopaenia and fat wasting, which drive decompensation and mortality. Currently, nutritional status, through body composition assessment, is not routinely monitored in outpatients. Given the deleterious outcomes associated with poor nutrition in decompensated cirrhosis, there is a need for remotely monitoring this to optimise community care.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients monitored remotely with digital sensors post hospital discharge, to assess outcomes and indicators of new cirrhosis complications. 15 patients had daily fat mass measurements as part of monitoring over a median 10 weeks, using a Withing's bioimpedance scale. The Clinical Frailty Score (CFS) was used to assess frailty and several liver disease severity scores were assessed.

RESULTS

73.3% (11/15) patients were male with a median age of 63 (52-68). There was a trend towards more severe liver disease based on CLIF-Consortium Acute Decompensation (CLIF-C AD) scores in frail patients vs. those not frail (53 vs 46, p = 0.072). When the cohort was split into patients who gained fat mass over 8 weeks vs. those that lost fat mass, the baseline CLIF-C AD scores and WBC were significantly higher in those that lost fat (58 vs 48, p = 0.048 and 11.2 × 109 vs 4.7 × 109, p = 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

This proof-of-principle study shows feasibility for remote monitoring of fat mass and nutritional reserve in decompensated cirrhosis. Our results suggest fat mass is associated with greater severity of acute decompensation and may serve as an indicator of systemic inflammatory response. Further prospective studies are required to validate this digital biomarker.

Predicted Impact of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease 3.0 in a Region Suffering Severe Organ Shortage

BACKGROUND

The model for end-stage liver disease 3.0 (MELD3.0) is expected to address the flaws of the current allocation system for deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT). We aimed to validate MELD3.0 in the Korean population where living donor liver transplantation is predominant due to organ shortages.

METHODS

Korean large-volume single-centric waitlist data were merged with the Korean Network for Organ Sharing (KONOS) data. The 90-day mortality was compared between MELD and MELD3.0 using the C-index in 2,353 eligible patients registered for liver transplantation. Patient numbers and outcomes were compared based on changes in KONOS-MELD categorization using MELD3.0. Possible gains in MELD points and reduced waitlist mortality were analyzed.

RESULTS

MELD3.0 performed better than MELD (C-index 0.893 for MELD3.0 vs. 0.889 for MELD). When stratified according to the KONOS-MELD categories, 15.9% of the total patients and 35.2% of the deceased patients were up-categorized using MELD3.0 versus MELD categories. The mean gain of MELD points was higher in women (2.6 ± 2.1) than men (2.1 ± 1.9, P < 0.001), and higher in patients with severe ascites (3.3 ± 1.8) than in controls (1.9 ± 1.8, P < 0.001); however, this trend was not significant when the MELD score was higher than 30. When the possible increase in DDLT chance was calculated via up-categorizing using MELD3.0, reducible waitlist mortality was 2.7%.

CONCLUSION

MELD3.0 could predict better waitlist mortality than MELD; however, the merit for women and patients with severe ascites is uncertain, and reduced waitlist mortality from implementing MELD3.0 is limited in regions suffering from organ shortage, as in Korea.

Validation of prognosis-based in vitro fertilization grant selection criteria

Objective

To validate a prognosis-based scoring system for in vitro fertilization (IVF) grant allocation.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that awards donated IVF cycles and grants to those with demonstrated financial need. In contrast to lottery-based or subjective allocation systems, applications are scored according to medical prognostic criteria in addition to personal characteristics.

Patients

Grant recipients from 2015 to 2019.

Interventions

None.

Main outcome measures

Live birth rate (LBR) and cumulative LBR (CLBR) among grant recipients were compared with 2019 Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) national averages.

Results

A total of 435 applications were reviewed, with 59 grants awarded for 51 autologous IVF cycles, 6 donor oocyte cycles, and 2 gestational carrier cycles, resulting in 39 live births after initial embryo transfer (LBR 61.9%) and 43 CLBRs (CLBR 72.9%). Among autologous cycles, the mean (±SD=3.9 years) age was 31.8 years, and LBR and CLBR were 62.8% and 68.6% vs. 28.2% and 37.1% among all autologous SART cycles, respectively. A subanalysis of grant recipients aged <35 years (n=39) revealed LBR and CLBR of 66.7% and 74.4% vs. 40.7% and 47.8% among autologous SART cycles aged <35 years, respectively.

Conclusions

A scoring system incorporating medical criteria identified IVF grant applicants with a high likelihood of achieving a LB. Although most IVF grant programs select recipients through a lottery or personal characteristics, a prognosis-based scoring system should be considered to maximize LBR in a limited resource setting.

Platelet-albumin-bilirubin score - a risk stratification scoring system to predict outcome of acute variceal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

Acute variceal bleed is a common complication of cirrhosis of liver. Up to 25% of patients with newly diagnosed varices will experience bleeding within 2 years. Of patients who have stopped bleeding, approximately one-third will rebleed within the next 6 weeks. Though scores like Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) and Model of End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) predict the survival of upper gastrointestinal bleed, they have certain limitations in this regard. So, there is a need for reliable scoring system to assess the outcome of patients who had acute variceal bleed.

AIM

To evaluate the platelet-albumin-bilirubin (PALBI) score in predicting outcome of acute variceal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis.

METHODS

A total of 130 patients who presented to our institute with acute variceal bleed over a period of 1 year were analyzed. CTP, MELD Na and PALBI scores were calculated for these patients on admission and the outcome was compared in the form of 90-day rebleeding rates. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) were calculated for this purpose.

RESULTS

Mean age was 56 years; 80 were male (61.5%), 50 were female (38.5%), 62 CTP-A (47.7%), 53 CTP-B (40.8%), 15 CTP-C (11.5%); 63 PALBI 1 (48.5%), 23 PALBI 2 (17.8%), and 44 PALBI 3 (33.8%). 1 patient died in the due course of the study. The AUROC for predicting rebleeding was 0.732, 0.71 and 0.803 for CTP, MELD Na and PALBI scores, respectively.

CONCLUSION

PALBI score on admission is a good predictor of outcomes in cirrhotics with acute variceal bleed.

Efficacy of Αtezolizumab-Βevacizumab in BCLC-C cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma according to the type of disease progression, the type of BCLC-C and liver disease severity

PURPOSE

The aim of our study was to evaluate, under real-life conditions, survival of patients with advanced HCC (BCLC-C), either initially presenting in that stage or migrating from BCLC-A to BCLC-C within 2 years after curative LR/RFA, treated either with Atezolizumab-Bevacizumab or TKIs.

METHODS

Sixty-four cirrhotic patients with advanced HCC, who either initially presented as BCLC-C and were treated with Atezo-Bev (group A, N = 23) or TKIs (group B, N = 15) or who migrated from BCLC-A to BCLC-C stage within 2 years after LR/RFA and were either treated with Atezo-Bev (group C, N = 12) or TKIs (group D, N = 14), were retrospectively evaluated.

RESULTS

The four groups were comparable for all baseline parameters (demographics/platelets/liver disease etiology/diabetes/varices/Child-Pugh stage/ALBI grade) except for CPT score and MELD-Na. Using Cox-regression analysis, we observed that survival of group C after systemic treatment onset was significantly higher compared to group A (HR 3.71, 1.20-11.46, p = 0.02) and presented a trend to statistical significance when compared to group D (HR 3.14, 0.95-10.35, p = 0.06), adjusted for liver disease severity scores. When all BCLC-C patients classified as such due to PS only were excluded from the study, a trend for the same survival benefit in group C was shown, even in the most difficult-to-treat population with extrahepatic disease or macrovascular invasion.

CONCLUSION

Cirrhotic patients with advanced HCC initially diagnosed in BCLC-C, exhibit the worst survival irrespective of treatment schedule, whereas patients progressing to BCLC-C following disease recurrence after LR/RFA, seem to mostly benefit from Atezo-Bev, even patients with extrahepatic disease and/or macrovascular invasion. Liver disease severity seems to drive survival of these patients.

Validation of the albumin-bilirubin score for identifying decompensation risk in patients with compensated cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

The albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score is an index of liver function recently developed to assess prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It can detect small changes in liver dysfunction and has been successfully applied to the prediction of survival in patients with non-malignant liver diseases of various etiologies.

AIM

To investigate the ALBI score for identifying decompensation risk at the 3-year follow-up in patients with compensated cirrhosis.

METHODS

One-hundred and twenty-three patients with compensated cirrhosis without HCC in King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital diagnosed by imaging were retrospectively enrolled from January 2016 to December 2020. A total of 113 patients (91.9%) had Child A cirrhosis with a median model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score of less than 9. Baseline clinical and laboratory variables and decompensation events were collected. The ALBI score was calculated and validated to classify decompensation risk into low-, middle-, and high-risk groups using three ALBI grade ranges (ALBI grade 1: ≤ -2.60; grade 2: > -2.60 but ≤ -1.39; grade 3: > -1.39). Decompensation events were defined as ascites development, variceal bleeding, or grade 3 or 4 hepatic encephalopathy.

RESULTS

Among 123 cirrhotic patients enrolled, 13.8% (n = 17) developed decompensating events at a median time of 25 [95% confidence interval (CI): 17-31] mo. Median baseline ALBI score in compensated cirrhosis was significantly lower than that of patients who developed decompensation events [-2.768 (-2.956 to -2.453) vs -2.007 (-2.533 to -1.537); P = 0.01]. Analysis of decompensation risk at 3 years showed that ALBI score had a time-dependent area under the curve (tAUC) of 0.86 (95%CI: 0.78-0.92), which was significantly better than that of ALBI-Fibrosis-4 (ALBI-FIB4) score (tAUC = 0.77), MELD score (tAUC = 0.66), Child-Pugh score (tAUC = 0.65), and FIB-4 score (tAUC = 0.48) (P < 0.05 for all). The 3-year cumulative incidence of decompensation was 3.1%, 22.6%, and 50% in the low-, middle-, and high-risk groups, respectively (P < 0.001). The odds ratio for decompensation in patients of the high-risk group was 23.33 (95%CI: 3.88-140.12, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The ALBI score accurately identifies decompensation risk at the 3-year follow-up in patients with compensated cirrhosis. Those cirrhotic patients with a high-risk grade of ALBI score showed a 23 times greater odds of decompensation.

Liver transplant in primary sclerosing cholangitis: Current trends and future directions

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic and progressive immune-mediated cholangiopathy causing biliary tree inflammation and scarring, leading to liver cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease. Diagnosis of PSC is challenging due to its nonspecific symptoms and overlap with other liver diseases. Despite the rising incidence of PSC, there is no proven medical therapy that can alter the natural history of the disease. While liver transplantation (LT) is the most effective approach for managing advanced liver disease caused by PSC, post-transplantation recurrence of PSC remains a challenge. Therefore, ongoing research aims to develop better therapies for PSC, and continued efforts are necessary to improve outcomes for patients with PSC. This article provides an overview of PSC's pathogenesis, clinical presentation, and management options, including LT trends and future aspects. It also highlights the need for improved therapeutic options and ethical considerations in providing equitable access to LT for patients with PSC. Additionally, the impact of liver transplant on the quality of life and psychological outcomes of patients with PSC is discussed. Ongoing research into PSC's pathogenesis and post-transplant recurrence is crucial for improved understanding of the disease and more effective treatment options.

Human liver single nuclear RNA sequencing implicates BMPR2, GDF15, arginine, and estrogen in portopulmonary hypertension

Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) is a type of pulmonary vascular disease due to portal hypertension that exhibits high morbidity and mortality. The mechanisms driving disease are unknown, and transcriptional characteristics unique to the PoPH liver remain unexplored. Here, we apply single nuclear RNA sequencing to compare cirrhotic livers from patients with and without PoPH. We identify characteristics unique to PoPH in cells surrounding the central hepatic vein, including increased growth differentiation factor signaling, enrichment of the arginine biosynthesis pathway, and differential expression of the bone morphogenic protein type II receptor and estrogen receptor type I genes. These results provide insight into the transcriptomic characteristics of the PoPH liver and mechanisms by which PoPH cellular dysfunction might contribute to pulmonary vascular remodeling.

Increased age, bilirubin, international normalized ratio, and creatinine score to triglyceride ratio are associated with alcohol-associated primary liver carcinoma: a single-centered retrospective study

BACKGROUND

This study analyzed the clinical features and biomarkers of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) to investigate the diagnostic value of age, bilirubin, international normalized ratio (INR), and creatinine (ABIC) score to triglyceride (TG) ratio (ABIC/TG) in ALD-associated primary liver carcinoma (PLC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were collected from 410 participants with ALD, and the epidemiological and clinical records of 266 participants were analyzed. Participants were divided into ALD-without-PLC and ALD-associated-PLC groups. Relationships between clinical characteristics, biomarkers and ALD-associated PLC were estimated. Serum lipid levels and liver function were compared between ALD patients without PLC and patients with ALD-associated PLC. Scoring systems were calculated to investigate ALD severity. The robustness of the relationship was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

RESULTS

Age and dyslipidemia were more strongly associated with ALD-associated PLC than with ALD-without PLC, with AORs of 2.39 and 0.25, respectively, with P less than 0.05. Drinking time and average daily intake, ABIC score, and ABIC/TG ratio were significantly higher in the ALD-associated-PLC group than in the ALD-without-PLC group. The AUC for the ABIC/TG ratio predicting the incidence of PLC was 0.80 (P < 0.01), which was higher than that of the ABIC and TG scores alone; additionally, the specificity and Youden index for the ABIC/TG ratio were also higher, and the cutoff value was 6.99.

CONCLUSIONS

In ALD patients, age, drinking time, and average daily intake were risk factors for PLC. Drinking time, average daily intake, TG and ABIC score have diagnostic value for ALD-associated PLC. The ABIC/TG ratio had a higher AUC value and Youden index than the ABIC score and TG level.