Appropriate timing to start and optimal response evaluation of high-dose corticosteroid therapy for patients with acute liver failure

Referral system has a diminished difference in the risk for hepatic encephalopathy development among each etiology in patients with acute liver injury

AIM

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) development is crucial in liver transplantation for patients with acute liver injury (ALI) and failure (ALF); to predict HE development, the Japan Hepatic Encephalopathy Prediction (JHEP) model, calculated using age, etiology, prothrombin time (PT), and total bilirubin, was established in 2004, and a referral system to the liver center was implemented using the JHEP model from April 2004.

METHODS

The JHEP model's ability to predict HE development in 460 consecutive patients with ALI between April 2004 and January 2021 using data from the referral system was evaluated, and the JHEP model was revised.

RESULTS

During the observation period, 7.8% patients developed HE. There was no difference in the proportion of HE development among the etiologies. In the Hosmer-Lemeshow test for HE development prediction, the JHEP model, revised JHEP (rJHEP) model, which was calculated without etiology data, and the modified JHEP model, which used the PT international ratio instead of PT in the rJHEP model, were good fitting models. Upon 30% random sampling from the total patients 60 times, the receiver operating curve analysis of both JHEP and rJHEP models for HE development was performed in all the datasets. The area under the curve of the JHEP model was subtracted from that of the rJHEP model (95% confidential interval, 0.000516-0.01793).

CONCLUSIONS

The referral system using the JHEP model reduced the difference in the risk for HE development among each etiology; the rJHEP model had a better prediction ability for HE development than the JHEP model.

Early use of dexamethasone increases Nr4a1 in Kupffer cells ameliorating acute liver failure in mice in a glucocorticoid receptor-dependent manner

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a type of disease with high mortality and rapid progression with no specific treatment methods currently available. Glucocorticoids exert beneficial clinical effects on therapy for ALF. However, the mechanism of this effect remains unclear and when to use glucocorticoids in patients with ALF is difficult to determine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the specific immunological mechanism of dexamethasone (Dex) on treatment of ALF induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/D-galactosamine (D-GaIN) in mice.

METHODS

Male C57BL/6 mice were given LPS and D-GaIN by intraperitoneal injection to establish an animal model of ALF. Dex was administrated to these mice and its therapeutic effect was observed. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to determine liver pathology. Multicolor flow cytometry, cytometric bead array (CBA) method, and next-generation sequencing were performed to detect changes of messenger RNA (mRNA) in immune cells, cytokines, and Kupffer cells, respectively.

RESULTS

A mouse model of ALF can be constructed successfully using LPS/D-GaIN, which causes a cytokine storm in early disease progression. Innate immune cells change markedly with progression of liver failure. Earlier use of Dex, at 0 h rather than 1 h, could significantly improve the progression of ALF induced by LPS/D-GaIN in mice. Numbers of innate immune cells, especially Kupffer cells and neutrophils, increased significantly in the Dex-treated group. In vivo experiments indicated that the therapeutic effect of Dex is exerted mainly via the glucocorticoid receptor (Gr). Sequencing of Kupffer cells revealed that Dex could increase mRNA transcription level of nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (Nr4a1), and that this effect disappeared after Gr inhibition.

CONCLUSIONS

In LPS/D-GaIN-induced ALF mice, early administration of Dex improved ALF by increasing the numbers of innate immune cells, especially Kupffer cells and neutrophils. Gr-dependent Nr4a1 upregulation in Kupffer cells may be an important ALF effect regulated by Dex in this process.

Safety of treating acute liver injury and failure

INTRODUCTION

Acute liver injury and progression to acute liver failure can be life-threatening conditions that require prompt careful clinical assessment and therapeutic management.

AREAS COVERED

The aim of this article is to review the safety and side effect profile of pharmacological therapies used in the treatment of acute liver injury with specific focus on hepatic toxicity. We performed an extensive literature search with the terms 'acute liver injury,' 'acute liver failure,' 'therapy,' 'safety,' 'adverse reactions' and 'drug induced liver injury.' A thorough discussion of the main drugs and devices used in patients with acute liver injury and acute liver failure, its safety profile and the management of complications associated to therapy of these conditions is presented.

EXPERT OPINION

Several pharmacological approaches are used in acute liver injury and acute liver failure in an empirical basis. Whilst steroids are frequently tried in serious drug-induced liver injury there is concern on a potential harmful effect of these agents because of the higher mortality in patients receiving the drug; hence, statistical approaches such as propensity score matching might help resolve this clinical dilemma. Likewise, properly designed clinical trials using old and new drugs for subjects with serious drug-induced liver injury are clearly needed.

Serum alpha-fetoprotein increases prior to fibrosis resolution in a patient with acute liver failure

A 78-year-old woman who was diagnosed with acute liver failure due to an undetermined cause presented with liver atrophy. Coagulopathy was normalized at 35 days of hospitalization, although atrophy in the liver persisted. During the observation period, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) bi-modally increased at 36 and 377 days. Around the second peak of AFP, the liver volume was regained within the normal range. Fucosylated AFP was found at the first peak but not at the second peak. Cytokines/chemokines were simultaneously evaluated, and the results were evaluated using PANTHER ( http://www.pantherdb.org/ ). Although transaminase and prothrombin time were within the normal range, cytokines/chemokines associated with angiogenesis and inflammation increased prior to the second peak of AFP. Our study suggests that the first peak of AFP occurs in response to acute insult, while the second peak may be associated with the resolution of liver fibrosis. The present case provides new insights into the mechanism of AFP elevation.

Early identification using the referral system prolonged the time to onset for hepatic encephalopathy after diagnosing severe acute liver injury

In 2004, we implemented a referral system for patients with acute liver injury (ALI) based on an established formula that estimates the risk of progression to acute live failure (ALF); however, the benefits of the system for patients with severe acute liver injury (SLI) remain unclear. We have evaluated the clinical significance of the referral system for SLI patients. Patients with ALI/SLI who were consecutively and prospectively listed on the system between 2004 and 2018 were analyzed. Of the 371 ALI/SLI/ALF patients on the system, 124 satisfied the criteria for SLI; 34 of these 124 progressed to SLI after registration. Multivariate analysis using age, sex, AST, ALT, creatinine, total bilirubin, prothrombin, presence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and SLI at registration revealed that HE was associated with high mortality. Among the 23 patients who developed HE, five who progressed to SLI after registration showed an increased time to HE development compared with patients who had SLI at the time of registration. However, there was no significant difference in survival time after HE development. We concluded that early identification of SLI patients using the referral system increased the time from SLI diagnosis to HE development.

Astrocyte swelling in hepatic encephalopathy: molecular perspective of cytotoxic edema

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) may occur in patients with liver failure. The most critical pathophysiologic mechanism of HE is cerebral edema following systemic hyperammonemia. The dysfunctional liver cannot eliminate circulatory ammonia, so its plasma and brain levels rise sharply. Astrocytes, the only cells that are responsible for ammonia detoxification in the brain, are dynamic cells with unique phenotypic properties that enable them to respond to small changes in their environment. Any pathological changes in astrocytes may cause neurological disturbances such as HE. Astrocyte swelling is the leading cause of cerebral edema, which may cause brain herniation and death by increasing intracranial pressure. Various factors may have a role in astrocyte swelling. However, the exact molecular mechanism of astrocyte swelling is not fully understood. This article discusses the possible mechanisms of astrocyte swelling which related to hyperammonia, including the possible roles of molecules like glutamine, lactate, aquaporin-4 water channel, 18 KDa translocator protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, alanine, glutathione, toll-like receptor 4, epidermal growth factor receptor, glutamate, and manganese, as well as inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial permeability transition, ATP depletion, and astrocyte senescence. All these agents and factors may be targeted in therapeutic approaches to HE.

Unfavorable prognosis of patients with acute liver injury due to drug-induced liver injury and acute exacerbation of hepatitis B virus infection

AIM

Acute liver injury (ALI) has a favorable prognosis, whereas acute liver failure (ALF) leads to organ failure and thus has an unfavorable prognosis. The effect of each etiology on the clinical course of ALI remains unclear. This study aimed to determine how each etiology and glucocorticoid on the unfavorable etiology affects the clinical course of ALI.

METHODS

This prospective observational study enrolled 522 patients with ALI/ALF from 2004 and 2017. To evaluate the influence of etiology on prognosis, decision tree analysis was carried out using age, disease type, etiology, and the presence of hepatic encephalopathy.

RESULTS

Of 522 patients, 398 patients satisfied the ALI criteria at registration in this study. The ALI etiologies were as follows: viral hepatitis through oral infection (n = 54), acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (n = 24), acute exacerbation of HBV infection (n = 30), de novo hepatitis due to HBV (n = 5), autoimmune hepatitis (n = 59), drug-induced liver injury (DILI; n = 85), other viruses (n = 12), and undetermined (n = 129). ALI in 46 patients progressed to ALF after registration. Of 11 patients (age >52 years) with ALF due to acute exacerbation of HBV infection or DILI, seven patients (63.6%) died. Whether glucocorticoid affected the clinical course of ALI due to acute exacerbation of HBV infection or DILI was evaluated using propensity score matching (age, sex, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and prothrombin time-international normalized ratio). Glucocorticoid did not improve the prognosis of ALI patients due to the two etiologies.

CONCLUSIONS

Progression of ALI due to DILI or acute exacerbation of HBV infection to ALF showed a poor prognosis.

Ledipasvir and Sofosbuvir for Acute Hepatitis C Virus Monoinfection Associated with a High Risk of Acute Liver Failure

A 72-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital with yellow discoloration of the sclera and liver dysfunction. He was diagnosed with acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on the basis of HCV-RNA positivity and anti-HCV seroconversion. A transjugular liver biopsy confirmed submassive hepatic necrosis. Five days after admission, no flapping tremor was observed, and the prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR) and total bilirubin level showed increases of 1.70 and 17.8 mg/dL, respectively. The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was determined to be 25, and the risk of acute liver failure (ALF) was estimated to be 48% according to the Japan Hepatic Encephalopathy Prediction Model. Considering that rapid HCV clearance and temporary suppression of the immune response would prevent ALF, we prescribed oral ledipasvir (LDV) 90 mg and sofosbuvir (SOF) 400 mg for 12 weeks and intravenously injected methylprednisolone 1 g for 3 days. His PT-INR promptly improved, although the total bilirubin level increased to 30.3 mg/dL. Plasma bilirubin absorption was performed three times, and the total bilirubin level gradually decreased. HCV-RNA was still detectable at six weeks after the start of LDV/SOF therapy and finally undetectable at eight weeks. There were no adverse events associated with LDV/SOF. The patient was discharged 73 days after admission. A sustained virological response was achieved at 12 and 24 weeks after treatment. The findings from this case suggest that LDV/SOF therapy can be a promising option for acute HCV monoinfection associated with a high risk of ALF.

The recovery of the PT-INR to less than 1.3 predicts survival in patients with severe acute liver injury

BACKGROUND

Acute liver failure is a potentially fatal disease of various etiologies for which liver transplantation is the only known curative treatment. Although the decision-making on transplantation is largely dependent on the severity of liver injury (based on predicting a fatal outcome), a statistical analysis to predict "survival" has not been extensively conducted. In this study, we investigate the medical history of patients in two distinct areas of Japan with the aim of identifying the predictors of survival in patients with acute liver injury (ALI).

METHODS

Datasets of 301 patients with ALI in two distinct areas (93 in southern Kyushu and 208 in northern Tohoku) of Japan, who were treated from 2004 to 2014, were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

Among the enrolled 301 cases, 263 patients survived without transplantation. A PT-INR of ≥ 1.3 during the clinical course was found to be adequate for predicting a poor prognosis, because all of the fatal cases emerged from this population (hazard ratios: southern Kyushu, 0.2827; northern Tohoku, 0.1862). All surviving patients showed a reduction in their PT-INR during treatment, whereas the PT-INR did not decrease in the patients with a poor prognosis. A PT-INR of < 1.3 on days 7 and 8 efficiently predicted transplant-free survival (log-rank test: southern Kyushu, P = 0.0030; northern Tohoku, P = 0.0022).

CONCLUSIONS

A PT-INR of ≥ 1.3 during the clinical course might identify cases with a poor prognosis, while the recovery of the PT-INR to < 1.3 predicts transplant-free survival.

Predictive formula of coma onset and prothrombin time to distinguish patients who recover from acute liver injury

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Acute liver failure (ALF) is defined as acute liver injury (ALI) associated with coagulopathy. A follow-up strategy for ALI and characterization of ALI patients with a risk of progressing to ALF have never been established. To establish predictive markers for progression from ALI to ALF, this study compared the clinical characteristics and laboratory data on the day of registration to data from a regional referral system of patients with ALI.

METHODS

This prospective, observational study enrolled 365 consecutive patients with ALI/ALF between 2007 and 2016. We evaluated 109 ALI patients, 27 of whom satisfied the ALF criteria during observation and another 82 patients who recovered without progression to ALF.

RESULTS

Four patients died; all were in the ALF group. The variables of age, incidence of autoimmune hepatitis, model of end-stage liver disease score, values for total bilirubin and prothrombin time (PT)-international ratio, and Japan Hepatic Encephalopathy Prediction Model (JHEPM) probability at registration were significantly higher in ALF patients than in ALI patients. In multivariate analysis, PT and JHEPM were identified as risk factors for progression to ALF. The cut-off values of 13%, 4.9%, 65%, and 1.32% for the model of end-stage liver disease score, JHEPM probability, PT, and PT-international ratio values, respectively, had high negative predictive values. Furthermore, among patients whose JHEPM was underestimated, none died due to ALF.

CONCLUSION

The JHEPM probability is a predictive parameter that can be used to decide a follow-up treatment strategy for ALI patients.

Recent advances in hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatic encephalopathy describes the array of neurological alterations that occur during acute liver failure or chronic liver injury. While key players in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy, such as increases in brain ammonia, alterations in neurosteroid levels, and neuroinflammation, have been identified, there is still a paucity in our knowledge of the precise pathogenic mechanism. This review gives a brief overview of our understanding of the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy and then summarizes the significant recent advances made in clinical and basic research contributing to our understanding, diagnosis, and possible treatment of hepatic encephalopathy. A literature search using the PubMed database was conducted in May 2017 using "hepatic encephalopathy" as a keyword, and selected manuscripts were limited to those research articles published since May 2014. While the authors acknowledge that many significant advances have been made in the understanding of hepatic encephalopathy prior to May 2014, we have limited the scope of this review to the previous three years only.