Project description:Two patients presented with acute on chronic liver failure and multiorgan failure and, as typical for this disorder, they presented with hyperinflammation and anticipated high mortality rates. Both cases were diagnosed with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). Under a FDA approved Investigational Device Exemption clinical trial, they underwent treatment with an extracorporeal cell-directed immunomodulatory device, called selective cytopheretic device. Both patients showed rapid clinical improvement associated with a decline in elevated blood cytokine concentrations and diminution of activation levels of circulating leukocytes. On follow-up, one patient was alive at day 90 after treatment and undergoing liver transplantation evaluation and the other patient had a successful liver transplantation 6 days after selective cytopheretic device therapy ended. These cases represent the first in human evaluation of extracorporeal cell-directed immunomodulation therapy in acute on chronic liver failure with successful clinical outcomes in a disorder with dismal prognosis.
Project description:Artificial liver support system (ALSS) therapy is widely used in patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). We aimed to develop a predictive score to identify the subgroups who may benefit from plasma exchange (PE)-centered ALSS therapy. A total of 601 patients were retrospectively enrolled and randomly divided into a derivation cohort of 303 patients and a validation cohort of 298 patients for logistic regression analysis, respectively. Five baseline variables, including liver cirrhosis, total bilirubin, international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, infection and hepatic encephalopathy, were found independently associated with 3-month mortality. A predictive PALS model and the simplified PALS score were developed. The predicative value of PALS score (AUROC = 0.818) to 3-month prognosis was as capable as PALS model (AUROC = 0.839), R score (AUROC = 0.824) and Yue-Meng' score (AUROC = 0.810) (all p > 0.05), and superior to CART model (AUROC = 0.760) and MELD score (AUROC = 0.765) (all p < 0.05). The PALS score had significant linear correlation with 3-month mortality (R2 = 0.970, p = 0.000). PALS score of 0-2 had both sensitivity and negative predictive value of > 90% for 3-month mortality, while PALS score of 6-9 had both specificity and positive predictive value of > 90%. Patients with PALS score of 3-5 who received 3-5 sessions of ALSS therapy had much lower 3-month mortality than those who received 1-2 sessions (32.8% vs. 59.2%, p < 0.05). The more severe patients with PALS score of 6-9 could still benefit from ≥ 6 sessions of ALSS therapy compared to ≤ 2 sessions (63.6% vs. 97.0%, p < 0.05). The PALS score could predict prognosis reliably and conveniently. It could identify the subgroups who could benefit from PE-centered ALSS therapy, and suggest the reasonable sessions.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2000032055. Registered 19th April 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=52471 .
Project description:AimTo determine the prognostic risk factors of patients with hepatitis B virus related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) treated with plasma exchange (PE)-based artificial liver support system (ALSS), and create a prognostic predictive model.MethodsA total of 304 HBV-ACLF patients who received PE-based ALSS were retrospectively analyzed. Potential prognostic factors on admission associated with survival were investigated. Of note, 101 additional patients were analyzed to validate the performance of the prognostic models.ResultsAccording to 28-day survival, a total of 207 patients who survived and 97 non-survivors were identified in the derivation group. Overall, 268 (88.2%) ACLF cases were caused by reactivation of HBV. Cox proportional hazards regression model revealed that age, total bilirubin, ln (alpha-fetoprotein [AFP]), encephalopathy (HE) score, sodium level, and international normalized ratio (INR) were independent risk factors of short-term prognosis. We built a model named ALSS-prognosis model (APM) to predict the 28-day survival of HBV-ACLF patients with ALSS; the model APM showed potentially better predictive performance for both the derivation and validation groups than MELD, MELD-Na, and CLIF-C ACLF score.ConclusionsLow AFP was found to be an independent risk factor for high mortality in HBV-ACLF patients treated with PE-based ALSS. We generated a new model containing AFP, namely APM, which showed potentially better prediction performance than MELD, MELD-Na, and CLIF-C ACLF score for short-term outcomes, and could aid physicians in making optimal therapeutic decisions.
Project description:Background & aimsEffective treatments for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) are a major unmet need. This proof-of-concept pilot study was aimed at evaluating the effects of plasma exchange (PE) with albumin 5% (PE-A5%) on albumin functional capacity and organ dysfunction in patients with ACLF.MethodsTen adult patients were enrolled in a single-center phase II, prospective, open-label, non-controlled study. Six PE-A5% sessions were performed in 10 days followed by a 1-month follow-up visit. Albumin functional capacity and circulatory function were assessed, as were renal, cerebral, and liver function, and systemic inflammation. The main safety variable was the percentage of PE sessions associated with at least one procedure-related adverse event (AE).ResultsPatients with ACLF showed lower albumin binding capacity, lower antioxidant capacity, and lower levels of albumin with preserved structure compared to healthy donors (n = 19). From baseline to day 11, PE-A5% treatment increased albumin levels and improved albumin binding capacity to Sudlow site II (15.3±1.6 mg/ml to 18.9±1.7 mg/ml; p = 0.003), fatty acid-binding capacity (8.2±1.4 μM to 3.1±1.5 μM; p = 0.013) and antioxidant capacity (human mercaptalbumin 9.5±1.5 mg/ml to 14.6±1.6 mg/ml; p = 0.001). Native albumin levels were increased throughout day 1-11 PE-A5% sessions (6.5±1.0 mg/ml to 10.2±1.4 mg/ml; p = 0.035). PE-A5% improved systemic hemodynamics (mean arterial pressure, heart rate, cardiac index), renal function (creatinine level, blood urea nitrogen), cerebral function (hepatic encephalopathy grade), liver parameters (transaminases, bilirubin) and inflammatory parameters (C-reactive protein, leukocyte count). All patients had at least one of the 78 AEs reported, mostly mild (product/procedure-related: 36%). Sixteen serious AEs were reported in eight patients (procedure/product-related: none).ConclusionsPE-A5% was a safe procedure associated with positive effects on albumin functionality, and circulatory, renal, cerebral, and liver function in patients with ACLF.Impact and implicationsAcute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a clinical condition characterized by severe systemic inflammation, organ failure, and high mortality. Plasma exchange removes patient's plasma containing pathogenic substances, replacing it with 5% albumin and fresh frozen plasma (PE-A5%). In this study, cirrhotic patients with ACLF were treated with PE-A5%, which was a safe procedure that increased binding and antioxidant capacity of patients' albumin, while improving circulatory, kidney, brain, and liver functions. These beneficial effects could impact survival in ACLF.Clinicaltrialsgov identifierNCT01201720.Eudract number2010-021360-15.
Project description:Cirrhotic patients who developed a decompensation episode requiring an admission to an intensive care unit are not equal in term of prognosis. This led to the definition of a syndrome, acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), marked by the severity of systemic inflammation, the development of organ failures and a high short-term mortality. The most common underlying liver etiology is related to acute alcohol hepatitis in western countries and to HBV or HCV cirrhosis in eastern countries. Twenty-eight and 90-days high mortality rates are well linked to the number of organ failure and defined, merely ten years ago, by a modified SOFA score. ACLF is a dynamic syndrome and grading can vary from hospital admission. ACLF grading between day 3-7 of admission is more accurate for determining outcome. ACLF-3 patients with ≥3 organ failures remain very challenging with >75% mortality rate. Despite recent advances in the medical management of critically ill cirrhotic patients, the prognosis of these patients remains poor. Currently, the main effective treatment is an urgent liver transplantation (LT) which is performed in a very selected patients eligible to transplant given the limited availability of organ donors and the low post-transplant survival rates reported in earlier studies. Recently, large retrospective multicenter studies and registries showed an improved 1-year post-transplant survival rate >83% in several transplant centers. Nevertheless, only few proportions of the ACLF-2 and ACLF-3 patients are transplanted representing 0-10% of most liver transplant programs. A careful selection of these patients (excluding major comorbidities i.e., older age, addictology criteria, severe malnutrition…) and optimal timing for transplant (infection control, hemodynamic stability, low oxygen and vasopressor requirements) are associated with excellent post-transplant survival rate.
Project description:BackgroundAcute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients have high mortality in a short period of time. This study aimed to compare the prognosis of transplanted ACLF patients to that of nontransplanted ACLF patients and decompensated cirrhosis recipients.MethodsClinical data of 29 transplanted ACLF patients, 312 nontransplanted ACLF patients, and 60 transplanted decompensated cirrhosis patients were retrospectively collected. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to match patients between different groups.ResultsAfter PSM, the 90-day and 1-year survival of transplanted ACLF patients was significantly longer than that of nontransplant controls. Although the 90-day survival and 1-year survival of ACLF recipients was similar to that of decompensated cirrhosis controls, ACLF recipients were found to have longer mechanical ventilation, longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay, longer hospital stay, higher incidence of tracheotomy, higher expense, and higher morbidity of complication than matched decompensated cirrhosis controls. The 90-day and 1-year survival of transplanted ACLF grade 2-3 patients was also significantly longer than that of nontransplanted controls.ConclusionsLiver transplantation can strongly improve the prognosis of ACLF patients. Despite having more burdens (including longer mechanical ventilation, longer ICU stay, higher incidence of tracheotomy, longer hospital stay, higher hospitalization expense, and higher complication morbidity), ACLF recipients can obtain similar short-term and long-term survival to decompensated cirrhosis recipients. For severe ACLF patients, liver transplantation can also significantly improve their short-term and long-term survival.
Project description:BackgroundHepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is a common type of liver failure with a high mortality. This study aimed at investigating the safety and efficacy of the combination treatment of plasma exchange (PE) and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSCs) transplantation for HBV-ACLF patients.MethodsA total of 110 HBV-ACLF patients treated in our hospital from January 2012 to September 2017 were enrolled into this trial and divided into the control group (n = 30), UC-MSC group (n = 30), PE group (n = 30), and UC-MSC + PE group (n = 20) based on their treatments. The hepatic function, coagulation, and virological and immunological markers were assessed at baseline and 30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 days. The endpoint outcomes were death and unfavorable outcome (need for liver transplantation or death).ResultsThe UC-MSC + PE group had the lowest rates of death and unfavorable outcome at 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days posttreatment among the four groups, but the difference did not reach significances. The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that hemoglobin, prothrombin activity, and MELD (model for end-stage liver disease) score were the independent factors associated with the unfavorable outcome (all P < 0.05). The levels of total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, and MELD score were significantly decreased during treatments (all P < 0.05).ConclusionUC-MSCs combined with PE treatment had good safety but cannot significantly improve the short-term prognosis of HBV-ACLF patients with as compared with the single treatment. The long-term efficacy should be further evaluated. This trial is registered with registration no. NCT01724398.
Project description:Background and aimsTo investigate the safety and efficacy of double plasma molecular adsorption system (DPMAS) with sequential low-dose plasma exchange (LPE) in treating early hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF).MethodsClinical data of patients with HBV-ACLF were prospectively collected, including patients in a DPMAS with sequential LPE (DPMAS+LPE) group and those in a standard medical treatment (SMT) group. The primary endpoint was death or liver transplantation (LT) at 12 weeks of follow-up. Propensity-score matching was performed to control the effects of confounding factors on prognosis between the two groups.ResultsAfter 2 weeks, total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen levels, and Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B score, were significantly lower in the DPMAS+LPE group than those in the SMT group (p<0.05). After 4 weeks, laboratory parameters of the two groups were similar. The cumulative survival rate of the DPMAS+LPE group was significantly higher than that of the SMT group at 4 weeks (97.9% vs. 85.4%, p=0.027), but not at 12 weeks (85.4% vs. 83.3%, p=0.687). Cytokine levels were significantly lower in 12-week survival group than in the death-or-LT group (p<0.05). Functional enrichment analysis showed that downregulated cytokines were mainly involved in positive regulation of proliferation and activation of lymphocytes and monocytes, regulation of immune effect response, regulation of endotoxin response, and glial cell proliferation.ConclusionDPMAS+LPE significantly improved the 4-week cumulative survival rate, and ameliorated the inflammatory response in patients. DPMAS+LPE may be a promising modality for patients with early HBV-ACLF.
Project description:Over the past 2 decades, the concept of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) has been proposed as an alternate path in the natural history of decompensated cirrhosis. ACLF thus is characterized by the presence of a precipitating event (identified or unidentified) in subjects with underlying chronic liver disease leading to rapid progression of liver injury and ending in multi-organ dysfunction characterized by high short-term mortality. Multiple organ failure and an increased risk for mortality are key to the diagnosis of ACLF. The prevalence of ACLF ranges from 24% to 40% in hospitalized patients. The pathophysiological basis of ACLF can be explained using the following 4-part model: predisposing event, injury caused by a precipitating event, response to injury, and organ failure. Although several mathematic scores have been proposed for identifying outcomes with ACLF, it is as yet unclear whether these organ failure scores are truly prognostic or only reflective of the dying process. Treatment paradigms continue to evolve but consist of early recognition, supportive intensive care, and consideration of liver transplantation before onset of irreversible multiple organ failure.
Project description:We aim to determine the impact of an artificial liver support system (ALSS) treatment before liver transplantation (LT), and identify the prognostic factors and evaluate the predictive values of the current commonly used ACLF prognostic models for short-term prognosis after LT. Data from 166 patients who underwent LT with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) were retrospectively collected from January 2011 to December 2018 from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Patients were divided into two groups depending on whether they received ALSS treatment pre-LT. In the observation group, liver function tests and prognostic scores were significantly lower after ALSS treatment, and the waiting time for a donor liver was significantly longer than that of the control group. Both intraoperative blood loss and period of postoperative ICU care were significantly lower; however, there were no significant differences between groups in terms of total postoperative hospital stays. Postoperative 4-week and 12-week survival rates in the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Similar trends were also observed at 48 and 96 weeks, however, without significant difference. Multivariate Cox regression analysis of the risk factors related to prognosis showed that preoperative ALSS treatment, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and intraoperative blood loss were independent predicting factors for 4-week survival rate after transplantation. ALSS treatment combined with LT in patients with HBV-related ACLF improved short-term survival. ALSS treatment pre-LT is an independent protective factor affecting the 4-week survival rate after LT.