乳果糖干预治疗对亚临床肝性脑病病程的影响

目的　对亚临床肝性脑病 (SHE)患者进行长期随访以了解其自然病程的变化 ,并进行乳果糖长短程治疗以了解其对于SHE病程的影响。方法　随机将 6 0例经数字连接试验 (NCT)、数字符号试验 (DST)和 /或体感诱发电位 (SEP)检查异常的SHE患者分配入对照组、乳果糖短程治疗组及长程治疗组 ,每组各 2 0例。对照组仅给予复合维生素B治疗 2 4周 ,短程组另再给予口服乳果糖15～ 90ml/d治疗 8周 ,长程组则另再给予口服乳果糖 15～ 90ml/d治疗 2 4周。 3组均在第 0、8、16、2 4周末随访 ,作血氨、肝功能、体能诱发电位 (SEP)、数字连接试验 (NCT)、数字符号试验 (DST)、生存质量检查 ,并观察肝性脑病 (HE)发病率。结果　治疗后 3组间比较在肝功能、生存质量的环境领域、SEP各波潜伏期差异均无显著意义 (P >0 0 5 ) ,但在NCT、DST、生存质量的生理、心理、社会关系领域差异均有显著意义 (P <0 0 5 )。其中第 8周 ,长短程组之间差异无显著意义 (P >0 0 5 ) ,它们均较对照组有改善 (P <0 0 5 ) (血氨除外 ,P >0 0 5 ) ;第 16周 ,长程组与对照组和短程组相比均有显著改善 (P <0 0 5 ) (DST除外 ,P >0 0 5 ) ,短程组和对照组之间差异无显著意义 (P >0 0 5 ) ;第 2 4周 ,长程组均好于对照组和短程组 (P <0 0 5 ) ,

Effects of lactulose treatment on the course of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy

OBJECTIVE: To observe the natural history of subclinical hepatic encephalopathy (SHE) and to compare the efficacy of long-term and short-term treatment of lactulose. METHODS: Sixty SHE patients with abnormal psychometric tests performance and/or evoked potentials were randomly divided into 3 groups of 20 cases: control group (given vitamin B complex only for 24 weeks), short-term lactulose group (administered orally with lactulose 15 - 90 ml/d for 8 weeks in addition to vitamin B complex as described above), and long-term lactulose group (administered orally with lactulose 15 - 90 ml/d for 24 weeks in addition to vitamin B complex as described above). Blood ammonia, liver function, number connection test (NCT), digital symbol test (DST), quality of life, and somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) were investigated 0, 8, 16, and 24 weeks after the onset of experiment. The incidence of HE was recorded. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found in terms of liver function score of ENVER, and SEP any time after the onset of the experiment (all P > 0.05). Eight weeks after the onset of experiment the performance of NCT and DST was significantly improved in the 2 lactulose groups than in the control group (both P < 0.05), without significant difference between the two treatment groups (P > 0.05). However, significant difference failed to appear in blood ammonia 8 weeks after, and began to be found since the 16th week between the control group and long-term lactulose group (P < 0.05). Since the 16th week the condition of the long-term lactulose group was much better than those of the other 2 groups in terms of blood ammonia, NCT performance, scores of PHYS, PSYCH, and SCOIL (all P < 0.05), and not in DST performance (P > 0.05). 24 weeks after, the condition of the long-term lactulose group was still better than those of the other 2 groups (all P < 0.05), however, no significant difference was found in terms of the above-mentioned indicators between the control and short-term lactulose groups (all P > 0.05). The HE prevalence of the control, short-term lactulose, and long-term lactulose groups were 40%, 30%, and 5% respectively 24 weeks after, with a significant difference between the long-term lactulose group and between any of the other groups (both P < 0.05) and without a statistically significant difference between the control and short-term lactulose groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Long-term lactulose treatment lowers blood ammonia and improves the psychometric performance and quality of life, thus lowering the prevalence of clinical HE. However, short-term lactulose treatment fails to improve of the natural course of HE.