乙型肝炎肝硬化失代偿患者核苷类抗病毒治疗的长期疗效

目的 在综合治疗的基础上,通过抗病毒治疗组与非抗病毒治疗对照组的对比,了解核苷(酸)类抗病毒药物对乙型肝炎肝硬化失代偿患者的肝脏功能及远期生存率的影响. 方法 收集2005年至2009年住院治疗的乙型肝炎肝硬化失代偿患者,依据纳入及排除标准,进入回顾性研究队列进行疗效和生存分析.并对选用不同抗病毒药物的患者进行分组分析,依据患者MELD评分对患者进行分层.重点关注19例治疗满5年的患者,比较其治疗前后的生物化学及病毒学指标,了解长期抗病毒治疗对患者肝功能及长期生存的改善情况.正态分布数据两组均数比较用t检验,多组均数比较用单因素方差分析;分类数据用x2检验及Fisher精确概率法;用Kaplan-Meier法计算生存率及绘制生存曲线,MELD评分分层后各组间的比较采用Log-rank对数秩检验. 结果 最终入组166例,其中抗病毒治疗组114例,对照组52例.生存分析结果显示,抗病毒治疗组5年累计生存率显著高于对照组(74.1％对比34.9％,x 2=25.738,P＜0.001).当患者MELD评分＜18分时,抗病毒治疗可以显著改善患者生存率(x2=16.034,P＜0.001).对病情较重(MELD评分≥18分)的患者,抗病毒治疗组与对照组3个月累积生存率差异无统计学意义(43.8％对比58.4％,x2=3.224,P=0.073).19例治疗满5年患者治疗前后ALT、白蛋白、总胆红素、凝血酶原时间、肌酐及血小板计数差异均有统计学意义(P值均＜ 0.05);治疗前19例患者的HBV DNA均＞103拷贝/ml,治疗后仅1例患者HBV DNA＞103拷贝/ml,差异有统计学意义(Fisher精确检验,P＜ 0.05);治疗前后的CTP评分分别为(8.78±1.65)分和(6.00±1.29)分,差异有统计学意义(t=6.596,P＜0.01). 结论 抗病毒治疗可以显著改善乙型肝炎肝硬化失代偿患者的预后及长期生存率,早期应用患者获益更多.对病情较重并发症较多患者,尽管抗病毒治疗短期获益有限,但仍是一个重要的保护因素.     

Hepatocellular carcinoma: Advances in diagnosis,management, and long term outcome

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a common and lethal malignancy worldwide and arises in the setting of a host of diseases. The incidence continues to increase despite multiple vaccines and therapies for viruses such as the hepatitis B and C viruses. In addition, due to the growing incidence of obesity in Western society, there is anticipation that there will be a growing population with HCC due to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Due to the growing frequency of this disease, screening is recommended using ultrasound with further imaging using magnetic resonance imaging and multi-detector computed tomography used for further characterization of masses. Great advances have been made to help with the early diagnosis of small lesions leading to potential curative resection or transplantation. Resection and transplantation maybe used in a variety of patients that are carefully selected based on underlying liver disease. Using certain guidelines and clinical acumen patients may have good outcomes with either resection or transplantation however many patients are inoperable at time of presentation. Fortunately, the use of new locoregional therapies has made down staging patients a potential option making them potential surgical candidates. Despite a growing population with HCC, new advances in viral therapies, chemotherapeutics, and an expanding population of surgical and transplant candidates might all contribute to improved long-term survival of these patients.     

A Latin American survey on demographic aspects of hospitalized,decompensated cirrhotic patients and the resources for their management

Introduction & objectivesLiver cirrhosis is a major cause of mortality worldwide. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of decompensating events requires of both medical skills and updated technical resources. The objectives of this study were to search the demographic profile of hospitalized cirrhotic patients in a group of Latin American hospitals and the availability of expertise/facilities for the diagnosis and therapy of decompensation episodes.MethodsA cross sectional, multicenter survey of hospitalized cirrhotic patients.Results377 patients, (62% males; 58 ± 11 years) (BMI > 25, 57%; diabetes 32%) were hospitalized at 65 centers (63 urbans; 57 academically affiliated) in 13 countries on the survey date. Main admission causes were ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis/other infections. Most prevalent etiologies were alcohol-related (AR) (40%); non-alcoholic-steatohepatitis (NASH) (23%), hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) (7%) and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) (6%). The most frequent concurrent etiologies were AR + NASH. Expertise and resources in every analyzed issue were highly available among participating centers, mostly accomplishing valid guidelines. However, availability of these facilities was significantly higher at institutions located in areas with population > 500,000 (n = 45) and in those having a higher complexity level (Gastrointestinal, Liver and Internal Medicine Departments at the same hospital (n = 22).ConclusionsThe epidemiological etiologic profile in hospitalized, decompensated cirrhotic patients in Latin America is similar to main contemporary emergent agents worldwide. Medical and technical resources are highly available, mostly at great population urban areas and high complexity medical centers. Main diagnostic and therapeutic approaches accomplish current guidelines recommendations.     

Antiviral drug resistance increases hepatocellular carcinoma: A prospective decompensated cirrhosis cohort study

AIM:To study the clinical outcome of antiviral therapy in hepatitis B-related decompensated cirrhotic patients.METHODS:Three hundred and twelve patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis were evaluated in a prospective cohort.With two years of follow-up,198patients in the group receiving antiviral therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogues and 39 patients in the control group without antiviral treatment were analysed.RESULTS:Among the antiviral treatment patients,162had a complete virological response(CVR),and 36 were drug-resistant(DR).The two-year cumulative incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)in the DR patients(30.6%)was significantly higher than that in both the CVR patients(4.3%)and the control group(10.3%)(P<0.001).Among the DR patients in particular,the incidence of HCC was 55.6%(5/9)in those who failed rescue therapy,which was extremely high.The rtA181T mutation was closely associated with rescue therapy failure(P=0.006).The Child-Pugh scores of the CVR group were significantly decreased compared with the baseline(8.9±2.3 vs 6.0±1.3,P=0.043).CONCLUSION:This study showed that antiviral drug resistance increased the risk of HCC in decompensated hepatitis B-related cirrhotic patients,especially in those who failed rescue therapy.     

Long term outcome of antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis B associated decompensated cirrhosis

AIM To investigate survival rate and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) in patients with decompensated cirrhosis in the antiviral era.METHODS We used the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment. Korea's health insurance system is a public single-payer system. The study population consisted of 286871 patients who were prescribed hepatitis B antiviral therapy for the first time between 2007 and 2014 in accordance with the insurance guidelines.Overall, 48365 antiviral treatment-na?ve patients treated between 2008 and 2009 were included, and each had a follow-up period ≥ 5 years. Data were analyzed for the 1 st decompensated chronic hepatitis B(CHB) and treatment-na?ve patients(n = 7166). RESULTS The mean patient age was 43.5 years. The annual mortality rates were 2.4%-19.1%, and 5-year cumulative mortality rate was 32.6% in 1~(st) decompensated CHB treatment-na?ve subjects. But the annual mortality rates sharply decreased to 3.4%(2.4%-4.9%, 2-5 year) after one year of antiviral treatment. Incidence of HCC at first year was 14.3%, the annual incidence of HCC decreased to 2.5%(1.8%-3.7%, 2-5 year) after one year. 5-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 24.1%. Recurrence rate of decompensated event was 46.9% at first year, but the annual incidence of second decompensation events in decompensated CHB treatment-na?ve patients was 3.4%(2.1%-5.4%, 2-5 year) after one year antiviral treatment. 5-year cumulative recurrence rate of decompensated events was 60.6%. Meanwhile, 5-year cumulative mortality rate was 3.1%, and 5-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 11.5% in compensated CHB treatment-na?ve patients.CONCLUSION Long term outcome of decompensated cirrhosis treated with antiviral agent improved much, and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and mortality sharply decreased after one year treatment.     

Incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in outpatients with cirrhosis in Brazil: A 10-year retrospective cohort study

AIM To determine the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and the impact of HCC surveillance on early diagnosis and survival of cirrhotic outpatients. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, cirrhotic outpatients undergoing HCC surveillance between March 2005 and March 2014 were analyzed. Exclusion criteria were HIV coinfection; previous organ transplantation; diagnosis of HCC at first consultation; missing data in the medical chart; and less than 1 year of follow-up. Surveillance was carried out every six months using ultrasound and serum alpha-fetoprotein determination. Ten-year cumulative incidence and survival were estimated through Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS Four hundred and fifty-three patients were enrolled, of which 57.6% were male. Mean age was 55 years. Hepatitis C virus and heavy use of alcohol were the main etiologic agents of cirrhosis. HCC was diagnosed in 75 patients(16.6%), with an estimated cumulative incidence of 2.6% in the 1st year, 15.4% in the 5th year, and 28.8% in the 10 th year. Median survival was estimated at 17.6 mo in HCC patients compared to 234 mo in non-HCC patients(P 0.001). Early-stage HCC was more often detected in patients who underwent surveillance every 6 mo or less(P = 0.05). However, survival was not different between patients with early stage vs non-early stage tumors [HR = 0.54(0.15-1.89), P = 0.33].CONCLUSION HCC is a frequent complication in patients with cirrhosis and adherence to surveillance programs favors early diagnosis.     

Timing of paracentesis and outcomes in hospitalized patients with decompensated cirrhosis

BACKGROUNDAscites is one of the most common complications of cirrhosis, placing a significant burden on the healthcare system. Data regarding the optimal time of paracentesis and outcomes among patients with cirrhosis and ascites are scarce.AIMTo assess the outcomes of patients who underwent paracentesis within 12 h after admission compared to patients who underwent paracentesis later than 12 h.METHODSThe study included 185 patients with cirrhosis and ascites who underwent paracentesis. The early paracentesis group was defined as paracentesis performed < 12 h after admission (65 patients) and the delayed paracentesis group was defined as paracentesis performed > 12 h after admission (120 patients). New-onset complications of cirrhosis, length of hospital stay, weekday or weekend admission, in-hospital mortality rate, and 90-d readmission rates were assessed and compared between the groups.RESULTSSignificantly more patients in the delayed paracentesis group than in the early paracentesis group developed hepatic encephalopathy (45% vs 21.5%, P < 0.01), hepato-renal syndrome (21.6% vs 9.2%, P = 0.03) and infections (25% vs 10.7%, P = 0.02) during hospitalization. There were no statistically significant differences in the occurrence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and upper gastrointestinal bleeding between the two groups. Length of stay was shorter in the early paracentesis group than in the delayed paracentesis group (6.7 d vs 12.2 d) and in-hospital mortality was lower among patients in the early paracentesis group. Patients in the delayed paracentesis group had a higher risk of developing complications during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONEarly paracentesis (within 12 h after admission) could be a new inpatient quality metric among patients hospitalized with cirrhosis and ascites as it is associated with fewer complications of cirrhosis, lower in-hospital mortality and shorter length of stay.     

乙型肝炎肝硬化抗病毒治疗安全性与疗效观察

目的观察恩替卡韦等核苷类似物在乙型肝炎肝硬化失代偿期患者中抗病毒治疗的安全性与疗效。方法69例乙型肝炎肝硬化失代偿期患者随机分成2组,分别给予恩替卡韦、拉米夫定联合阿德福韦酯两种方案,观察所有病例症状、体征、生化学指标、HBV DNA阴转、HBeAg阴转、抗-HBe阳转以及Child-Pugh评分分级变化等情况。结果两组患者无一例死亡,临床症状、体征、肝功能均有明显改善,HBeAg血清转换率分别为42.1%、41.9%,差异无统计学意义(P0.05),HBV DNA阴转率两组分别为92.1%、84.1%,组间比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论乙型肝炎肝硬化失代偿期患者选用恩替卡韦或拉米夫定联合阿德福韦酯安全性及疗效无显著差异。     

Bacterial infection triggers and complicates acute-on-chronic liver failure in patients with hepatitis B virus-decompensated cirrhosis: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Reports on bacterial infection(BI)in decompensated cirrhosis(DC)is mainly from alcoholic cirrhosis.The role of BI as a trigger or complication of acute-onchronic liver failure(ACLF)in patients with hepatitis B virus decompensated cirrhosis(HBV-DC)remains to be investigated.AIM To investigate the impact of BI on the outcomes of the patients with HBV-DC admitted into the hospital with or without ACLF.METHODS This retrospective study included patients with HBV-DC admitted to two tertiary centers in China.In-hospital overall survival,90-d transplant-free survival,5-year post-discharge survival,and cumulative incidence of ACLF were evaluated.Risk factors for death were analyzed considering liver transplantation as a competing event.RESULTS A total of 1281 hospitalized HBV-DC patients were included;284 had ACLF at admission.The overall prevalence of BI was 28.1%.The patients with BI had a significantly lower in-hospital survival and transplant-free 90-d survival than those without,in both the patients admitted with and without ACLF.The presence of BI significantly increased the risk of developing ACLF[subdistribution hazard ratio(sHR)=2.52,95%CI:1.75-3.61,P<0.001]in the patients without ACLF.In the patients discharged alive,those who had an episode of BI had a significantly lower 5-year transplant-free survival.BI was an independent risk factor for death in the patients admitted without ACLF(sHR=3.28,95%CI:1.93-5.57),while in ACLF admissions,the presence of pneumonia,but not other type of BI,independently increased the risk of death(sHR=1.87,95%CI:1.24-2.82).CONCLUSION BI triggers ACLF in patients with HBV-DC and significantly impairs short-term survival.HBV-DC patients should be monitored carefully for the development of BI,especially pneumonia,to avoid an adverse outcome.     

Diagnosis and management of bacterial infections in decompensated cirrhosis

Bacterial infections are one of the most frequent complications in cirrhosis and result in high mortality rates.Patients with cirrhosis have altered and impaired immunity,which favours bacterial translocation.Episodes of infections are more frequent in patients with decompensated cirrhosis than those with compensated liver disease.The most common and life-threatening infection in cirrhosis is spontaneous bacterial peritonitis followed by urinary tract infections,pneumonia,endocarditis and skin and soft-tissue infections.Patients with decompensated cirrhosis have increased risk of developing sepsis,multiple organ failure and death.Risk factors associated with the development of infections are severe liver failure,variceal bleeding,low ascitic protein level and prior episodes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP).The prognosis of these patients is closely related to a prompt and accurate diagnosis.An appropriate treatment decreases the mortality rates.Preventive strategies are the mainstay of the management of these patients.Empirical antibiotics should be started immediately following the diagnosis of SBP and the first-line antibiotic treatment is third-generation cephalosporins.However,the efficacy of currently recommended empirical antibiotic therapy is very low in nosocomial infections including SBP,compared to community-acquired episodes.This may be associated with the emergence of infections caused by Enterococcus faecium and extended-spectrum β-lactamaseproducing Enterobacteriaceae,which are resistant to the first line antimicrobial agents used for treatment.The emergence of resistant bacteria,underlines the need to restrict the use of prophylactic antibiotics to patients with the greatest risk of infections.Nosocomial infections should be treated with wide spectrum antibiotics.Further studies of early diagnosis,prevention and treatment are needed to improve the outcomes in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.     

Ascites and alpha-fetoprotein improve prognostic performance of Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging

AIM: To assess how ascites and alpha-fetoprotein(AFP) added to the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC) staging predict hepatocellular carcinoma survival.METHODS: The presence of underlying cirrhosis, ascites and encephalopathy, Child-Turcotte-Pugh(CTP) score, the number of nodules, and the maximum diameter of the largest nodule were determined at diagnosis for 1060 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma at a tertiary referral center for liver disease in Egypt. Demographic information, etiology of liver disease, and biochemical data(including serum bilirubin, albumin, international normalized ratio, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, and AFP) were evaluated. Staging of the tumor was determined at the time of diagnosis using the BCLC staging system; 496 patients were stage A and 564 patients were stage B. Patients with mild ascites on initial ultrasound, computed tomography, or clinical examination, and who had a CTP score ≤ 9 were included in this analysis. All patients received therapy according to the recommended treatment based on the BCLC stage, and were monitored from the time of diagnosis to the date of death or date of data collection. The effect of the presence of ascites and AFP level on survival was analyzed.RESULTS:At the time the data were censored,123/496(24.8%)and 218/564(38.6%)patients with BCLC stages A and B,respectively,had died.Overall mean survival of the BCLC A and B patients during a three-year follow-up period was 31 mo[95%confidence interval(95%CI):29.7-32.3]and 22.7mo(95%CI:20.7-24.8),respectively.The presenceof ascites,multiple focal lesions,large tumor size,AFP level and CTP score were independent predictors of survival for the included patients on multivariate analysis(P0.001).Among stage A patients,18%had ascites,33%had AFP≥200 ng/m L,and 8%had both.Their median survival in the presence of ascites was shorter if AFP was≥200 ng/m L(19 mo vs 24 mo),and in the absence of ascites,patients with AFP≥200 ng/m L had a shorter survival(28mo vs 39 mo).For stage B patients,survival for the corresponding groups was 12,18,19 and 22 mo.The one-,two-,and three-year survival rates for stage A patients without ascites and AFP200 ng/m L were94%,77%,and 71%,respectively,and for patients with ascites and AFP≥200 ng/m L were 83%,24%,and 22%,respectively(P0.001).Adding ascites and AFP≥200 ng/m L improved the discriminatory ability for predicting prognosis(area under the curve,0.618vs 0.579 for BCLC,P0.001).CONCLUSION:Adding AFP and ascites to the BCLC staging classification can improve prognosis prediction for early and intermediate stages of hepatocellular carcinoma.     

Treatment of chronic HCV infection in compensated and decompensated cirrhosis

Abstract   Currently, we are faced with an increasing number of patients with HCV-induced end-stage liver disease. Per year, up to 4% of the patients with compensated cirrhosis develop complications subsequently leading to a substantial decrease in survival. Decompensated liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis C is the leading indication for liver transplantation (OLT). However, reinfection of the graft is common with an accelerated course of the disease in many patients. Depending on the disease stage, the aims of antiviral therapy may differ between patients with HCV-induced liver cirrhosis. Antiviral therapy can reverse the extent of fibrosis. Even without viral clearance, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma is lowered by interferon. In naïve patients with compensated HCV-induced cirrhosis, sustained virological responses can be achieved in up to 50% of the cases. Retreatment of non-responders may clear the virus in about 10% of the patients. Though elimination of HCV prior to OLT is certainly desirable, treatment is often limited by severe cytopenia and decompensation of liver function. Of the eligible patients 20% sustain viral clearance after OLT.     

Lamivudine treatment enabling right hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma in decompensated cirrhosis

A 69-year-old man was admitted to our hospital in October 2003, for further examination of two liver tumors. He was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arising from decompensated hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis. Long-term lamivudine administration improved liver function dramatically despite repeated treatment for HCC. His Child-Pugh score was 9 points at start of lamivudine treatment, improving to 5 points after 1 year. His indocyanine green at 15 min after injection test score was 48% before lamivudine treatment, improving to 22% after 2 years and to 5% after 4 years. Radiofrequency ablation controlled the HCC foci and maintained his liver function. In April 2009, abdominal computed tomography revealed a tumor thrombus in the right portal vein. Since his indocyanine green test results had improved to less than 10%, we performed a right hepatectomy, which was successful. To our knowledge, there have been no documented reports of patients undergoing successful right hepatectomy for HCC arising from decompensated cirrhosis. The findings observed in our patient indicate the importance of nucleoside analogs for treating HBV-related HCC.     

伴失代偿肝硬化的肝癌患者综合介入治疗

目的 探讨伴失代偿性肝硬化的原发性肝细胞癌(HCC)患者综合介入治疗临床价值.方法 42例伴肝功能失代偿HCC患者在内科治疗稳定后接受肝动脉节段性化学栓塞治疗(S-TACE),并在1～2周内序贯射频消融(RFA)和无水乙醇局部注射(PEI)治疗.结果 随访3～48月,甲胎蛋白(AFP)于术后2～4周开始下降,27例(70.00%)逐渐达到正常;3个月后肿瘤缩小50%以上者占54.76%(23/42);中位生存期14.1月,6个月、12个月和24个月累计生存率分别为78.57%(33/42)、40.48%(17/42)和19.05%(8/42);单变量分析显示,包括HBV DNA在内的14项因素与预后显著相关,多因素Cox模型分析显示,ICGR15、门静脉癌栓、治疗次数和AFP术前升高者介入后变化与预后显著相关.结论 综合介入治疗是伴失代偿性肝硬化HCC的有效治疗方法,对HBV DNA阳性HCC患者介入前应考虑抗病毒治疗.     

燕滨扶正胶囊治疗代偿期及失代偿期肝硬化临床疗效观察研究

目的 研究中药燕滨扶正胶囊治疗肝硬化（代偿期或失代偿期）临床疗效。方法 选择代偿期及失代偿期肝硬化患者41例,随机分为治疗组（21例）及对照组（20例）。治疗组给予燕滨扶正胶囊1500 mg/次,口服,2次/日。对照组给予扶正化瘀胶囊2500 mg/次,3次/日。两组疗程均为48周。两组依据病情给予抗病毒,护肝降酶、对症支持等一般治疗（替比夫定、甘利欣、消炎利胆片、茵栀黄胶囊等）,观察两组患者症状、血常规、肝功能、门静脉宽度、腹水、肝脏及脾脏形态。结果 中药燕滨扶正胶囊联合抗病毒药物可使代偿期及失代偿期肝硬化患者门静脉宽度、脾肿大回缩或复常,可使纤维化指标复常或大幅下降且肝脏功能好转或复常。结论 燕滨扶正胶囊可改善肝硬化。     

失代偿期肝硬化患者胃粘膜和血浆ghrelin改变及其临床意义

目的探讨失代偿期肝硬化患者胃粘膜和血浆中ghrelin的变化。方法采用sp法检测36例肝硬化患者胃黏膜ghrelin的表达,采用ELISA法检测血浆ghrelin水平。结果失代偿期肝硬化患者胃粘膜ghrelin表达及血浆ghrelin均高于无腹水者(21.29%±4.51%对16.97%±5.51%,P<0.05;4.52±3.61ng/ml对2.21±2.03ng/ml,P<0.05),肝硬化合并肝肾综合征患者较无肝肾综合征患者胃粘膜ghrelin表达无明显差别(19.51%±6.35%对17.97%±5.17%,P>0.05),而血浆ghrelin却明显增高(4.76±3.45ng/ml对2.13±1.96ng/ml,P<0.05)。结论ghrelin的增高对失代偿期肝硬化的形成和发展起一定的作用。血中ghrelin水平的升高与肾功能障碍有密切关系。     

Clinical impact of microbiome in patients with decompensated cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality. Recent studies are trying to clarify the role of microbiome in clinical exacerbation of patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Nowadays, it is accepted that patients with cirrhosis have altered salivary and enteric microbiome, characterized by the presence of dysbiosis. This altered microbiome along with small bowel bacterial overgrowth, through translocation across the gut, is associated with the development of decompensating complications. Studies have analyzed the correlation of certain bacterial families with the development of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotics. In general, stool and saliva dysbiosis with reduction of autochthonous bacteria in patients with cirrhosis incites changes in bacterial defenses and higher risk for bacterial infections, such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and sepsis. Gut microbiome has even been associated with oncogenic pathways and under circumstances might promote the development of hepatocarcinogenesis. Lately, the existence of the oral-gutliver axis has been related with the development of decompensating events. This link between the liver and the oral cavity could be via the gut through impaired intestinal permeability that allows direct translocation of bacteria from the oral cavity to the systemic circulation. Overall, the contribution of the microbiome to pathogenesis becomes more pronounced with progressive disease and therefore may represent an important therapeutic target in the management of cirrhosis.     

Use of albumin in the management of patients with decompensated cirrhosis: An independent verdict

The use of intravenous albumin in cirrhosis has been reactivated during the last two decades. During this period several investigations have shown that albumin (1) prevents circulatory dysfunction in patients with massive ascites treated by paracentesis, (2) prevents circulatory dysfunction and type-1 HRS and increases survival in patients with SBP, and (3) in association with vasoconstrictors normalizes circulatory function and serum creatinine and increases survival in patients with type-1 HRS. Indications 2 and 3 are clear. There is discussion, however, regarding indication number 1. Although no significant differences in survival have been observed in trials comparing patients treated by paracentesis with and without albumin, in none of these studies was survival an end-point of the trial. In contrast, there is evidence that paracentesis-induced circulatory dysfunction is associated with a bad outcome. In consequence, although further studies on this indication are clearly required, with the current data it is advisable to use albumin as a plasma expander in patients with massive ascites treated by paracentesis.