Background: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver condition with relatively slow progression, leading to liver failure and death. We retrospectively investigated potential risk factors of liver-related mortality in patients with PBC. Methods: The data of patients with PBC at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in China from 2007 to 2013 were included, specific...

OBJECTIVES Extreme hyperbilirubinemia (plasma bilirubin ≥ 24.5 mg/dL) is an important risk factor for severe bilirubin encephalopathy. Several risk factors for hyperbilirubinemia are known, but in a large number of patients, a causal factor is never established. UGT1A1 is the rate-limiting enzyme in bilirubin's metabolism. The genotype of Gilbert syndrome, the UGT1A1*28 allele, causes markedly ...

Forty-seven patients with severe hepatitis B exacerbation were compared with patients who had mild exacerbation (n=96) or no exacerbation (n=96). Seventeen patients (36.2%) died or underwent liver transplantation. Preexisting cirrhosis and a prothrombin time (PT) of >30 s were associated with adverse outcome in 60.9% and 87.5% of patients, respectively. The rate of adverse outcome increased to ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Cirrhotic patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) have a poor prognosis. Identifying patients in whom ICU care will be useful can be challenging. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of prognostic scores with respect to mortality and to identify mortality risk factors. METHODS Three hundred and seventy-seven cirrhotic patients admitted to a Live...

The pathogenesis of bilirubin encephalopathy seems to result from accumulation of unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) within the brain. We have recently demonstrated that UCB causes astroglial release of proinflammatory cytokines and glutamate, as well as cell death. The bile acid glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 have been reported to modulate in...

UNLABELLED In Romania, minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is underdiagnosed and undertreated in patients with liver cirrhosis. The psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) is recommended as the first-line tool for the diagnosis of MHE. AIM To use PHES in a group of Romanian cirrhotic patients and highlight the relationships between demographic and biological factors and tests result...

The selection of treatment options for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) requires critical consideration of hepatic functional reserve in addition to tumor burden (e.g., size and number of HCC nodules [tumor node metastasis stage]). Presently, the Child-Pugh classification is the most common worldwide measure used to assess hepatic functional reserve for the selection of treatment options for HCC ...

BACKGROUND Alcoholic liver disease is a major cause of end-stage liver disease worldwide and severe forms of alcoholic hepatitis are associated with a high short-term mortality. Objectives To analyze the importance of age-bilirubin-INR-creatinine (ABIC) score as an index of mortality and predictor for complications in patients with alcoholic hepatitis. To evaluate its correlation with those com...