Predicting portal hypertension and variceal bleeding using non-invasive measurements of metabolic variables
Journal Title: Annals of Hepatology - Year 2013, Vol 12, Issue 4
Abstract
Background & aim. This study assessed the involvement of metabolic factors (anthropometric indices, insulin resistance (IR) and adipocytokines) in the prediction of portal hypertension, esophageal varices and risk of variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients. Material and methods. Two prospective and retrospective cohorts of cirrhotic patients were selected (n = 357). The first prospective cohort (n = 280) enrolled consecutively in three centers, underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, seeking evidence of esophageal varices. Clinical, anthropometric, liver function tests, ultrasonographic, and metabolic features were recorded at the time of endoscopy, patients were followed-up every 6 months until death, liver transplantation or variceal bleeding. The second retrospective cohort (n = 48 patients) had measurements of the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). Statistical analyses of the data were with the SPSS package. Results. The presence of esophageal varices was independently associated with lower platelet count, raised HOMA index and adiponectin levels. This relationship extended to subset analysis in patients with Child A cirrhosis. HOMA index and adiponectin levels significantly correlated with HVPG. Beside Child-Pugh class, variceal size and glucagonemia, HOMA index but not adiponectin and leptin plasma levels were associated with higher risk of variceal bleeding. Conclusion. In patients with cirrhosis, HOMA score correlates with HVPG and independently predict clinical outcomes. Three simple markers i.e. platelet count, IR assessed by HOMA-IR and adiponectin significantly predict the presence of esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients.
Authors and Affiliations
Mohammed Eslam, Javier Ampuero, Maria Jover, Hesham Abd-Elhalim, Diego Rincon, Ines Camacho, Amal Kamal, Oreste Lo Iacono, Zainb Nasr, Lourdes Grande, Rafael Banares, Mahmoud A. Khattab, Manuel Romero-Gomez
Defining renal failure in cirrhosis –Acute kidney injury classification or traditional criteria?
Predictors and impacts of hospital readmissions following liver transplantation
While liver transplantation is the definitive therapy for end stage liver disease, it remains a major procedure, with many potential complications. Hospital readmissions after the initial hospitalization for liver trans...
Late acute celiac and hepatic artery thrombosis with portal vein thrombosis resulting in hepatic infarction 12 years post orthotopic liver transplantation
Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) is relatively infrequent, but possibly a devastating complication of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). It often requires urgent retransplantation. Two main forms of HAT are recognize...
Bilirubin alone as a biomarker for short-term mortality in acute-on-chronic liver failure: an important prognostic indicator
Background and Aims. Acute-on-chronic liver failure has been recognized as a sudden deterioration of cirrhosis, with a high short-term mortality. Prognostic scores are used to assess liver dysfunction. However, there is...
Right hepatic lobe resection and thrombocytopenia
Thrombocytopenia has previously been reported after right lobe resection for organ donation. The mechanism(s) of low platelets after right hepatectomy is unclear and several hypotheses have been proposed including a dec...