RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the predictive value of pediatrics end-stage liver disease (PELD) or the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) in the prognosis of pediatric acute liver failure (PALF) treated with artificial liver support system (ALSS).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The clinical data of 47 children with acute liver failure seen from August 2008 to July 2013 treated in Children's Hospital, Fudan University were analyzed. Thirty children were treated with ALSS in addition to conventional comprehensive medical treatment (ALSS group). Seventeen children were treated with only conventional comprehensive medical treatment (control group). The main biochemical parameters and coagulation function parameters before and after treatment were compared in the ALSS group and the mortality rates were compared between the two groups. The patients were graded by PELD or MELD when they were hospitalized and the relationship of PELD or MELD scores and mortalities of child patients with the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>There were significant differences in total bilirubin (TB) ((302 ± 208) vs. (161 ± 129) µmol/L); alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ((161 ± 225) vs. (761 ± 834) U/L); aspartate aminotransferase ( AST) (66 (35, 123 ) vs. 447 (184, 1,129 ) U/L) ; international normalized ratio (INR) ((2.6 ± 1.6) vs. (5.1 ± 4.0)); prothrombin time activity percentage (PTA) ((42 ± 25)% vs. (22 ± 13)%); albumin( ALB) ((35 ± 5) vs. (33 ± 6) g/L) in the ALSS group after treatment. Through the ROC curve analysis, the best PELD/MELD threshold was 25 to predict the patients survival after ALSS therapy, with a sensitivity of 92. 3% , and a specificity of 94.1% at the cutoff point. The area under the ROC curve was 0. 912. The mortality of patients with PELD or MELD score below 25 in the ALSS group (1/13) was lower than the control group (3/4) (P = 0.022), and the mortality of patients with PELD or MELD score over 25 (16/17) was higher than that of the control group (10/13) (P = 0.290).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PELD or MELD score is a valid index in prognostic evaluation of ALSS therapy, which may provide an evidence for the therapeutic strategies of PALF. Patients with PELD or MELD score below 25 treated with ALSS obtained more benefit.</p>