Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients With Cirrhosis Undergoing Elective Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt: Risk Factors, Warfarin Efficacy, and Clinical Outcomes.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a common complication in cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to determine risk factors for PVT, assess the efficacy of anticoagulant therapy, and evaluate the effects of PVT on patients with cirrhosis undergoing elective transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS). A total of 101 patients with cirrhosis undergoing elective TIPSS were prospectively studied. After TIPSS, all patients received preventive therapy for PVT and were followed up at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Clinical outcomes were compared between patients who developed PVT after TIPSS and those who did not. Multivariate analysis showed that white blood cell count (relative risk [RR]: 0.377; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.132-0.579; P = .001), Child-Turcotte-Pugh score (RR: 1.547; 95% CI: 1.029-2.365; P = .032), and ascites (RR: 1.264; 95% CI: 1.019-1.742; P = .040) were independent predictors for PVT. Warfarin treatment within 12 months achieved significantly higher rates of complete recanalization than aspirin or clopidogrel in patients with PVT (54.5% vs 31.3%; P = .013), although adverse events were similar between the 2 groups ( P > .05). Patients without PVT had significantly lower 2-year cumulative rates of variceal rebleeding (15.9% vs 36.6%; P = .023), shunt dysfunction (27.0% vs 46.8%; P = .039), hepatic encephalopathy (24.1% vs 42.6%; P = .045), and hepatocellular carcinoma (11.4% vs 31.2%; P = .024) and markedly higher 2-year cumulative survival rates (89.8% vs 72.9%; P = .041) than those with PVT. The PVT is associated with poorer clinical outcomes in TIPSS-treated patients, and warfarin is both safe and more effective in recanalizing PVT than aspirin or clopidogrel.

Telbivudine versus lamivudine and entecavir for treatment-naïve decompensated hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis.

The long-term effects of telbivudine (TBV) on decompensated hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis were still not established. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of TBV in such cohort of patients as compared to lamivudine (LAM) and entecavir (ETV). We retrospectively evaluated 130 treatment-naïve patients with HBV-related decompensated cirrhosis who started treatment with TBV (n = 31), LAM (n = 45) or ETV (n = 54). After 24 months of treatment, cumulative virological response (VR) rates (HBV DNA <500 copies/mL) were 83.7, 65.3 and 89.1 % in TBV, LAM and ETV groups, respectively (p = 0.009). Reduction in HBV DNA levels in TBV was -3.66 ± 0.56, significantly higher than LAM (-3.34 ± 0.59; p < 0.05) and lower than ETV group (-3.98 ± 0.52; p < 0.05). The rates of HBeAg loss or seroconversion and normalization of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were similar among the groups. Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score and model for end-stage liver disease score in TBV were significantly improved compared to at baseline without difference among the groups. TBV resulted in similar cumulative rates of survival and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to LAM and ETV. Frequencies of complications from cirrhosis, including variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, were comparable among the groups. Four patients (16.7 %) in TBV displayed virological breakthrough, lower than LAM and higher than ETV (p = 0.004). Cox regression analysis showed that baseline HBV DNA (hazard ratio 0.743; 95 % confidence interval 0.582-949, p = 0.017) was an independent predictor for VR at 24 months. Long-term therapy with TBV was effective and safe in HBV-related decompensated cirrhosis.

Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation in Hepatitis B Virus Related Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure Treated with Plasma Exchange and Entecavir: a 24-Month Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND & AIM: Search for an effective therapy for patients with hepatitis B virus related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) remains an important issue. This study investigated the efficacy of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC) transplantation in patients with HBV-ACLF. METHODS: 45 consecutive entecavir-treated HBV-ACLF patients were prospectively studied. Among these patients, 11 received both plasma exchange (PE) and a single transplantation of UC-MSCs (group A), while 34 received only PE (group B). The primary endpoint was survival at 24 months. RESULTS: Compared with group B, levels of albumin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR) and model for end-stage liver disease score in group A improved significantly at 4 weeks after transplantation (p < 0.05). Levels of albumin, PT and INR in group A were also markedly improved at 24 months (p < 0.05). Group A had significantly higher cumulative survival rate at 24 months (54.5 % v.s. 26.5 %, p = 0.015 by log rank test). Between the two groups, levels of creatinine, White blood cell, hemoglobin and platelet were similar. HBeAg loss and hepatocellular carcinoma incidence were similar at 24 months. Group assignment (relative risk: 2.926, 95%confidence interval: 1.043-8.203, p = 0.041) was an independent predictor for survival at 24 months. Success rate of UC-MSC transplantation was 100 % in group A. No severe adverse event was observed in any patient. CONCLUSION: UC-MSC transplantation is safe and effective for HBV-ACLF patients treated with PE and entecavir. It further improves the hepatic function and survival.

The effect of plasma exchange on entecavir-treated chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatic de-compensation and acute-on-chronic liver failure.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Various studies showed that entecavir (ETV) failed to improve the short-term survival in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with severe acute exacerbation (SAE) and hepatic de-compensation or acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). One study concluded that plasma exchange (PE) significantly decreased the short-term mortality of CHB patients with ACLF who were treated with lamivudine (LAM). Our study was designed to examine the effect of PE on CHB patients with ACLF who were treated with ETV. METHODS: From August 2010 to January 2015, 38 (PE group) and 120 (control group) consecutive CHB-naïve patients with hepatic de-compensation and ACLF treated with PE plus ETV and ETV, respectively, were recruited. The primary endpoint was liver-related mortality at week 12. Biochemical and virological responses were also studied. RESULTS: At baseline, the PE group had higher serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, and had lower albumin levels than the control group. The cumulative survival rate at week 4 and week 12 in the PE group and control group were, respectively, 37 and 18 %, and 29 and 14 % (p < 0.001, by log rank test). While the bilirubin levels in the PE group were more quickly lowered by PE therapy (p < 0.001), the decrease of ALT levels and virological response were similar in the two groups (p > 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that the control group had a higher liver-related mortality (p = 0.038) at week 12 than the PE group. Multivariate analysis showed that hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, PE treatment, and MELD scores were independent factors for liver-related mortality at week 12. CONCLUSIONS: PE significantly improved the short-term survival of CHB patients with hepatic de-compensation and ACLF who were treated with ETV. Hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, PE treatment, and MELD scores were independent factors for liver-related mortality at week 12.