[Application of molecular adsorbents recirculating system in the treatment for liver failure of hepatitis B].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of treatments with the molecular adsorbents recirculating system (MARS) on liver failure patients of severe hepatitis B, in order to seek a safe and effective therapeutic method which contribute to the improved survival rate for severe hepatitis patients.


METHODS
52 liver failure patients of severe hepatitis B were performed intermittent MARS therapy for 6 to 8 hours per time in addition to standard medical treatment. Parameters in blood chemical data were collected before and after every treatment and analyzed in comparison with those parameters from controlled groups by means of plasma exchange and standard medical therapy.


RESULTS
MARS therapy achieved a remarkable improvement in clinical symptoms and physic signs, accompanied with a significant decrease in serum bilirubin, ammonia, urea nitrogen, fragrant amino acid, endotoxin, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels (0.05); at the 72 hours bilirubin rebounding analysis. MARS treatments resulted in a significant decrease of bilirubin rebounding level in comparison with what PE did (0.01 ), though the bilirubin removal efficiency between two groups was not statistically significant. The overall survival rate of MARS therapy was 50% (26/52), which was better than that of standard medical therapy (40.5%, 17/42, P less than 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated that MARS was a safe and promising technology in the field of liver support therapy. It might be associated with considerable improved survival rate for liver failure patients.
Chen
Shi-bin
SB
Infectious Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang 330006, China.
Zhang
Lun-li
LL
Shi
Yu-fei
YF
Yang
Xiao-lan
XL
Wang
Zhi-hua
ZH
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D016060:Sorption Detoxification; D015996:Survival Rate