title: [Clinical and biochemical parameters of nutrition to predict hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhotic patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Protein-calorie malnutrition is a common complication in cirrhosis. Protein restriction for the treatment of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) may cause disease progression and poor prognosis. Therefore, we evaluated important clinical parameters for nutritional state in cirrhotic patients with or without HE to predict the development of HE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two cirrhotic patients were divided into two groups; group A-13 patients without HE and group B-9 patients with HE. Clinical and biochemical parameters, serum proteins {serum albumin, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), transferrin, leptin, etc}, immunologic parameters and anthropometry were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Child-Pugh score and Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scale were higher in group B (p<0.01). After correction of various factors affecting nutritional assessment, especially of Child-Pugh score and MELD scale, leptin was higher in group B (p<0.05). There was no difference in anthropometric measurements. Transferrin correlated inversely with MELD scale in group A (p<0.01). IGF-1 correlated inversely with total lymphocyte count in group B (p<0.05). Leptin correlated with Child-Pugh scores, total lymphocyte count and mid-arm muscle circumference in group A (p<0.05, p<0.05 and p<0.05, respectively), and correlated inversely with CD8 in group B (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leptin level is higher in patients with HE, and further studies for parameters of nutrition to predict HE in many cirrhotic patients will be needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung Keun
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Sun Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Jong Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Se Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Seung Kyu
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Jun Yeol
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jin Mo
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Nam Ik
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Byung Min
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Sang Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jae Kwang
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kyu Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hee Sik
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020738:Leptin; D014168:Transferrin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I