Evaluation of neutrophil/leukocyte ratio and organ failure score as predictors of reversibility and survival following an acute-on-chronic liver failure event.
OBJECTIVE
Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is defined as an acute deterioration of liver disease with high mortality in patients with cirrhosis. The early mortality in ACLF is associated with organ failure and high leukocyte count. The time needed to reverse this condition and the factors affecting mortality after the early 30-day-period were evaluated.


METHODS
One hundred and ninety-seven consecutive patients with cirrhosis were included. Patients were prospectively followed up for 180 days.


RESULTS
ACLF was diagnosed in 54.8% of the patients. Infection was the most common precipitating event in patients with ACLF. On multivariate analysis, only the neutrophil/leukocyte ratio and Chronic Liver Failure Consortium Organ Failure (CLIF-C OF) score were associated with mortality. Hazard ratios for mortality of patients with ACLF compared with those without at different time end-points post-enrollment revealed that the relative risk of death in the ACLF group was 8.54 during the first 30-day period and declined to 1.94 during the second period of observation. The time varying effect of neutrophil/leukocyte ratio and CLIF-C score was negative (1% and 18% decline in the hazard ratio per month) while that of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) was positive (3% increase in the hazard ratio per month).


CONCLUSIONS
The condition of ACLF was reversible in patients who survived. During the 30-180-day period following the acute event, the probability of death in ACLF became gradually similar to the non-ACLF group. The impact of inflammatory response and organ failure on survival is powerful during the first 30-day period and weakens thereafter while that of MELD increases.
2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Danai
D
Agiasotelli
2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Alexandra
A
Alexopoulou
2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Larisa
L
Vasilieva
2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Georgia
G
Kalpakou
2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Sotiria
S
Papadaki
2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Spyros P
SP
Dourakis
Chronic Liver Failure Consortium Organ Failure score; Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score; acute-on-chronic liver failure; organ failure