Predictors of the outcomes of acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure

AIM:To identify the risk factors in predicting the outcome of acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure patients.METHODS:We retrospectively divided 113 patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure-hepatitis B virus(ACLF-HBV) and without concurrent hepatitis C or D virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma into two groups according to their outcomes after anti-HBV therapy.Their demographic,clinical,and biochemical data on the day of diagnosis and after the first week of treatment were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test,Fisher's exact test,and a multiple logistic regression analysis.RESULTS:The study included 113 patients(87 men and 26 women) with a mean age of 49.84 years.Fiftytwo patients survived,and 61 patients died.Liver failure(85.2%),sepsis(34.4%),and multiple organ failure(39.3%) were the main causes of death.Multivariate analyses showed that Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation(APACHE) Ⅱ scores ≥ 12 [odds ratio(OR) = 7.160,95% CI:2.834-18.092,P < 0.001] and positive blood culture(OR = 13.520,95% CI:2.740-66.721,P = 0.001) on the day of diagnosis and model for end-stage liver disease(MELD) scores ≥ 28(OR = 8.182,95% CI:1.884-35.527,P = 0.005) after the first week of treatment were independent predictors of mortality.CONCLUSION:APACHE Ⅱ scores on the day of diagnosis and MELD scores after the first week of anti-HBV therapy are feasible predictors of outcome in ACLFHBV patients.

Acute myelogenous leukemia and acute leukemic appendicitis:A case report

Acute myelogenous leukemia(AML)can involve the gastrointestinal tract but rarely involves the appendix. We report a male patient who had 1 year partial remission from AML and who presented with apparent acute appendicitis as the initial manifestation of leu-kemia relapse.Pathological findings of the appendix revealed transmural infiltrates of myeloblasts,which indicated a diagnosis of leukemia.Unfortunately,the patient died from progression of the disease on the 19th d after admission.Although leukemic cell infiltration of the appendix is uncommon,patients with leu-kemia relapse can present with symptoms mimicking acute appendicitis.

Liver transplantation with simultaneous splenectomy increases risk of cancer development and mortality in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND Splenectomy has previously been found to increase the risk of cancer development,including lung,non-melanoma skin cancer,leukemia,lymphoma,Hodgkin’s lymphoma,and ovarian cancer.The risk of cancer development in liver transplantation(LT)with simultaneous splenectomy remains unclear.AIM To compare hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)recurrence and de novo malignancy between patients undergoing LT with and without simultaneous splenectomy.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 120 patients with HCC within the University of California San Francisco criteria who received LT with(n=35)and without(n=85)simultaneous splenectomy in the Tri-Service General Hospital.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses for cancer-free survival and mortality were established.The comparison of the group survival status and group cancer-free status was done by generating Kaplan–Meier survival curves and log-rank tests.RESULTS The splenectomy group had more hepatitis C virus infection,lower platelet count,higher-fetoprotein level,and longer operating time.Splenectomy and age were both positive independent factors for prediction of cancer development[hazard ratio(HR):2.560 and 1.057,respectively,P<0.05].Splenectomy and hypertension were positive independent factors for prediction of mortality.(HR:2.791 and 2.813 respectively,P<0.05).The splenectomy group had a significantly worse cancer-free survival(CFS)and overall survival(OS)curve compared to the non-splenectomy group(5-year CFS rates:53.4%vs 76.5%,P=0.003;5-year OS rate:68.1 vs 89.3,P=0.002).CONCLUSION Our study suggests that simultaneous splenectomy should be avoided as much as possible in HCC patients who have undergone LT.