Evaluation of G3BP1 in the prognosis of acute and acute-on-chronic liver failure after the treatment of artificial liver support system

BACKGROUND The increased expression of G3BP1 was positively correlated with the prognosis of liver failure.AIM To investigate the effect of G3BP1 on the prognosis of acute liver failure(ALF)and acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF)after the treatment of artificial liver support system(ALSS).METHODS A total of 244 patients with ALF and ACLF were enrolled in this study.The levels of G3BP1 on admission and at discharge were detected.The validation set of 514 patients was collected to verify the predicted effect of G3BP1 and the viability of prognosis.RESULTS This study was shown that lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)and prothrombin time were closely related to the prognosis of patients.After the ALSS treatment,the patient’amount of decreased G3BP1 index in difference of G3BP1 between the value of discharge and admission(difG3BP1)<0 group had a nearly 10-fold increased risk of progression compared with the amount of increased G3BP1 index.The subgroup analysis showed that the difG3BP1<0 group had a higher risk of progression,regardless of model for end-stage liver disease high-risk or low-risk group.At the same time,compared with the inflam matory marks[tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin(IL)-1βand IL-18],G3BP1 had higher discrimination and was more stable in the model analysis and validation set.When combined with AFP and LDH,concordance index was respectively 0.84 and 0.8 in training and validation cohorts.CONCLUSION This study indicated that G3BP1 could predict the prognosis of ALF or ACLF patients treated with ALSS.The combination of G3BP1,AFP and LDH could accurately evaluate the disease condition and predict the clinical endpoint of patients.

Nursing Care of 10 Patients with Vasovagal Reflex Caused by Artificial Liver Support System Treatment

This study outlines the essential nursing strategies employed in the care of 10 patients experiencing vascular vagal reflex, managed with artificial liver support systems. It highlights a holistic nursing approach tailored to the distinct clinical manifestations of these patients. Key interventions included early detection of psychological issues prior to initiating treatment, the implementation of comprehensive health education, meticulous monitoring of vital signs throughout the therapy, prompt emergency interventions when needed, adherence to prescribed medication protocols, and careful post-treatment observations including venous catheter management. Following rigorous treatment and dedicated nursing care, 7 patients demonstrated significant improvement and were subsequently discharged.

Clinical impact of artificial intelligence-based solutions on imaging of the pancreas and liver

Artificial intelligence(AI)has experienced substantial progress over the last ten years in many fields of application,including healthcare.In hepatology and pancreatology,major attention to date has been paid to its application to the assisted or even automated interpretation of radiological images,where AI can generate accurate and reproducible imaging diagnosis,reducing the physicians’workload.AI can provide automatic or semi-automatic segmentation and registration of the liver and pancreatic glands and lesions.Furthermore,using radiomics,AI can introduce new quantitative information which is not visible to the human eye to radiological reports.AI has been applied in the detection and characterization of focal lesions and diffuse diseases of the liver and pancreas,such as neoplasms,chronic hepatic disease,or acute or chronic pancreatitis,among others.These solutions have been applied to different imaging techniques commonly used to diagnose liver and pancreatic diseases,such as ultrasound,endoscopic ultrasonography,computerized tomography(CT),magnetic resonance imaging,and positron emission tomography/CT.However,AI is also applied in this context to many other relevant steps involved in a comprehensive clinical scenario to manage a gastroenterological patient.AI can also be applied to choose the most convenient test prescription,to improve image quality or accelerate its acquisition,and to predict patient prognosis and treatment response.In this review,we summarize the current evidence on the application of AI to hepatic and pancreatic radiology,not only in regard to the interpretation of images,but also to all the steps involved in the radiological workflow in a broader sense.Lastly,we discuss the challenges and future directions of the clinical application of AI methods.

Application status of artificial neural network in related research of liver cancer

The overcoming of liver cancer is a major problem urgently to be solved by the World Health Organization.The emergence of precision medicine brings hope to improving the level of diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer,but it is difficult for clinicians to effectively analyze and integrate a large amount of data from multiple dimensions and angles of precision medicine,so it is difficult totthem to provide the best treatment plan for liver cancer patients.Artificial neural networks have powerful integration,analysis and autonomous learning capabilities,which can effectively improve the accuracy of diagnosis,staging,prognosis and treatment of liver cancer patients,and are of great significance to the development of precision medicine for liver cancer.Therefore,this article reviews the application status of Artificial neural networks in the field of liver cancer.

Liver volumetric and anatomic assessment in living donor liver transplantation: The role of modern imaging and artificial intelligence

The shortage of deceased donor organs has prompted the development of alternative liver grafts for transplantation.Living-donor liver transplantation(LDLT)has emerged as a viable option,expanding the donor pool and enabling timely transplantation with favorable graft function and improved long-term outcomes.An accurate evaluation of the donor liver’s volumetry(LV)and anatomical study is crucial to ensure adequate future liver remnant,graft volume and precise liver resection.Thus,ensuring donor safety and an appropriate graftto-recipient weight ratio.Manual LV(MLV)using computed tomography has traditionally been considered the gold standard for assessing liver volume.However,the method has been limited by cost,subjectivity,and variability.Automated LV techniques employing advanced segmentation algorithms offer improved reproducibility,reduced variability,and enhanced efficiency compared to manual measurements.However,the accuracy of automated LV requires further investigation.The study provides a comprehensive review of traditional and emerging LV methods,including semi-automated image processing,automated LV techniques,and machine learning-based approaches.Additionally,the study discusses the respective strengths and weaknesses of each of the aforementioned techniques.The use of artificial intelligence(AI)technologies,including machine learning and deep learning,is expected to become a routine part of surgical planning in the near future.The implementation of AI is expected to enable faster and more accurate image study interpretations,improve workflow efficiency,and enhance the safety,speed,and cost-effectiveness of the procedures.Accurate preoperative assessment of the liver plays a crucial role in ensuring safe donor selection and improved outcomes in LDLT.MLV has inherent limitations that have led to the adoption of semi-automated and automated software solutions.Moreover,AI has tremendous potential for LV and segmentation;however,its widespread use is hindered by cost and availability.Therefore,the integration of multiple specialties is necessary to embrace technology and explore its possibilities,ranging from patient counseling to intraoperative decision-making through automation and AI.

Drug-induced liver injury and COVID-19:Use of artificial intelligence and the updated Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method in clinical practice

BACKGROUND Liver injury is a relevant condition in coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)inpatients.Pathophysiology varies from direct infection by virus,systemic inflammation or drug-induced adverse reaction(DILI).DILI detection and monitoring is clinically relevant,as it may contribute to poor prognosis,prolonged hospitalization and increase indirect healthcare costs.Artificial Intelligence(AI)applied in data mining of electronic medical records combining abnormal liver tests,keyword searching tools,and risk factors analysis is a relevant opportunity for early DILI detection by automated algorithms.AIM To describe DILI cases in COVID-19 inpatients detected from data mining in electronic medical records(EMR)using AI and the updated Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method(RUCAM).METHODS The study was conducted in March 2021 in a hospital in southern Brazil.The NoHarm©system uses AI to support decision making in clinical pharmacy.Hospital admissions were 100523 during this period,of which 478 met the inclusion criteria.From these,290 inpatients were excluded due to alternative causes of liver injury and/or due to not having COVID-19.We manually reviewed the EMR of 188 patients for DILI investigation.Absence of clinical information excluded most eligible patients.The DILI assessment causality was possible via the updated RUCAM in 17 patients.RESULTS Mean patient age was 53 years(SD±18.37;range 22-83),most were male(70%),and admitted to the non-intensive care unit sector(65%).Liver injury pattern was mainly mixed,mean time to normalization of liver markers was 10 d,and mean length of hospitalization was 20.5 d(SD±16;range 7-70).Almost all patients recovered from DILI and one patient died of multiple organ failure.There were 31 suspected drugs with the following RUCAM score:Possible(n=24),probable(n=5),and unlikely(n=2).DILI agents in our study were ivermectin,bicalutamide,linezolid,azithromycin,ceftriaxone,amoxicillin-clavulanate,tocilizumab,piperacillin-tazobactam,and albendazole.Lack of essential clinical information excluded most patients.Although rare,DILI is a relevant clinical condition in COVID-19 patients and may contribute to poor prognostics.CONCLUSION The incidence of DILI in COVID-19 inpatients is rare and the absence of relevant clinical information on EMR may underestimate DILI rates.Prospects involve creation and validation of alerts for risk factors in all DILI patients based on RUCAM assessment causality,alterations of liver biomarkers and AI and machine learning.

Plasma exchange-centered artificial liver support system in hepatitis B virus-related acute-onchronic liver failure:a nationwide prospective multicenter study in China

BACKGROUND： Plasma exchange （PE）-centered artificial liver support system reduced the high mortality rate of hepa titis B virus （HBV）-related acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF）. But the data were diverse in different medical centers. The present prospective nationwide study was to evaluate the effects of PE on patients with HBV-ACLF at different stages.

Effect of extracorporeal bioartificial liver support system on fulminant hepatic failure rabbits

AIM To evaluate the possibility of usingcultured human hepatocytes as a bridge betweenbioartificial liver and liver transplantation.METHODS In this experiment,the efficacy ofextracorporeal bioartificial liver support system(EBLSS)consisting of spheriodal human livercells and cultured hepatocytes supernatant wasassessed in vivo using galactosamine inducedrabbit model of fulminant hepatic failure.RESULTS There was no difference of survivalbetween the two groups of rabbits,but in thesupported rabbits serum alanineaminotransferase,total bilirubin and creatininewere significantly lower and hepatocyte necrosiswas markedly milder than those in controlanimals.In addition,a good viability of humanliver cells was noted after the experiment.CONCLUSION EBLSS plays a biologic role inmaintaining and compensating the function ofthe liver.

Experimental research on TECA-I bioartificial liver support system to treat canines with acute liver failure

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the TECA-I bioartificial liver support system (BALSS) in treating canines with acute liver failure (ALF). METHODS: Ten canines with ALF induced by 80% liver resection received BALSS treatment (BALSS group). Blood was perfused through a hollow fiber tube containing 1X10(10) porcine hepatocytes.Four canines with ALF were treated with BALSS without porcine hepatocytes (control group), and five canines with ALF received drug treatment (drug group). Each treatment lasted 6 hours. RESULTS: BALSS treatment yielded beneficial effects for partial liver resection induced ALF canines with survival and decreased plasma ammonia, ALT, AST and BIL. There was an obvious decrease in PT level and increase in PA level, and there were no changes in the count of lymphocytes, immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG and IgM) and complement (C3 and C4) levels after BALSS treatment. In contrast, for the canines with ALF in non-hepatocyte BALSS group (control group) and drug group, there were no significant changes in ammonia, ALT, AST, BIL, PT and PA levels. ALF canines in BALSS group, control group and drug group lived respectively an average time of 108.0h +/- 12.0h, 24.0h +/- 6.0h and 20.4h +/- 6.4h,and three canines with ALF survived in BALSS group. CONCLUSION: TECA-I BALSS is efficacious and safe for ALF canines induced by partial liver resection.

Prognosis of acute-on-chronic liver failure patients treated with artificial liver support system

AIM: To establish a new model for predicting survival in acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF) patients treated with an artificial liver support system. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-one ACLF patients who were admitted to the hospital from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014 and were treated with an artificial liver support system were enrolled in this retrospective study, including a derivation cohort(n = 113) and a validation cohort(n = 68). Laboratory parameters at baseline were analyzed and correlatedwith clinical outcome. In addition to standard medical therapy, ACLF patients underwent plasma exchange(PE) or plasma bilirubin adsorption(PBA) combined with plasma exchange. For the derivation cohort, KaplanMeier methods were used to estimate survival curves, and Cox regression was used in survival analysis to generate a prognostic model. The performance of the new model was tested in the validation cohort using a receiver-operator curve.RESULTS: The mean overall survival for the derivation cohort was 441 d(95%CI: 379-504 d), and the 90- and 270-d survival probabilities were 70.3% and 58.3%, respectively. The mean survival times of patients treated with PBA plus PE and patients treated with PE were 531 d(95%CI: 455-605 d) and 343 d(95%CI: 254-432 d), respectively, which were significantly different(P = 0.012). When variables with bivariate significance were selected for inclusion into the multivariate Cox regression model, number of complications, age, scores of the model for end-stage liver disease(MELD) and type of artificial liver support system were defined as independent risk factors for survival in ACLF patients. This new prognostic model could accurately discriminate the outcome of patients with different scores in this cohort(P < 0.001). The model also had the ability to assign a predicted survival probability for individual patients. In the validation cohort, the new model remained better than the MELD.CONCLUSION: A novel model was constructed to predict prognosis and accurately discriminate survival in ACLF patients treated with an artificial liver support system.

Artificial intelligence in medical imaging of the liver

Artificial intelligence(AI), particularly deep learning algorithms, is gaining extensive attention for its excellent performance in image-recognition tasks. They can automatically make a quantitative assessment of complex medical image characteristics and achieve an increased accuracy for diagnosis with higher efficiency. AI is widely used and getting increasingly popular in the medical imaging of the liver, including radiology, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine. AI can assist physicians to make more accurate and reproductive imaging diagnosis and also reduce the physicians' workload. This article illustrates basic technical knowledge about AI, including traditional machine learning and deep learning algorithms, especially convolutional neural networks, and their clinical application in the medical imaging of liver diseases, such as detecting and evaluating focal liver lesions, facilitating treatment, and predicting liver treatment response. We conclude that machine-assisted medical services will be a promising solution for future liver medical care. Lastly, we discuss the challenges and future directions of clinical application of deep learning techniques.

TECA hybrid artificial liver support system in treatment of acute liver failure

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of TECA type hybrid artificial liver support system (TECA-HALSS) in providing liver function of detoxification, metabolism and physiology by treating the patients with acute liver failure (ALF). METHODS: The porcine liver cells (1-2) x 10(10) were separated from the Chinese small swine and cultured in the bioreactor of TECA-BALSS at 37.0 degrees C and circulated through the outer space of the hollow fiber tubes in BALSS. The six liver failure patients with various degree of hepatic coma were treated by TECA-HALSS and with conventional medicines. The venous plasma of the patients was separated by a plasma separator and treated by charcoal adsorbent or plasma exchange. The plasma circulated through the inner space of the hollow fiber tubes of BALSS and mixed with the patients' blood cells and flew back to their blood circulation. Some small molecular weight substances were exchanged between the plasma and porcine liver cells. Each treatment lasted 6.0-7.0 h. Physiological and biochemical parameters were measured before,during and after the treatment. RESULTS: The average of porcine liver cells was (1.0-3.0) x 10(10) obtained from each swine liver using our modified enzymatic digestion method. The survival rate of the cells was 85%-93% by trypan blue stain and AO/PI fluorescent stain. After cultured in TECA-BALSS bioreactor for 6 h, the survival rate of cells still remained 70%-85%. At the end of TECA-HALSS treatment, the levels of plasma NH(3), ALT, TB and DB were significantly decreased. The patients who were in the state of drowsiness or coma before the treatment improved their appetite significantly and regained consciousness, some patients resumed light physical work on a short period after the treatment.One to two days after the treatment, the ratio of PTA increased warkedly. During the treatment, the heart rates, blood pressure, respiration condition and serum electrolytes (K(+), Na(+) and Cl(-)) were stable without thrombosis and bleeding in all the six patients. CONCLUSION: TECA-HALSS treatment could be a rapid, safe and efficacious method to provide temporary liver support for patients with ALF.

Experimental study of bioartificial liver with cultured human liver cells

AIM To establish an extracorporeal bioartificial liver support system (EBLSS) using cultured human liver cells and to study its support effect for fulminant hepatic failure (FHF).METHODS The liver support experiment of EBLSS consisting of aggregates cultured human liver cells, hollow fiber bioreactor, and circulation unit was carried out in dizhepatic dogs.RESULTS The viability of isolated hepatocytes and nonparenchymal liver cells reached 96%. These cells were successfully cultured as multicellular spheroids with synthetic technique. The typical morphological appearance was retained up to the end of the artificial liver experiment. Compared with the control dogs treated with EBLSS without liver cells, the survival time of artificial liver support dogs was significantly prolonged. The changes of blood pressure, heart rate and ECG were slow. Both serum ammonia and lactate levels were significantly lowered at the 3rd h and 5th h. In addition, a good viability of human liver cells was noted after 5 h experiment.CONCLUSION EBLSS playing a metabolic role of cultured human hepatocytes, is capable of compensating the function of the liver, and could provide effective artificial liver support and therapy for patients with FHF.

Clinical translation of bioartificial liver support systems with human pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatic cells

There is currently a pressing need for alternative the-rapies to liver transplantation. The number of patients waiting for a liver transplant is substantially higher than the number of transplantable donor livers, resulting in a long waiting time and a high waiting list mortality. An extracorporeal liver support system is one possible approach to overcome this problem. However, the ideal cell source for developing bioartificial liver(BAL) support systems has yet to be determined. Recent advancements in stem cell technology allow researchers to generate highly functional hepatocyte-like cells from human pluripotent stem cells(h PSCs). In this mini-review, we summarize previous clinical trials with different BAL systems, and discuss advantages of and potential obstacles to utilizing h PSC-derived hepatic cells in clinical-scale BAL systems.

Liver transplantation and artificial liver support in fulminant hepatic failure

INTRODUCTIONFulminant hepatic failure(FHF)is a severe disease with devastating consequences;the incidence is high in China.Before the availability of liver transplantation,the mortality rate was more than 80%[1,2].The advent of liver transplantation revolutionized the outcome of FHF[3,4].However,many patients were unwilling to accept liver transplantation until very late,hence most of them died because of donor shortage and urgency of the disease[5-7],To overcome he problems,we performed orthotopic liver transplantation(OLT)in combination with artificial liver support(ALS) in the treatment of FHF in the past 2 years with satisfactory results.Our experience was reported below.

Hybrid artificial liver support system for treatment of severe liver failure

AIM: To construct a novel hybrid artificial liver support system (HALSS) and to evaluate its efficacy in patients with severe liver failure.METHODS: Hepatocytes were isolated from suckling pig by the modified Seglen's method. Isolated hepatocytes were cultured in a spinner flask for 24 h to form spheroids before use and the functions of spheroids were detected. HALSS consisted of a plasma separator, a hemo-adsorba and a bioreactor with hepatocytes spheroids in its extra-fiber space.HALSS was applied to 10 patients with severe liver failure.The general condition and the biochemical indexes of the patients were studied just before and after the treatment.RESULTS: The number of cells per liver was about 2-4× 1010 (mean, 3.1 ± 1.5 × 1010). The cell viabilities were more than 95%. After 24 h of spheroid culture, most hepatocytes formed spheroids. The levels of albumin and urea in the medium of spheroid culture were higher than those in supernatant of petri dish culture (P = 0.0015 and 0.0001, respectively). The capacity of albumin production and urea synthesis remained stable for more than one wk and declined rapidly after two weeks in vitro. In HALSS group, the duration of HALSS treatment was 6-10 h each time. All patients tolerated the treatment well without any fatal adverse reaction. After HALSS treatment, the general condition, psychic state, encephalopathy and hepatic function of the patients were improved. The survival rate of the HALSS group, Plasmapheresis group and control group was 30% (3/10), 20% (2/10) and 0% (0/10), respectively (P = 0.024). Two weeks after treatment, Tbil and ALT decreased and the PTA level elevated in HALSS group and pasmapheresis group (Pvalue: 0.015 vs 0.020, 0.009vs 0.012 and 0.032 vs 0.041, respectively). But there was no significant change of blood albumin concentration before and after treatment in HAlSS group and Plasmapheresis group.CONCLUSION: The HALSS established by us is effective in supporting liver function of patients with severe liver failure.

Combined use of non-biological artif icial liver treatments for patients with acute liver failure complicated by multiple organ dysfunction syndrome

BACKGROUND:Acute liver failure(ALF) caused by viral and non-viral hepatitis is often accompanied with severe metabolic disorders,the accumulation of toxic substances and continuous release and accumulation of a large number of endogenous toxins and inflammatory mediators. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of various combined non-biological artif icial liver treatments for patients with acute liver failure(ALF) complicated by multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS).METHODS:Thirty-one patients with mid- or late-stage liver failure complicated by MODS(score 4) were randomly divided into three treatment groups:plasmapheresis(PE) combined with hemoperfusion(HP) and continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration(CVVHDF),PE+CVVHDF,and HP+CVVHDF,respectively. Heart rate(HR) before and after treatment,mean arterial pressure(MAP),respiratory index(PaO2/FiO2),hepatic function,platelet count,and blood coagulation were determined.RESULTS:Signifi cant improvement was observed in HR,MAP,PaO2/FiO2,total bilirubin(TBIL) and alanine aminotransferase(ALT) levels after treatment(P<0.05). TBIL and ALT decreased more signifi cantly after treatment in the PE+CVVHDF and PE+HP+CVVHDF groups(P<0.01). Prothrombin time(PT) and albumin were signifi cantly improved only in the PE+CVVHDF and PE+HP+CVVHDF groups(P<0.05). TBIL decreased more significantly in the PE+HP+CVVHDF group than in the HP+CVVHDF and PE+CVVHDF groups(P<0.05). The survival rate of the patients was 58.1%(18/31),viral survival rate 36.4%(4/11),and non-viral survival rate 70%(14/20).CONCLUSION:Liver function was relatively improved after treatment,but PE+HP+CVVHDF was more efficient for the removal of toxic metabolites,especially bilirubin. The survival rate was signifi cantly higher in the patients with non-viral liver failure than in those with viral liver failure.

Preoperative risk factor analysis in orthotopic liver transplantation with pretransplant artificial liver support therapy

AIM： To assess the value of pre-transplant artificial liver support in reducing the pre-operative risk factors relating to early mortality after orthotopic liver transplantation （OLT）. METHODS： Fifty adult patients with various stages and various etiologies undergoing OLT procedures were treated with molecular adsorbent recycling system （MARS） as preoperative liver support therapy. The study included two parts, the first one is to evaluate the medical effectiveness of single MARS treatment with some clinical and laboratory parameters, which were supposed to be the therapeutical pre-transplant risk factors, the second part is to study the patients undergoing OLT using the regression analysis on preoperative risk factors relating to early mortality （30 d） after OLT. RESULTS： In the 50 patients, the statistically significant improvement in the biochemical parameters was observed （pre-treatment and post-treatment）. Eight patients avoided the scheduled Ltx due to significant relief of clinical condition or recovery of failing liver function, 8 patients died, 34 patients were successfully bridged to Ltx, the immediate outcome of this 34 patients within 30d observation was： 28 kept alive and 6 patients died. CONCLUSION： Pre-operative SOFA, level of creatinine, INR, TNF-α, IL-10 are the main preoperative risk factors that cause early death after operation, MARS treatment before transplantion can relieve these factors significantly.

Artificial liver support in pigs with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure

AIM To establish a reversible porcine model of acute liver failure(ALF) and treat it with an artificial liver system. METHODS Sixteen pigs weighing 30-35 kg were chosen and administered with acetaminophen(APAP) to induce ALF. ALF pigs were then randomly assigned to either an experimental group(n = 11), in which a treatment procedure was performed, or a control group(n = 5). Treatment was started 20 h after APAP administration and continued for 8 h. Clinical manifestations of all animals, including liver and kidney functions, serum biochemical parameters and survival times were analyzed. RESULTS Twenty hours after APAP administration, the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, creatinine and ammonia were significantly increased, while albumin levels were decreased(P < 0.05). Prothrombin time was found to be extended with progression of ALF. After continuous treatment for 8 h(at 28 h), aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, creatinine, and ammonia showed a decrease in comparison with the control group(P < 0.05). A cross-section of livers revealed signs of vacuolar degeneration, nuclear fragmentation and dissolution.Concerning survival, porcine models in the treatment group survived for longer times with artificial liver system treatment(P < 0.05). CONCLUSION This model is reproducible and allows for quantitative evaluation of new liver systems, such as a bioartificial liver. The artificial liver system(ZHj-3) is safe and effective for the APAP-induced porcine ALF model.

Comparison between bioartificial and artificial liver for the treatment of acute liver failure in pigs

AIM： To characterize and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of bioartificial liver （BAL） as compared to that of continuous hemodiafiltration （CHDF） with plasma exchange （PE）, which is the current standard therapy for fulminant hepatic failure （FHF） in Japan. METHODS： Pigs with hepatic devascularization were divided into three groups： （1） a non-treatment group （NT; n = 4）; （2） a BAL treatment group （BAL; n = 4）, （3） a PE ＋ CHDF treatment group using 1.5 L of normal porcine plasma with CHDF （PE ＋ CHDF, n -- 4）. Our BAL system consisted of a hollow fiber module with 0.2 i^m pores and 1 × 10^10 of microcarrier-attached hepatocytes inoculated into the extra-fiber space. Each treatment was initiated 4 h after hepatic devascularization. RESULTS： The pigs in the BAL and the PE ＋ CHDF groups survived longer than those in the NT group. The elimination capacity of blood ammonia by both BAL and PE ＋ CHDF was significantly higher than that in NT. Aromatic amino acids （AAA） were selectively eliminated by BAL, whereas both AAA and branched chain amino acids, which are beneficial for life, were eliminated by PE ＋ CHDF. Electrolytes maintenance and acid-base balance were better in the CPE ＋ CHDF group than that in the BAL group. CONCLUSION： Our results suggest that PE ＋ CHDF eliminate all factors regardless of benefits, whereas BAL selectively metabolizes toxic factors such as AAA. However since PE ＋ CHDF maintain electrolytes and acid-base balance, a combination therapy of BAL plus CPE ＋ CHDF might be more effective for FHF.