Higher Serum Total Bilirubin Research Articles

34 Newborn Jaundice Screening Nomogram for Universal Screening in Saskatchewan

Abstract Background Transcutaneous (TcB) meters support clinical decision making at point-of-care, reduces nurses’ time to screen, decreases the frequency of painful blood draws and minimizes health care costs. Best practice for TcB screening is unknown and international guidelines vary. Meter bias may result in over- or underestimation of TSB in a Canadian population. The Canadian Paediatric Society suggests screening between 24 and by 72 hours of age and reducing total serum bilirubin (TSB) action thresholds by the 95th confidence interval of the meter. To support point-of-care decision making, a tertiary center and community follow-up program uses universal screening and follow-up protocols. ​ Objectives The aim of this analysis is to develop a locally validated TcB nomogram with action thresholds based on age and risk for clinical use at point-of-care. ​ Design/Methods This prospective cross-sectional study includes newborns ≥35 weeks gestation <14 days old requiring TSB sampling in hospital or community and 13 JM-105 meters. Participants are included if TcB reading ranges from 1-340µmol/L (0.1-20.0 mg/dL) and TSB is collected within 1 hour of TcB measurement. TSB samples are analyzed using Roche™ Bilirubin Total Gen.3. To measure how close the TcB reading is to TSB, the difference is found by subtracting TSB from mean TcB. Lin’s Concordance statistics are calculated for each meter. Using a 2-dimentional 95th Confidence Interval ellipse, we select 13 JM-105 meters with similar accuracy and precision for use by the universal screening program. Using a quadratic model we fit a line based on the lower 95th predictive interval of the grouped meter data collected from 13 meters to Canadian Paediatric Society low, medium and high risk TSB thresholds for intensive phototherapy. ​ Results The study population includes 498 newborns that received 620 visits and 705 meter readings with thirteen JM-105 with mean birth weight 3.38 kilograms (SD=0.51) with thirteen JM-105. Along with the clinical screening protocol, nomograms for newborns 35-37 weeks gestation (high and medium risk thresholds) and 38+ weeks gestation medium and low risk thresholds) are presented. Newborns with TcB that plots in a potential treatment range will receive a TSB to determine if intensive phototherapy is required. Conclusion To support point-of-care decision making, a tertiary center and community follow-up program uses universal screening and follow-up protocols. TcB nomograms with action thresholds based on age and risk support point-of-care decision making.

The effect and safety of preoperative biliary drainage in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma: an updated meta-analysis

BackgroundThe effect and safety of preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma are still controversial; the aim of our study is to evaluate all aspects of PBD.MethodsAll included studies featured PBD versus non-PBD (NPBD) groups were from 1996 to 2019 and were extracted from Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, and Science Citation Index Expanded.ResultsSixteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this analysis. PBD may lead to a significantly higher incidence of overall morbidities (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.53, 0.85; P = 0.0009) and intraoperative transfusions (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.55, 0.94; P = 0.02); moreover, bile leakage (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.24, 1.41; P = 0.04), infection (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.20, 0.47; P < 0.00001), and cholangitis (OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.007, 0.48; P = 0.0007) are also related to PBD. However, NPBD was associated with more frequent hepatic insufficiency (OR 3.09, 95% CI 1.15, 8.31; P = 0.03). In the subgroup meta-analysis, the differences in the outcomes of bile leakage and overall morbidity lost significance between the PBD and NPBD groups when the mean total serum bilirubin (TSB) concentration was above 15 mg/dl.ConclusionMeta-analysis demonstrated that compared to NPBD, PBD is associated with a greater risk of several kinds of infection and morbidities, but its ability to reduce postoperative hepatic insufficiency cannot be ignored. In patients with a high TSB concentration, PBD tends to be a better choice. However, these results need to be confirmed in a future prospective randomized trial with large samples to clarify the effects and find a specific TSB concentration for PBD.

Prognostic impact of 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine and its repair enzyme 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine DNA glycosylase in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis in the setting of chronic inflammation and fibrosis, both of which promote nuclear DNA oxidative damage. 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) DNA glycosylase (OGG1) enhances the repair of 8-OHdG, which is the primary oxidative stress-induced mutation that leads to malignant alterations. This study aims to clarify the relationships between oxidative stress-induced factors and HCC progression. The clinicopathological factors were compared with immunohistochemistry OGG1 and 8-OHdG expressions in 86 resected HCC specimens. High 8-OHdG expression was associated with high serum aspartate transaminase and total bilirubin levels, as well as a low platelet count, compared with low 8-OHdG expression. Histological liver cirrhosis and poor differentiation were more frequent in patients with high 8-OHdG expression than in those with low 8-OHdG expression. The 8-OHdG was negatively correlated with OGG1 expression in HCC patients. Therefore, we classified the patients into two groups, low OGG1/high 8-OHdG group and the other group. The patients with low OGG1/high 8-OHdG expressions had worse prognosis than those with the other expressions. Our results showed that low OGG1/high 8-OHdG expressions in nuclei influence HCC patient outcomes. Evaluating the patterns of OGG1 and 8-OHdG expressions might provide pivotal prognostic biomarkers in patients with HCC.

Clinical features, risk factors, and prognostic markers of drug-induced liver injury in patients with stevens-johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis

Background:The liver and skin are the most common organs involved in Stevens–Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN). Drug reactions rarely affect both organs concurrently. The clinical features, risk factors, and prognostic markers of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in patients with SJS/TEN are not well studied.Materials and Methods:The clinical features, risk factors, and prognostic markers of DILI in patients with SJS/TEN hospitalized at the dermatology department of our hospital from January 2009 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:A total of 298 patients with SJS/TEN were enrolled in this study. Of them, 40 had liver injury and the rest served as control. Causative drugs mainly included antipodagrics (xanthine oxidase inhibitors occupying 100% among antipodagrics), anticonvulsants (dibenzazepine occupying 76.92% among anticonvulsants), and traditional Chinese medicines. There was a statistically significant difference between the patients with liver injury and the control group in the history of liver disease, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia (P < 0.05). Nine of the 40 patients with liver injury died. High serum total bilirubin and creatinine levels were significantly associated with poor prognosis of DILI in patients with SJS/TEN (P < 0.05).Conclusion:DILI usually occurs in patients with SJS/TEN. Pre-existing liver disease, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia are independent risk factors for DILI in patients with SJS/TEN. High serum total bilirubin and creatinine levels may be useful prognostic markers for DILI in patients with SJS/TEN.

Serum Uric Acid, Serum Uric Acid to Serum Creatinine Ratio and Serum Bilirubin in Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Case-Control Study.

BackgroundStudies have shown that a low serum uric acid (SUA) level associates with Parkinson’s disease (PD), but many of them did not exclude patients with impaired renal function. Studies on the association between serum bilirubin level and PD also are limited. This study determined the association between SUA level, SUA/serum creatinine (SCr) ratio and serum bilirubin levels in PD patients with normal renal and liver functions.MethodsThe PD patients from a neurological clinic, and the controls from the club for the elderly, were recruited into this study. The PD stage and motor and non-motor function were determined by the Hoehn-Yahr (H&Y) scale and unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale (UPDRS), respectively.ResultsSixty-one PD patients and 135 controls participated. The SUA/SCr ratio, but not SUA, was significantly lower in the PD patients than in the controls (4.12 ± 0.90 vs. 4.59 ± 1.04, P = 0.003). Serum total bilirubin (TB) and indirect bilirubin (IDB) were significantly higher in the PD patients (7.92 ± 3.67 µmol/L vs. 6.59 ± 2.78 µmol/L, P = 0.003 and 4.52 ± 2.48 µmol/L vs. 3.26 ± 1.82 µmol/L, P < 0.001), respectively. Serum TB and IDB, but not SUA or SUA/SCr ratio, were associated negatively with PD stages (P = 0.010 and P = 0.014, respectively). There was no association between TB, IDB, SUA or SUA/SCr ratio and PD disease duration or motor subtypes. No significant correlation was found between SUA or SUA/SCr ratio, serum TB and IDB.ConclusionThe SUA/SCr ratio is more sensitive than SUA in determining their association with PD. The high serum TB and IDB levels in PD patients compared with the controls suggest that serum bilirubin might play a role in the pathogenesis of PD. However, the lack of association between SUA or the SUA/SCr ratio and serum TB or IDB suggests that these two biomarkers play a different role in the etiopathogenesis of PD.

Rebound hyperbilirubinemia in a sample of newborns with jaundice

Background and objectives: Neonatal jaundice represents a prevalent public health problem in Erbil city. Rebound jaundice after termination of phototherapy is common and related to many factors, so the aim of the study is to estimate the prevalence of rebound jaundice among neonates after termination of phototherapy and identifying any associated factors. Method:A cross sectional study was conducted in Neonatal Care Unit of Raparin Teaching Hospital in Erbil during the period from 1st of September, 2018 to 28th of February, 2019 on sample of 100 neonates with jaun- dice. The selected neonates were followed for up to 72 hours after discharge from hospital. Total serum bilirubin levels of neonates were measured at admission, on discharge and within 72 hours of phototherapy termination. Results:The rebound jaundice was present in 20% of neonates after stopping the phototherapy. Those were significantly related to certain socioeconomic and clinical data like (male gender, prematurity, low birth weight, Glucose-6-phosphate de- hydrogenase deficiency, higher total serum bilirubin at admission, lower total serum bilirubin at discharge, low hemo- globin, high reticulocyte counts and shorter phototherapy duration). Conclusions:The prevalence of rebound jaundice after termination of phototherapy was high. So follow up is mandatory within 72 hours of phototherapy termination.

Retrospective analysis of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization treatment for spontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma.

Spontaneous rupture is one of the complications of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with a high mortality rate. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been widely used in patients with ruptured liver tumors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the benefits and safety of conventional TACE and the disease prognosis following TACE and surgery with regard to the progression of spontaneously ruptured HCC. The clinical data of 70 patients diagnosed with spontaneous rupture of HCC were retrospectively reviewed. The majority of adverse reactions that occurred following treatment were Grade 2 or below. Grade 3/4 events occurred in 20 patients (14.3%), which included gastrointestinal hemorrhage, cardiac failure, pulmonary embolism, shock and recurrent tumor rupture. All of these patients recovered and were discharged following symptomatic and supportive treatment, with the exception of two cases of severe hemorrhagic shock and hepatic failure prior to TACE treatment. These patients did not survive during the period of hospitalization. Multivariate analysis identified that a maximum tumor size >10 cm and a high serum total bilirubin level >30 µmol/l were independent factors for determining overall patient survival rate. Additionally, the overall survival rates at 1, 6 and 12 months were 92.3, 53.8 and 46.2% in the TACE group and 100, 87.1 and 54.8% in the surgery group, respectively. The overall survival rates at 1 and 6 months following TACE were lower than those of the surgery group (P<0.05). However, the overall survival rates at 12 months were similar (P>0.05). Patients in the TACE group had a shorter hospital admission compared with those in the resection group (median 7 vs. 13 days; P<0.01). Therefore, the data demonstrated that conventional TACE therapy was safe and effective for the treatment of spontaneously ruptured HCC. In addition, this type of therapy conferred a similar long-term survival rate with that of open surgery.

Is serum total bilirubin a predictor of prognosis in arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease? A meta-analysis.

The protective role of serum total bilirubin, a widely recognized antioxidant, has been approved by numerous updating studies. However, regarding the effect of high serum total bilirubin level (STBL) in arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) are conflicting in different sources of data. We, therefore, performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the influence of STBL on risk of ASCVD.Four databases were used to identify the literature with a date of search of January, 2019. Finally, a total of 20 studies had been adopted. ASCVD was defined as acute coronary syndrome, stable angina, coronary revascularization, atherosclerotic stroke or transient ischemic attack, and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). All relevant data were collected from studies meeting the inclusion criteria.A total of 20 published studies (323,891 cases) met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed that, in studies excluding heterogeneity, STBL was significantly positively related to in-hospital cardiovascular mortality (odds ratio [OR] 2.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.83–4.36, Z = 4.69, P < .001) and major adverse cardiac events (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.414–2.491, Z = 4.36, P < .001), also negatively associated with prognosis of acute myocardial infarction, pooled hazard ratio (HR) = 0.804 (95% CI 0.700–0.923, Z = 3.08, P = .002). The correlation similarity was also reflected in terms of patients with stroke (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.70–0.88, Z = 4.24, P = .003). Combined analysis revealed that lower STBL was significantly associated with PAD, pooled OR = 0.91 (95% CI 0.85–0.98, Z = 2.39, P = .017). In general analysis, a conclusion can be drawn, that higher STBL was significantly negative correlated with cardiovascular disease, pooled HR = 0.83 (95% CI 0.73–0.94, Z = 3.02, P = .003).Higher STBL significantly improved the prognosis of ASCVD; furthermore, STBL was an important factor in the long-term prognosis of vascular-related disease prevention and can be used as a predictor in vascular-related disease risk prediction.

Serum Albumin, but not Bilirubin, is Associated with Diabetic Chronic Vascular Complications in a Chinese Type 2 Diabetic Population

To identify the factors associated with serum total bilirubin (STB) and determine whether STB is independently associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) or diabetic kidney disease (DKD), 1,665 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (248 outpatients newly diagnosed with T2DM [NDM] and 1,417 inpatients previously diagnosed with T2DM [PDM]) were studied. Clinical and biochemical information was collected, and a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs6704078) of the UGT1A1 gene was genotyped in 1,059 individuals. Multiple linear regression showed that STB was associated with haemoglobin concentration, platelet count, and serum triglyceride concentration in NDM and PDM patients, and with serum albumin, duration of diabetes, and smoking in PDM patients. In patients with PDM, multiple logistic regression revealed that serum albumin was associated with DR (odds ratio [OR] = 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87–0.96, p = 0.001) and DKD (OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88–0.98, p = 0.005) after adjustment for STB, STB-related factors, and risk factors for DR and DKD. In addition, patients with the T allele of rs6704078 had higher STB (13.2 [10.4–17.9] μmol/L versus 11.8 (9.4–14.8) μmol/L; p < 0.001) and similar risks of DR or DKD to those without the T allele. Thus, serum albumin, but not STB, is associated with DR and DKD.

Audit of Clinical Profile and Outcomes of Acute Variceal Bleed in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract Aims The main purpose of this article is to conduct audit of clinical profile and outcomes of patients presenting with acute variceal bleed in a tertiary care hospital. Methods and Material This was a retrospective study of patients presenting with variceal bleed in a tertiary care center. Data were generated through a computerized electronic record system. Data of patients admitted for acute variceal bleed from August 2018 to December 2018 were collected and considered for analysis. Statistical analysis was done using the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0 version. Results Overall, 107 cases were analyzed. In 89.7% (96) cases, cirrhosis of liver was a cause of variceal bleed. Besides, 77.6% (83) patients had large esophageal varices. Five patients (4.7%) required glue injection. Rebleed rate in present study was 0.9%. Mortality due to variceal bleed was 9.3% (10). Acute rebleed (p = 0.002), low mean arterial pressure (MAP; p = 0.001), low platelet count (p = 0.001), high serum creatinine (p = 0.001), high serum total bilirubin (p = 0.001), high international normalized ratio (INR; p = 0.001), and higher model for end stage liver disease (p = 0.001) were associated with increased risk of mortality. Door to endoscopy time (&lt;12 hours or 12–24 hours) did not affect the mortality rate (p = 0.699). Terlipressin given 24 hours after endotherapy is equally effective as terlipressin given 5 days after endotherapy. Conclusion Mortality due to acute variceal bleed can be reduced with timely intervention. Low MAP, low platelet count, higher serum bilirubin and creatinine, and higher INR are predictors of increased mortality due to variceal bleed. Endoscopy done within 12 to 24 hours of presentation did not affect the outcome.

Reductive effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on bilirubin levels in neonates on phototherapy.

BackgroundPhototherapy is paramount in the management of high total serum bilirubin (TSB). Whether its effectiveness can be improved with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has not been evaluated among newborns of African descent.MethodsA double-blind-controlled study was used to evaluate the effect of UDCA on the management of high TSB in neonates. Recruited neonates were categorized into the experimental group (given UDCA plus phototherapy) and the control group (phototherapy and plain syrup), and their TSB and conjugated bilirubin levels were measured. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Statistical significance was set at a p-value of <0.05.ResultsThe mean (SD) percentage reductions in TSB after 24 hrs were 40.73% (18.1) and 10.21% (7.1) in the experimental and control groups, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.001). The mean (SD) durations on therapy were 3.0 days (0.58) in the experimental group and 5.5 days (1.35) in the control group (p=0.001).ConclusionsPhototherapy is still effective in the management of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, but inclusion of UDCA accentuates the reductive effect of phototherapy on the TSB in neonates, reducing the duration of treatment and in-patient care.

Role of Prophylactic Phototherapy in the Management of very Low Birth weight Newborns with Hyperbilirubinemia in Comparison to Therapeutic Phototherapy with their Gender

Background: Bilirubin associated brain damage is great in the preterm and low birth weight newborns. Phototherapy is able to control the level of bilirubin in low birth weight newborns. Objective:To show the role of prophylactic phototherapy in the management of very low birth weight newborns weighting(1-1.5)kg with hyperbilirubinemia in comparison to therapeutic method. Patients and Methods: Across sectional study; Very low birth weight newborns weighting (1–1.5)kg were included in the study and admitted to neonatal care unit because of their very low birth weight and family consent had taken about admission and prophylactic phototherapy from some families so the total number of newborns was forty, twenty newborns were received phototherapy within nine hours of birth and lasted for seven days while twenty newborns were received phototherapy when indicated according to birth weight and continued to seventh day after birth , analysis was made for mean daily bilirubin level , duration of phototherapy , peak bilirubin level in the prophylactic and therapeutic groups and blood exchange need. Results: The highest daily mean level of Total Serum Bilirubin(TSB) of prophylactic group was 6.5±0.4 mg/dl, which happened on the fifth day. In the therapeutic group, it was 8.7±0.5 mg/dl on the fifth day after birth. There was significant difference in the TSB values of prophylactic group which was less than that of therapeutic group from second to sixth days( p<0.0001). The median duration of phototherapy in the treatment group was shorter than that of the prophylactic group. Conclusion: Prophylactic phototherapy in very low birth weight preterm infants weighting (1-1.5) kg can significantly decrease jaundice after birth compared with the therapeutic group, also this study indicate that there is significant high TSB level among males in both groups in comparison to females.

Prognostic Value of Serum Total Bilirubin after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Backgrounds Previous studies have reported a relationship between serum total bilirubin (STB) and coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the relationship between STB and prognosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains inconclusive. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between STB level and prognosis of PCI in patients with ACS. Methods In total, 2850 ACS patients who underwent PCI at the Affiliated Zhongda Hospital of Southeast University from June 2009 to Jan 2017 were included in the study. Twenty-four-hour STB, 30-day, and 1-year postoperative major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were recorded. Subjects were assigned to one of three groups based on STB: Group A (STB ≤ 9.6 μmol/L), Group B (9.7 μmol/L < STB ≤ 15.4 μmol/L), and Group C (STB ≥ 15.5 μmol/L). COX survival analysis was subsequently used to investigate the relationship between the incidence of MACE and STB in the three groups. Results A total of 2770 subjects were successfully followed up; within 1 year after PCI, 115 (4.15%) subjects died and 191 (6.90%) subjects experienced MACE. One-year follow-up results showed that the incidence of MACE decreased significantly as STB increased; the risk of Group A was 2.002 times that of Group C (95% CI: 1.342-2.986). Cardiac mortality also decreased with increasing STB; the risk of Group A was 3.403 times that of Group C (95% CI: 1.319-8.785). Conclusion Lower mortality and MACE incidence rates were found in patients with higher STB within 1 year. Therefore, STB is highly recommended as an independent long-term prognosis predictor of PCI in patients with ACS.

Clinical and Biochemical Manifestations of Severe Sickle Cell Anemia in Adult Patients in Steady State in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

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Total bilirubin independently predicts incident metabolic syndrome among community-dwelling women

BackgroundMetabolic syndrome (MetS) is related to the increased risk of major cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The link between high serum total bilirubin (TBL) is cross-sectionally related to MetS and its components. However, whether serum TBL predicts incidence of MetS and its components remains inconclusive. MethodsThe present study included 893 women aged 70 ± 9 years from a rural village. We examined the relationship between serum TBL and MetS based on the modified criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel (NCEP-ATP) III report in a cross-sectional (N = 893) and cohort (N = 288) data. ResultsIn the cross-sectional study, serum TBL (β = 0.536, p < 0.001) as well as age, alcohol consumption, exercise habits, history of CVD, SUA, GGT, and ALT was significantly and dependently associated with number of MetS components, but in the cohort study serum TBL was not associated with number of MetS components. Compared with the 1st tertile of serum TBL (0.20–0.55 mg/dL), multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for the 2nd -3rd tertiles of serum TBL (0.54–2.00 mg/dL) was 0.70 (0.51–0.95) in the cross-sectional study and 0.41 (0.21–0.81) in the cohort study. ConclusionsOur data demonstrated an independently negative association between serum TBL and MetS in Japanese community-dwelling women.

Prognostic value of total bilirubin in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A meta-analysis.

Experimental data obtained in animal models supported the protective role of bilirubin. However, clinical studies regarding the prognostic role of total bilirubin in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are conflicting. We, therefore, undertook this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of serum total bilirubin in AMI patients. Relevant studies were searched from PubMed and EMBASE databases up to April 15, 2018. Studies evaluating the outcomes in relation to serum total bilirubin in AMI patients and reporting multivariable-adjusted risk estimate of the prognostic value were eligible. The outcome measures were major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), cardiovascular death, and all-cause mortality. Six studies involving 14,554 AMI patients were identified. Meta-analysis indicated that higher total bilirubin was associated with an increased risk of MACEs (risk ratio [RR] 1.65; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.25-2.19) and cardiovascular death (RR 2.12; 95%CI 1.24-3.64). However, higher serum total bilirubin did not significantly increase all-cause mortality risk (RR 1.31; 95%CI 0.75-2.28). Subgroup analyses by the types of AMI and study design supported the pooled results. Higher serum total bilirubin level is a predictor of MACEs and cardiovascular death in patients with AMI. However, interpretation of these findings should be with caution due to the impact of cardiac dysfunction after AMI.

Endoscopic treatment or balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration is safe for patients with esophageal/gastric varices in Child-Pugh class C end-stage liver cirrhosis.

Background/AimsThere is a controversy about the availability of invasive treatment for esophageal/gastric varices in patients with Child-Pugh class C (CP-C) end-stage liver cirrhosis (LC). We have evaluated the validity of invasive treatment with CP-C end-stage LC patients.MethodsThe study enrolled 51 patients with CP-C end-stage LC who had undergone invasive treatment. The treatment modalities included endoscopic variceal ligation in 22 patients, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy in 17 patients, and balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) in 12 patients. We have investigated the overall survival (OS) rates and risk factors that contributed to death within one year after treatment.ResultsThe OS rate in all patients at one, three, and five years was 72.6%, 30.2%, and 15.1%, respectively. The OS rate in patients who received endoscopic treatment and the BRTO group at one, three, and five years was 67.6%, 28.2% and 14.1% and 90.0%, 36.0% and 18.0%, respectively. The average of Child-Pugh scores (CPS) from before treatment to one month after variceal treatment significantly improved from 10.53 to 10.02 (P=0.003). Three significant factors that contributed to death within one year after treatment included the presence of bleeding varices, high CPS (≥11), and high serum total bilirubin levels (≥4.0 mg/dL).ConclusionsThe study demonstrated that patients with a CPS of up to 10 and less than 4.0 mg/dL of serum total bilirubin levels may not have a negative impact on prognosis after invasive treatment for esophageal/gastric varices despite their CP-C end-stage LC.

Low serum bilirubin levels associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

BackgroundObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic, progressive disease that can cause cardiovascular complications and atherosclerosis. We evaluated the relationship between serum bilirubin levels and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), as a surrogate marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, in patients with OSA.MethodsWe enrolled 84 consecutive patients with OSA. The patients underwent ultrasonography, polysomnography, and echocardiography. Blood samples were obtained from all of the subjects, which were used for biochemical comparisons. The patients were divided into groups according to cIMT values (<0.9 vs. >0.9 mm).ResultsThe patient population consisted of 84 OSA patients (mean age: 54.2 + 8.0 years, 62.9% male). The OSA patients with cIMT ≥0.9 had significantly elevated high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), Oxygen desaturation index, apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), and significantly lower total and indirect bilirubin levels. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that total bilirubin, hsCRP, and AHI were the independent predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis. There was a negative correlation between total bilirubin and cIMT.ConclusionsThis study showed that high hsCRP and low serum total bilirubin levels could be paving the way for the development of subclinical atherosclerosis. Simple measures such as total bilirubin may provide predictive information regarding the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with OSA.

Elevated Serum Total Bilirubin Level Is Associated with Poor Outcomes in Pediatric Patients with Sepsis-Associated Liver Injury.

Aims The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of the serum total bilirubin (TBIL) level in pediatric patients with sepsis-associated liver injury (SALI). Methods We performed a retrospective study of patients with SALI admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in Shanghai Children's Hospital between December 2012 and December 2015. Serum TBIL concentration was determined within 72 h after PICU admission. Results Seventy-two patients with SALI were included in this study. The overall mortality rate was 36.1% (26/72). The serum levels of TBIL of patients were significantly higher in the nonsurvivor group than the survivor group. Cox regression analysis indicated that the elevated serum TBIL level within 72 hours after admission was an independent risk factor of mortality in patients with SALI. Furthermore, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for TBIL was 0.736 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.614–0.858, P=0.001), in which the optimal cut-off value was 64.5 μmol/L. The combined index named “TBIL” and “TBA” showed an AUC of 0.745 (0.626–0.865) for predicting the prognosis in patients with SALI. In addition, the Kaplan–Meier curve indicated that the 28-day survival rate was significantly lower in patients with higher serum TBIL levels (≥64.5 μmol/L) or higher value of TBIL and TBA (≥−0.8902). Conclusions Elevated serum TBIL level is associated with poor outcomes in pediatric SALI.

Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) Score in Patients Undergoing Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multi-institutional Study.

The Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is an objective tool that is widely used to assess the nutritional status in patients, including those with cancer. The relationship between the CONUT score and prognosis in patients who have undergone hepatic resection has not been evaluated in a multi-institutional study. Data were retrospectively collected for 2461 consecutive patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who had undergone hepatic resection with curative intent at 13 institutions between January 2004 and December 2015. Patients were assigned to two groups: preoperative CONUT scores ≤ 3 (low CONUT score) and ≥ 4 (high CONUT score). Clinicopathological characteristics, surgical outcomes, and long-term survival were compared using propensity score matching analysis. Of the 2461 patients, 540 (21.9%) had high (≥ 4) and 1921 (78.1%) had low (≤ 3) preoperative CONUT scores. Overall, a high CONUT score was significantly associated with older age, female sex, low body mass index, low serum albumin, high serum total bilirubin, low lymphocyte count, low serum cholesterol, shorter prothrombin time, higher indocyanine green retention test at 15min, Child-Pugh B (vs. A), liver cirrhosis, minor resection, shorter operation time, massive blood loss, blood transfusion, and postoperative complications. After propensity score matching, a higher CONUT score was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) using multivariate analysis. This retrospective, multi-institutional analysis showed that, in patients who undergo curative hepatectomy for HCC, the preoperative CONUT score is predictive of worse OS and RFS, even after propensity score matching analysis.