Total Bilirubin Ratio Research Articles

A prospective multicentre study evaluating the performance of the modified simple biliary atresia scoring system in predicting biliary atresia.

Early diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA) is critical for best outcomes, but is challenged by overlapping clinical manifestations with other causes of obstructive jaundice in neonates. We evaluate the performance of the modified Simple BA Scoring System (SBASS) in diagnosing BA. We performed a prospective, cross-sectional study on infants with cholestatic jaundice (June 2021-December 2022). Modified SBASS scoring was applied and compared to the eventual diagnosis (as per intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC) and liver histopathology). The score (0-6), consists of gall bladder length < 1.6cm (+ 1), presence of triangular cord sign (+ 1), conjugated bilirubin:total bilirubin ratio > 0.7(+ 2), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) ≥ 200 U/L (+ 2). 73 were included: Fifty-two (71%) had BA. In the non-BA group, 6 (28%) had percutaneous cholangiography (PTC) while 15 (72%) had intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC). At a cut-off of 3, the modified SBASS showed sensitivity of 96.2%, specificity of 61.9% and overall accuracy of 86.3% in diagnosing BA. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.901. GGT had the highest sensitivity (94.2%), while triangular cord sign showed the highest specificity at 95.2%. The SBASS provides a bedside, non-invasive scoring system for exclusion of BA in infantile cholestatic jaundice and reduces the likelihood of negative surgical explorations.

When the Pleural Fluid Appears in an Unexpected Color: A Bilothorax Case

Abstract Background: Bilothorax, or cholethorax, is a rare cause of exudative pleural effusion characterized by the presence of bile in the pleural space. Recognizing this condition is essential to prevent severe complications such as empyema and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Case: This report presents a 70-year-old male patient who developed right-sided bilothorax following multiple biliary tract interventions. The patient presented with symptoms of jaundice, fever, and abdominal pain. Clinical and radiological evaluations revealed right-sided pleural effusion, and thoracentesis yielded dark yellow-green fluid. The diagnosis of bilothorax was confirmed by a pleural fluid/serum total bilirubin ratio &gt;1.0. Early intervention was performed using a cystofix to drain the pleural fluid. However, despite all interventions, the sepsis condition could not be controlled, and the patient unfortunately passed away. Discussion: Bilothorax is generally associated with hepatobiliary procedures and is mostly observed on the right side due to anatomical proximity. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion, especially in patients with relevant clinical histories and characteristic pleural fluid appearance. Rapid thoracentesis and pleural fluid analysis are crucial for diagnosis. Treatment typically involves pleural drainage and early administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Conclusion: Bilothorax is a life-threatening condition requiring urgent diagnosis and intervention. This case highlights the importance of recognizing this rare condition and the necessity for early aggressive management in patients with a history of hepatobiliary procedures.

Diagnostic Role of CA19-9, CA19-9/CRP Ratio and CA19-9/Total Bilirubin Ratio in Differentiating Benign and Malignant Obstructive Jaundice

Diagnostic Role of CA19-9, CA19-9/CRP Ratio and CA19-9/Total Bilirubin Ratio in Differentiating Benign and Malignant Obstructive Jaundice

A high urinary urobilinogen/serum total bilirubin ratio indicates acute hepatic porphyria in patients with abdominal pain

Acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) has always been a diagnostic dilemma for physicians due to its variable symptoms. Correct diagnosis mainly depends on the detection of an elevated urinary porphobilinogen (PBG), which is not a routine test and highly relies on the physician’s awareness of AHP. In the present study, we identified a more convenient indicator during routine examinations to improve the diagnosis of AHP. We found that AHP patients showed a significant higher “FALSE” urinary urobilinogen level caused by urinary PBG during the urinalysis when detected by strips impregnated with Ehrlich reagent (P < 0.05). And a remarkable increase in the urinary urobilinogen/serum total bilirubin ratio was observed in AHP patients. The area under the ROC curve of this ratio for AHP was 1.000 (95% confidence interval 1.000–1.000, P < 0.01). A cutoff value of 3.22 for this ratio yielded a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 100% to distinguish AHP patients from the controls. Thus, we proved that a “falsely” high urinary urobilinogen level that was adjusted by the serum total bilirubin level (urinary urobilinogen/serum total bilirubin ratio) could be used as a sensitive and specific screening marker for AHP in patients with abdominal pain.

Association of direct bilirubin to total bilirubin ratio with 90-day mortality in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Hyperbilirubinemia occurs when the liver fails to process bilirubin properly. A disproportionate increase in direct bilirubin indicates a decreased ability of the hepatocytes to uptake and/or convert bilirubin, which may impact the prognosis of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). However, the association of direct bilirubin to total bilirubin ratio (DB/TB) with outcomes in patients with ACLF remains unclear. A retrospective study was conducted in West China Hospital of Sichuan University to assess the association between DB/TB and 90-day mortality in patients with ACLF. The diagnosis of ACLF was based on the Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B (COSSH) ACLF criteria. Ordinal logistic regression models, linear regression models, and Cox proportional hazards models were applied to evaluate the association between DB/TB and hepatic encephalopathy, disease severity, and outcome, respectively. A total of 258 patients with ACLF were included. The surviving patients were less likely to have liver cirrhosis and comorbidities, and their disease severities were milder than the dead. DB/TB was negatively correlated to cerebral score for hepatic encephalopathy (adjusted odds ratio: 0.01, p = 0.043), and disease severity (adjusted standardized coefficients: -0.42~-0.31, all p < 0.001), respectively. A significant 90-day mortality risk of DB/TB was observed [all adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) < 0.20 and all p ≤ 0.001]. Compared with patients with DB/TB < 0.80, patients with ACLF and DB/TB ≥ 0.80 had much lower 90-day mortality risk (all aHR < 0.75 and all p < 0.01). DB/TB could be an independent risk factor to predict the short-term prognosis in patients with ACLF. More attention should be paid to patients with lower DB/TB due to their poorer prognosis and more urgent need for liver transplantation.Clinical trial registration:http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=56960, identifier, ChiCTR2000035013.

Assessment of serum and drain fluid bilirubin concentrations in liver transplantation patients

Bile leakage is a major complication after liver transplantation and remains as a significant source of morbidity and mortality. In 2011, the International Study Group of Liver Surgery (ISGLS) defined bile leakage as a drain/serum bilirubin ratio ≥3. However, to our knowledge there is no literature assessing serum and drain bilirubin concentrations after liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to describe the natural postoperative changes in serum and drain fluid bilirubin concentrations in patients after liver transplantation. We included 32 patients who underwent liver transplantation at Kobe University Hospital from January 2007 to December 2020. We enrolled 34 living donors who had no complications as the control group. The recipient serum total/direct bilirubin concentration were higher compared with the donors from postoperative day (POD) 1 to 5 with a statistical difference (P < .05). The recipient drain/serum total bilirubin ratio was lower than donors on POD 3 (0.89 ± 0.07 vs 1.53 ± 0.07: P < .0001), which was also confirmed by the recipient drain/serum direct bilirubin ratio (0.64 ± 0.10 vs 1.18 ± 0.09: P < .0001). On POD 3, the drain fluid volume (647.38 ± 89.47 vs 113.43 ± 86.8 mL: P < .001) and serum total bilirubin concentration (6.73 ± 0.61 vs 1.23 ± 0.60 mg/dL: P < .001) was higher in the recipients than in donors. Categorized in 2 groups, the higher drain fluid volume and bilirubin concentration recipients showed lower drain/serum total bilirubin ratio compared with the other group (P=.03) CONCLUSION: The drain/serum bilirubin ratio in the transplanted patients could be calculated lower compared with the hepatectomy patients because of high drain fluid volume and hyperbilirubinemia. Great care should be taken when assessing the bile leakage in liver transplant recipients using the ISGLS definition.

Factors affecting voriconazole concentration to dose ratio changes according to route of administration

BackgroundVoriconazole (VRCZ) is commonly used as oral and intravenous (IV) formulations. Few studies have comprehensively analysed the variation factors for the weight-corrected VRCZ serum concentration/dose (C/D) ratio based on the...

A simple noninvasive model to predict significant fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis B.

To develop a noninvasive model to predict significant fibrosis in children with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).A total of 116 CHB pediatric patients who underwent liver biopsy were included in the study. Liver histology, which is the gold standard for assessing fibrosis, was performed. Blood routine examination, coagulation function, liver biochemistry, viral serology, and viral load were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of all possible cut-off values.Based on the correlation and difference analyses, 7 available clinical parameters (total bile acid, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase [GGT], aspartate transaminase, direct bilirubin to total bilirubin ratio, alanine aminotransferase, prealbumin [PA], and cholinesterase) were included in the modeling analysis. A model to predict significant liver fibrosis was derived using the 2 best parameters (PA and GGT). The original model was . After the mathematical calculation, the G index=600 × GGT/PA2 predicted significant fibrosis, with an area under the receiving operating characteristics (AUROC) curve of 0.733, 95% confidence interval (0.643–0.811). The AUROC of the G index (0.733) was higher than that of aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) (0.680) and Fibrosis index based on 4 factors (FIB-4) (0.601) in predicting significant fibrosis in children with CHB. If the values of the G index were outside the range of 0.28 to 1.16, 52% of children with CHB could avoid liver biopsy, with an overall accuracy of 75%.The G index can predict and exclude significant fibrosis in children with CHB, and it may reduce the need for liver biopsy in children with CHB.

A novel prognostic model to predict outcome of artificial liver support system treatment

The prognosis of Artificial liver support system (ALSS) for hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is hard to be expected, which results in multiple operations of ALSS and excessive consumption of plasma, increase in clinical cost. A total of 375 HBV-ACLF patients receiving ALSS treatment were randomly divided a train set and an independent test set. Logistic regression analysis was conducted and a decision tree was built based on 3-month survival as outcome. The ratio of total bilirubin before and after the first time of ALSS treatment was the most significant prognostic factor, we named it RPTB. Further, a decision tree based on the multivariate logistic regression model using CTP score and the RPTB was built, dividing patients into 3 main groups such as favorable prognosis group, moderate prognosis group and poor prognosis group. A clearly-presented and easily-understood decision tree was built with a good predictive value of prognosis in HBV-related ACLF patients after first-time ALSS treatment. It will help maximal the therapeutic value of ALSS treatment and may play an important role in organ allocation for liver transplantation in the future.

Association between Total Cholesterol and the Direct to Total Bilirubin Ratio in Serum

Association between Total Cholesterol and the Direct to Total Bilirubin Ratio in Serum

Anemia hemolítica como presentación inicial de la enfermedad de Wilson: A propósito de una enfermedad rara con una presentación infrecuente

La enfermedad de Wilson es un raro trastorno genético que afecta la capacidad de excreción del cobre. Su distribución es mundial, con una prevalencia estimada en 30 casos por millón de habitantes. Aunque los síntomas más frecuentes son los de origen hepático y neuropsiquiatricos, la anemia hemolítica con Coombs negativo puede ser la única manifestación de la enfermedad y su presentación suele preceder por meses a la enfermedad hepática clínicamente evidente o las manifestaciones neurológicas. Se presenta el caso de una paciente joven con anemia hemolítica Coombs negativo y relación fosfatasa alcalina/bilirrubina total &lt;4 y AST/ALT &gt;2,2, en quien termino por establecerse como diagnostico una enfermedad de Wilson.

Physical Exam a Clue for Diagnosis of EBV Hepatitis

Epstein—bar virus (EBV) infection can present with a wide range of symptoms as it may involve multiple organs, including the liver. Although it is commonly associated with asymptomatic and self—limited Transaminitis, acute cholestasis is rare. We are reporting a case of a female patient with primary cholestatic EBV hepatitis. A 22—year—old female patient with no past medical history presented to the hospital with 1—week duration of right upper quadrant pain, associated with nausea, vomiting and fatigue. She also noted yellowish discoloration of her eyes 1 day prior to presentation. On physical exam, patient was icteric with bilateral anterior cervical lymphadenopathy. Abdominal exam showed right upper quadrant tenderness, and bilateral anterior cervical lymphadenopathy. Laboratory work up was remarkable for elevated ALP, ALT, AST, conjugated hyperbilirubinemia with direct to total bilirubin ratio of 2:3. CBC with differential showed leukocytosis, with atypical lymphocytes, new onset anemia and thrombocytopenia. Ultrasound of the right upper quadrant and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography showed no evidence of choledocholithiasis. Follow up magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography ruled out extrahepatic biliary obstruction. Monospot test was positive. Infectious Mononucleosis (IM) was confirmed with a positive viral capsid antigen and EBV polymerase chain reaction. Serological studies for hepeatitis A, B, C and CMV viruses all returned negative. The patient was treated conservatively and discharged home with clinical improvement. History and physical exam are cornerstone for the evaluation of patient with jaundice. IM should be suspected and worked up in young patients presenting with cholestatic picture when supported by physical exam findings and consistent history. This approach can help avoid invasive and sophisticated testing.

Wilson's disease: Experience at a tertiary care hospital.

Wilson's disease (WD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of copper metabolism. Data regarding WD is not available from Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted at The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and all patients admitted with primary and secondary diagnosis of Wilson's disease were added. A total of 47 patients were seen; 68% (n = 32) were male. The mean age was 26.6 ± 9.97 years. Most of the patients presented with hepatic, (n = 22, 46.8%), neurological, (n = 17, 36.2%) and psychiatric (n = 8, 17%) symptoms. Mean ceruloplasmin level was 0.17 ± 0.13 g/dl; it was < 0.25 g/dl in 39 (86.6%) patients. Serum copper (Cu) was reduced in 32 (68.1%) patients and 24-hr-urinary Cu was raised in 22 (47.6%) patients. Slit lamp examination for Kayser-Fleischer (KF) rings was done on 15 (31.9%) patients and 9 (60%) of them had KF rings. Mean serum aspartate transaminase (AST) / alanine transaminases (ALT) ratio was 1.92 and median alkaline phosphatase / total bilirubin ratio was 79.30 (IQR 35.05; 166.50).

Role of direct bilirubin and total bilirubin ratio in the differential diagnosis of complications after liver transplantation

Objective To investigate the role of direct bilirubin（ DBil）and total bilirubin （ TBil）ratio in the identification of complications after liver transplantation. Methods Two hundred and sixteen recipients of liver transplant were divided into without jaundice,mild jaundice and moderate jaun-dice group according to the preoperative TBil levels. On the other hand,the 216 recipients were also di-vided into common,failure,rejection and obstruction group by postoperative complications. TBil and DBil/ TBil levels were analyzed in each group. Results The postoperative TBil level rapidly fall at the first day and then gradually declined in moderate jaundice group and severe jaundice group,but it was still higher than that in without jaundice group and mild jaundice group within 2 weeks after operation （P ﹤ 0. 05）. The DBil/ TBil levels in no jaundice group,mild jaundice group moderate and severe jaun-dice group significantly increased after operation,and reached peak value on the 3rd day after operation, and then decreased slowly. DBil/ TBil level was relatively high in patients with high TBil,on the 3rd day after operation,that in mild jaundice group（0. 72 ±0. 1）and moderate and severe jaundice group（0. 75 ± 0. 11）,was higher than that in no jaundice group（P ﹤0. 05）. The TBil level within 5 d after operation of failure,obstruction and rejection group first decreased and then increased,and was higher than that in common group（P ﹤0. 05）. Postoperative DBil/ TBil levels in obstruction,rejection and common group with- Key words: Liver transplantation; Bilirubin; Direct bilirubin; Complication; Diagnosis

An accurate predictor of liver failure and death after hepatectomy: A single institution’s experience with 478 consecutive cases

To establish a reliable definition of postoperative liver failure (PLF) and allow the prediction of outcomes after hepatectomy. The clinical data of 478 consecutive patients who underwent hepatectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The examined prognostic factors included the ratio of total bilirubin (TBIL) on postoperative day (POD) X to TBIL on POD 1 (TBIL-r1) and the ratio of the international normalized ratio (INR) on POD X to the INR on POD 1 (INR-r1) for PODs 3, 5 and 7. Student's t test, the χ(2) test, logistic regression, survival analysis and receiver operating curve analysis were used to evaluate risk factors and establish the definition of postoperative liver failure (PLF). Fourteen patients (2.9%) died of liver failure within 3 mo of surgery. Significant differences were found between patients who died of liver failure and the remaining patients in terms of TBIL-r1 and INR-r1 on PODs 3, 5 and 7. The combination of TBIL-r1 and INR-r1 on POD 5 showed strong predictive power for liver failure-related death (sensitivity 92.9% and specificity 90.1%). The hepatic damage score (HDs), which was derived from TBIL-r1 and INR-r1, was used to define the degree of metabolic functional impairment after resection as mild (HDs = 0), reversible hepatic "dysfunction" (HDs = 1) or fatal hepatic failure (HDs = 2). Furthermore, the indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (ICG-R15) and the number of resected segments (RSs) were identified as independent predictors of the HDs. A linear relationship was found between ICG-R15 and RSs in the HDs = 2 group. The regression equation was: RSs = -0.168 × ICG-R15 + 5.625 (r (2) = 0.613, F = 14.257, P = 0.004). PLF can be defined by the HDs, which accurately predicts liver failure-related death after liver resection. Furthermore, the ICG-R15 and RSs can be used as selection criteria for hepatectomy.

Predicting the decrease of conjugated bilirubin with extracorporeal albumin dialysis MARS using the predialysis molar ratio of conjugated bilirubin to albumin.

Extracorporeal albumin dialysis with the molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) machine is a new supportive intervention for patients with liver failure. It removes bilirubin and other albumin-bound toxins from the patient and has been shown by preliminary studies of liver failure patients to be beneficial. Our study examines the ability of predialysis molar ratio of bilirubin to albumin to predict the decrease of bilirubin by MARS. We had 5 patients and results from 29 treatments. The results showed a significant correlation between the predialysis molar ratio of bilirubin (total and conjugated) to albumin to the reduction in bilirubin (total and conjugated): R(2) = 0.27 and 0.62 respectively, P <.005 for both. There was no significant correlation with the predialysis molar ratio of unconjugated bilirubin to albumin to the reduction in unconjugated bilirubin. The ratio of change in total bilirubin (micromol/L) to the predialysis molar ratio of total bilirubin to albumin and the ratio of change in conjugated bilirubin (micromol/L) to the predialysis molar ratio of conjugated bilirubin to albumin were 6.2 (+/- 4.2) and 10.8 (+/- 4.3), respectively (mean (+/- SD)). The results enable us to predict the likely reduction in bilirubin (especially conjugated) after each MARS treatment and also suggest to us that albumin infusion before MARS treatment may reduce the efficacy of bilirubin removal. Whether this ratio applies to other albumin-bound toxins remains open for investigation.

Soluble Leukocyte Selectin in the Analysis of Pleural Effusions

To determine if soluble leukocyte selectin (sL-selectin) levels in serum and pleural fluid (PF) are an inflammatory marker that differentiates pleural effusion transudates from exudates. sL-selectin PF and serum levels were measured in consecutive patients and compared to established criteria. A tertiary-care military medical center. One hundred twenty patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic thoracentesis. PF and serum samples were collected during thoracentesis and analyzed separately for sL-selectin levels. Results were compared with clinical diagnosis and established PF criteria including the criteria of Light et al, cholesterol ratio, total bilirubin ratio, and albumin gradient. sL-selectin levels in PF and serum were determined in 109 patients. By clinical diagnosis, mean +/- SD PF sL-selectin levels were 200.2 +/- 124.3 ng/mL in transudates and 496.8 +/- 379.2 ng/mL in exudates (p < 0.001). By the criteria of Light et al, mean PF sL-selectin levels were 195.7 +/- 105.2 ng/mL in transudates and 448.2 +/- 367.6 ng/mL in exudates (p < 0.001). Mean sL-selectin PF to serum ratios were 0.31 +/- 0.17 in transudates and 0.72 +/- 0.31 in exudates (p < 0.001) by clinical criteria, and 0.31 +/- 0.18 in transudates and 0.64 +/- 0.33 in exudates (p < 0.001) by the criteria of Light et al. No significant difference was noted with serum sL-selectin levels between groups. sL-selectin is an inflammatory marker that differentiates transudates from exudates in pleural effusions and is a sensitive indicator for PF analysis.

Pleural Fluid to Serum Bilirubin Concentration Ratio for the Separation of Transudates from Exudates

Whether fluid accumulating in the pleural space is a transudate or an exudate is determined by the widely used criteria of the pleural fluid to serum LDH and protein concentration ratios. Such a distinction is important for limiting the extent of the differential diagnosis of possible causes for this condition. We have found that a pleural fluid to serum total bilirubin ratio can serve the same purpose. The correlation of a bilirubin concentration ratio of 0.6 or more with the presence of an exudate as determined by established criteria is statistically highly significant; and its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive accuracy, and overall accuracy in relation to etiology and LDH or protein criteria (Light's criteria) are about 90 percent. Hence, the bilirubin criterion is statistically equivalent to the widely accepted LDH and protein criteria.

The recognition of hemolytic disease in patients with portal cirrhosis.

Twenty-two patients with alcoholic hepatic disease were studied in order to determine the reliability of results of common laboratory tests as indicators of hemolytic disease in patients with chronic hepatic disease. Erythrocyte survival was compared with hemoglobin level, reticulocyte count, serum bilirubin, serum lactic acid dehydrogenase, and serum haptoglobin. Individual studies which had good reliability in indicating hemolytic disease in such patients were the indirect: total bilirubin ratio (r = –0.82) and serum haptoglobin levels (r = 0.60). A stepwise regression analysis disclosed (1) the indirect: total bilirubin ratio, (2) total bilirubin, and (3) haptoglobin values to be a reliable combination of studies to evaluate for the identification of hemolytic disease (multiple r = 0.92). Serum haptoglobin levels did not correlate with other measurements of hepatic protein synthesis (albumin, fibrinogen, prothrombin times—initial and mean). This study suggests that haptoglobin synthesis can remain intact in patients with chronic hepatic disease and that serum levels are a reliable guide to the recognition of hemolytic conditions in such patients.