Portal vein thrombosis compromises the performance of MELD and MELD-Na scores in patients with cirrhosis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The accuracy of model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) and MELD with sodium (MELD-Na) scores in reflecting the clinical outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis (PVT) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of scores in predicting 90-day mortality in patients with cirrhosis and PVT.

METHODS

Post hoc analysis was performed in two prospective cohorts (NCT02457637 and NCT03641872). The correlation between the MELD/MELD-Na score and 90-day liver transplantation (LT)-free mortality was investigated in patients with cirrhosis with and without PVT.

RESULTS

In this study, 2826 patients with cirrhosis were included, and 255 (9.02%) had PVT. The cumulative incidence of 90-day LT-free mortality did not significantly differ between patients with and without PVT (log-rank P = 0.0854). MELD [area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC), 0.649 vs. 0.842; P = 0.0036] and MELD-Na scores (AUROC, 0.691 vs. 0.851; P = 0.0108) were compared in patients with and without PVT, regarding the prediction of 90-day LT-free mortality. In MELD < 15 and MELD-Na < 20 subgroups, patients with PVT had a higher 90-day LT-free mortality than those without PVT (7.91% vs. 2.64%, log-rank P = 0.0011; 7.14% vs. 3.43%, log-rank P = 0.0223), whereas in MELD ≥ 15 and MELD-Na ≥ 20 subgroups, no significant difference was observed between patients with and without PVT.

CONCLUSIONS

The performance of MELD and MELD-Na scores in predicting 90-day LT-free mortality of patients with cirrhosis was compromised by PVT. MELD < 15 or MELD-Na < 20 may underestimate the 90-day LT-free mortality in patients with PVT.

Lower platelet counts were associated with 90-day adverse outcomes in acute-on-chronic liver disease patients

BACKGROUND

Chronic liver diseases (CLD), including cirrhosis and non-cirrhotic liver diseases, are globally widespread and create a serious disease burden. Platelet count is a clinically accessible and affordable prognostic indicator of liver disease. We investigated the relationship between platelet count and 90-day prognosis in patients with acute-on-chronic liver diseases (AoCLD).

METHODS

A total of 3,970 patients with AoCLD from the Chinese Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (CATCH-LIFE) study, which included two prospective multi-center cohorts, were included in the study. We grouped the patients according to the platelet count and analyzed the 90-day adverse outcome (death or liver transplantation).

RESULTS

In the final analysis, 3,939 patients with AoCLD were included, of whom 2,802 had definite liver cirrhosis. The cumulative incidence of 90-day adverse outcomes in patients increased with the change of platelet group (log-rank P<0.001). From univariate and multivariate analyses, platelet count was inversely associated with the incidence of 90-day adverse outcomes in patients (P for trend <0.001). The group with platelet count <20×109/L had the highest risk (odds ratio, 3.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-6.25), with 21 (36.8%) of these patients having adverse outcomes within 90 days. The risk of a 90-day adverse outcome in patients increased by 5% for every 10×109/L decrease in platelet count below 210×109/L.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower platelet count was associated with a higher incidence of 90-day adverse outcomes in patients with AoCLD. Even within the normal platelet count range, the risk of a 90-day adverse outcome in patients increased with decreases in platelet count.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT02457637, NCT03641872.

[Epidemiological characteristics of imported malaria cases in Fujian Province from 2014 to 2018]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of imported malaria cases in Fujian Province from 2014 to 2018, so as to provide scientific basis for the development of the control strategy for imported malaria.

METHODS

The epidemiological data of malaria cases in Fujian Province from 2014 to 2018 were retrieved from the Notifiable Disease Reporting System and Parasitic Disease Information Reporting System of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the classification, origin of infections, temporal distribution, spatial distribution, population distribution, reporting institutions and diagnosis were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 540 overseas imported malaria cases were reported in Fujian Province from 2014 to 2018, and all cases were laboratory-confirmed, including 398 cases with falciparum malaria, 88 cases with vivax malaria, 38 cases with ovale malaria, 14 cases with malariae malaria and 2 cases with mixed infections. There were 90.56% (489/540) of the imported malaria cases with infections in 27 African countries, 5.92% (32/540) with infections in 5 Asian countries and 3.52% (19/540) with infections in one Oceania country. There was no significant seasonal distribution of the cases, and the imported malaria cases were predominantly detected in Fuzhou City (80.00%, 432/540) and at ages of 20 to 49 years (81.48%, 440/540). Initial diagnosis was predominantly at the city-level medical institutions, and 77.96% (421/540) were diagnosed as malaria at the initial diagnosis institutions. The median duration from onset to initial diagnosis was 2 days and 70.19% (379/540) were diagnosed within 3 days of onset. The interval between initial diagnosis and definitive diagnosis was 0 day, with 85.37% (461/540) definitively diagnosed within 3 days of initial diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Overseas imported malaria is a continuous problem challenging the malaria elimination programme of Fujian Province. Improving the healthcare-seeking awareness and the diagnostic capability of healthcare workers, and intensifying the monitoring and management of malaria among overseas labors are strongly recommended.

[Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of treatments based on antiretrovirals for HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate long-term cost-effectiveness of nucleoside analogues and peg-interferon alfa-2a (peg-IFNa2a) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative patients.

METHODS

A multi-health slate Markov model was developed based on the disease progression pattern to estimate the long-term effect and medical expense of different treatments for HBeAg-negative CHB.Incremental cost-effectiveness analysis was then carried out.

RESULTS

In comparison with no antiretroviral treatment, all of the antiretroviral treatments were capable of prolonging CHB patients' life years.In particular, entecavir plus adefovir dipivoxil combination therapy showed the best 2 year survival, with expected life-years and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) being 19.59 years and 10.12 years, respectively, which were 1.46 years and 1.12 years better than with no antiretroviral treatment. The most cost-effective treatment for HBeAg-negative CHB was lamivudine plus adefovir dipivoxil rescue therapy, as it prolonged survival by 0.95 QALYs with an additional 15459 yuan; the incremental medical cost for gaining 1 QALY was 16273 yuan.

CONCLUSION

Among the antiretroviral medicines applied as therapy for HBeAg-negative CHB in China, the most effective treatment is entecavir plus adefovir dipivoxil rescue therapy and the most cost-effective treatment is lamivudine plus adefovir dipivoxil rescue therapy.

[Altered subcellular distribution of daunorubicin in the non-P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug-resistant cell line HL-60/ADR]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate DNR subcellular distribution in the non-P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug-resistant cell line HL-60/ADR and its relation to multidrug resistance.

METHODS

DNR subcellular disposition was studied by confocal scanning laser microscopy, fluorescent methods, MTT and RT-PCR. The effects of verapamil, brefeldin A, chloroquine were also examined.

RESULTS

In the drug-sensitive cell line HL-60 DNR fluorescence distributed evenly in the nucleus and cytoplasm, while in the resistant cell line DNR distributed in a punctate pattern in the cytoplasm and was reduced in the nucleus. Verapamil, brefeldin A, but not chloroquine could recover the intracellular distribution of DNR from punctate to even in the resistant cell line.

CONCLUSION

Altered subcellular disposition of DNR in resistant cell line was involved in the mechanism of multidrug resistance.

[Clinical study of inhaled corticosteroid in non-asthmatic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

OBJECTIVE

There is less unanimity about the effects of inhaled corticosteroid in patients with non-asthmatic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD). The aim of this study is to determine whether patients with non-asthmatic COPD have favorable responses to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS).

METHOD

A randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blind trial of inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate(BDP 1000 micrograms daily for 6 weeks) was carried out in 61 patients with stable non-asthmatic COPD. Before and after the therapy, the scores of clinical symptoms and the scores of quality of life were recorded, and the pulmonary function and plasma level of endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured.

RESULT

58 patients finished the study. Compared with the placebo-group, after receiving 6 weeks of ICS therapy, the BDP group showed significant improvement in clinical symptoms (P < 0.05), but not in the quality of life (P > 0.05). There was also an improvement in FEV1(P < 0.001), but not in MMEF (P > 0.05). The plasma concentration of ET-1 was not changed significantly in both groups.

CONCLUSION

The study suggested that the therapy of ICS (1000 micrograms daily for 6 weeks) can improve clinical symptoms and pulmonary function in patients with stable non-asthmatic COPD, but cannot affect the quality of life and the plasma concentration of ET-1.