Prospective Assessment of Liver Function by an Enzymatic Liver Function Test to Estimate Short-Term Survival in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: MELD attempts to objectively predict the risk of mortality of patients with liver cirrhosis and is commonly used to prioritize organ allocation. Despite the usefulness of the MELD, updated metrics could further improve the accuracy of estimates of survival. AIMS: To assess and compare the prognostic ability of an enzymatic 13C-based liver function test (LiMAx) and distinct markers of liver function to predict 3-month mortality of patients with chronic liver failure. METHODS: We prospectively investigated liver function of 268 chronic liver failure patients without hepatocellular carcinoma. Primary study endpoint was liver-related death within 3 months of follow-up. Prognostic values were calculated using Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The Cox proportional hazard model indicated that LiMAx (p < 0.001) and serum creatinine values (p < 0.001) were the significant parameters independently associated with the risk of liver failure-related death. Logistic regression analysis revealed LiMAx and serum creatinine to be independent predictors of mortality. Areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves for MELD (0.86 [0.80-0.92]) and for a combined score of LiMAx and serum creatinine (0.83 [0.76-0.90]) were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from serum creatinine levels, enzymatic liver function measured by LiMAx was found to be an independent predictor of short-term mortality risk in patients with liver cirrhosis. A risk score combining both determinants allows reliable prediction of short-term prognosis considering actual organ function. Trial Registration Number (German Clinical Trials Register) # DRKS00000614.

Prognostic value of enzymatic liver function for the estimation of short-term survival of liver transplant candidates: a prospective study with the LiMAx test.

LiMAx has been recently proposed as a new quantitative liver function test. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic ability of LiMAx to assess short-term survival in liver transplant candidates and compare its performance to the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) and indocyanine green plasma disappearance rate (ICG-PDR). Liver function of 167 chronic liver failure patients without hepatocellular carcinoma was prospectively investigated when they were evaluated for liver transplantation. Primary study endpoints were liver-related death within 6 months of follow-up. Within 6 months of follow-up, 18 patients died and 36 underwent liver transplantation. Median LiMAx results on evaluation day were significantly lower in patients who died (99 µg/kg/h vs. 55 µg/kg/h; P = 0.024), while median ICG-PDR results did not differ within both groups (4.4%/min vs. 3.5%/min; P = 0.159). LiMAx showed a higher negative predictive value (NPV: 0.93) as compared with ICG-PDR (NPV: 0.90) and the MELD (NPV: 0.91) in predicting risk of death within 6 months. In conclusion, LiMAx provides good prognostic information of liver transplant candidates. In particular, patients who are not at risk of death can be identified reliably by measuring actual enzymatic liver function capacity.

Predictors of quality of life in patients evaluated for liver transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is severely impaired in advanced liver disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of actual liver function and disease-specific factors on HRQOL of patients evaluated for liver transplantation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Disease-specific QOL was analyzed in 142 patients evaluated for liver transplantation using the German version of the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ-D). We performed quantitative liver function tests and collected clinical and demographical data of patients after their referral to our transplant department. Values were correlated with CLDQ-D scores. RESULTS: Neither model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) nor dynamic liver function test results were related to quality of life. Serum albumin concentration was a strong but not independent factor correlated with global CLDQ-D (r = 0.269, p < 0.001). Independent predictors of global CLDQ-D were ascites and butyrylcholinesterase serum concentration (B = -0.486, p < 0.001 and B = 0.196, p = 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: Actual liver function is not related to decreased quality of life, whereas ascites and hypoproteinemia represent the major factors influencing physical and social aspects of daily life in potential liver transplant candidates.

Enzymatic liver function capacity correlates with disease severity of patients with liver cirrhosis: a study with the LiMAx test.

BACKGROUND: Assessment and quantification of actual liver function is crucial in patients with chronic liver disease to monitor disease progression and predict individual prognosis. Mathematical models, such as model for end-stage liver disease, are used for risk stratification of patients with chronic liver disease but do not include parameters that reflect the actual functional state of the liver. AIM: We aimed to evaluate the potential of a (13)C-based liver function test as a stratification tool by comparison with other liver function tests and clinical parameters in a large sample of healthy controls and cirrhotic patients. METHODS: We applied maximum liver function capacity (LiMAx) to evaluate actual liver function in 347 patients with cirrhosis and in 86 controls. RESULTS: LiMAx showed strong negative correlation with Child-Pugh Score (r = -0.707; p < 0.001), MELD (r = -0.686; p < 0.001) and liver function tests. LiMAx was lower in patients with liver cirrhosis compared to healthy controls [99 (57-160) µg/kg/h vs. 412 (365-479) µg/kg/h, p < 0.001] and differed among Child-Pugh classes [a: 181 (144-227) µg/kg/h, b: 96 (62-132) µg/kg/h and c: 52 (37-81) µg/kg/h; p < 0.001]. When stratified patients according to disease severity, LiMAx results were not different between cirrhotic patients and cirrhotic patients with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. CONCLUSIONS: LiMAx appears to provide reliable information on remnant enzymatic liver function in chronic liver disease and allows graduation of disease severity.