PLT Counts as a Predictive Marker after Plasma Exchange in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus-Related Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The platelet (PLT) value in hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is not sufficiently understood. The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic effect of PLT on the prediction of HBV-ACLF outcomes after plasma exchange (PE).

METHODS

HBV-ACLF patients treated with PE between January 2017 and August 2021 were followed up for at least 6 months. Cox regression was performed to develop the predictive model, and the model's performance was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).

RESULTS

A total of 170 patients were included. The overall survival rate within 180 days was 75.88%. Age, PLT, total bilirubin (TBil), and the iMELD scores were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of HBV-ACLF patients after PE. According to the Cox regression results, the new model was calculated: R = 0.142 × iMELD-0.009 × PLT. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was 0.758 (95% CI 0.678-0.838), and patients with lower PLT-iMELD scores (<4.50) had a better prognosis ( < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

PLT is a valuable prognostic biomarker for HBV-ACLF patients after PE. The modified iMELD model incorporating PLT has a better sensitivity and efficacy in predicting the prognosis of patients.