The clinical parameters for the diagnosis of hepatitis B virus related acute-on-chronic liver failure with sepsis

It is still unknown that whether sepsis with hepatitis B virus related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) fit into the conventional diagnostic criteria of sepsis. Our aim was to investigate the potential clinical parameters for the diagnosis of HBV-ACLF with sepsis. A retrospective study was conducted in 43 patients with HBV-ACLF and sepsis who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. All patients were divided into three groups according to the pathological results and laboratory test results. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Gordon Sweet’s reticulin staining were performed in this study. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartale aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBiL), cholinesterase (CHE), albumin (ALB), prothrombin activity (PTA), blood routine examination were detected. The results being chosen at admission and before transplantation were analyzed. TBiL had a significant increase (563.5 ± 191.8 umol/L vs. 383.9 ± 157.6 umol/L, 438.3 ± 154.7 umol/L, P = 0.031) and ALT significantly decreased (81.6 ± 66.4 U/L, 754.5 ± 1084.7 U/L, 120.6 ± 102.5 U/L, P = 0.005) in sepsis group before liver transplantation. When sepsis appeared in patients with HBV-ACLF, the ratio of PLT to WBC count before liver transplantation was much lower than it at admission (4.6 ± 2.0 vs. 16.1 ± 7.2, P = 0.000). In conclusion, the clinical parameters of sepsis in patients with HBV-ACLF should be reset. The ratio of PLT/WBC and (WBCBLT/WBCAA)/ (PLTBLT/PLTAA) could remind us the occurring of sepsis in patients with HBV-ACLF.