%0 Journal Article
%T Serum thymosin ¦Â4 levels in patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver failure
%A Tao Han
%A Ying Liu
%A Huan Liu
%A Zheng-Yan Zhu
%A Yan Li
%A Shi-Xiang Xiao
%A Zhen Guo
%A Zhen-Gang Zhao
%J World Journal of Gastroenterology
%D 2010
%I Baishideng Publishing Group Co. Limited
%X AIM: To investigate whether serum thymosin ¦Â4 can provide diagnostic or prognostic information in liver failure patients caused by chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.METHODS: Serum thymosin ¦Â4 levels were measured in 30 patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), 31 patients with chronic liver failure (CLF), 30 patients with compensated liver cirrhosis (CR) and 32 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 30 healthy controls. Serum thymosin ¦Â4 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Child-Pugh and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores were calculated for each patient on admission.RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, serum thymosin ¦Â4 levels in ACLF, CLF, CR and chronic hepatitis B patients were significantly lower, 6.5047 (4.7879-10.5314) ¦Ìg/mL vs 0.4632 (0.2759-0.8768) ¦Ìg/mL, 0.6981 (0.5209-1.2008) ¦Ìg/mL, 1.8053 (0.8110-2.3397) ¦Ìg/mL, 3.7803 (1.8570-6.4722) ¦Ìg/mL, respectively (P < 0.001). The levels of thymosin ¦Â4 in liver failure (ACLF or CLF) patients were markedly lower than that in CR (P < 0.001), and a difference was also found between CLF and ACLF patients (P = 0.038). In patients with chronic liver disease, there was a positive relationship between thymosin ¦Â4 levels and albumin, choline esterase, and platelet (P < 0.001), and negative relationship with alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.020), aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, and Child-Pugh and MELD scores (P < 0.001). Of the 61 liver failure patients, the thymosin ¦Â4 levels of non-survivors were significantly lower than that of survivors (P = 0.007). Receiver operating characteristics analysis identified a thymosin ¦Â4 cutoff level of 0.5708 ¦Ìg/mL for predicting poor prognosis in all liver failure patients. The serial thymosin ¦Â4 values were observed in 13 liver failure inpatients. Lower initial values were observed in the death. While greater improvement in thymosin ¦Â4 value was found in those who recovered from the disease.CONCLUSION: Serum thymosin ¦Â4 can be used as an important potential predictor for liver failure caused by chronic HBV infection.
%K Thymosin ¦Â4
%K Liver failure
%K Serum
%K Hepatitis B virus
%K Biochemistry
%U http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/full/v16/i5/625.htm