Brief Article
Copyright ©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 7, 2011; 17(25): 3054-3059
Published online Jul 7, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i25.3054
Epidemiological and clinical features of hepatitis B virus related liver failure in China
Chen Liu, Yu-Ming Wang, Ke Fan
Chen Liu, Yu-Ming Wang, Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Author contributions: Liu C and Fan K collected the data; Liu C analyzed the data and wrote the paper; Wang YM revised the paper.
Supported by The National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program 2007CB512903) and the State Key Project of China in HBV-related severe hepatitis (2008ZX10002-005)
Correspondence to: Yu-Ming Wang, Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. wym417@163.com
Telephone: +86-23-68754141  Fax: +86-23-65334998
Received: September 28, 2010
Revised: June 20, 2011
Accepted: June 27, 2011
Published online: July 7, 2011
Abstract

AIM: To examine the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) related liver failure in patients in China.

METHODS: This study was conducted with a retrospective design to examine 1066 patients with HBV-related liver failure in the southwest of China.

RESULTS: There were more male than female patients. Young and middle-aged people comprised most of the patients. Farmers and laborers comprised the largest proportion (63.09%). Han Chinese accounted for 98.12%, while minority ethnic groups only accounted for 0.88% of patients. A total of 43.47% patients had a family history of HBV-related liver failure and 56.66% patients had a history of drinking alcohol. A total of 42.59% patients with HBV-related liver failure had definite causes. With regard to the clinical manifestation of HBV-related liver failure, the symptoms were: hypodynamia, anorexia and abdominal distension. Total bilirubin (TBIL) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were altered in 46.23% of patients with evident damage of the liver. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the patients’ prognoses were correlated with ALT, aspartate aminotransferase, albumin, TBIL, prothrombin activity (PTA), and alpha-fetoprotein levels, and drinking alcohol, ascites, hepatorenal syndrome, infection and ≥ 2 complications. Multifactor logistic regression analysis showed that the activity of thrombinogen and the number of complications were related to the prognosis.

CONCLUSION: Alcohol influences the patients’ prognosis and condition. PTA and complications are independent factors that can be used for estimating the prognosis of HBV-related liver failure.

Keywords: Hepatitis B virus related liver failure; Chronic hepatitis B; Epidemiology; Prognosis