Observational Study
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastroenterol. Dec 14, 2014; 20(46): 17516-17524
Published online Dec 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i46.17516
Table 1 Clinical and analytical characteristics of patients with TLR4 polymorphisms and wild-type patients n (%)
Polymorphisms (n = 9)Wild-type (n = 10)P value
Age (yr)63.2 (40-78)61.0 (42-79)0.93
Sex (male/female)6 (67)/3 (33)6 (60)/4 (40)1.00
Etiology (alcohol/HCV/alcohol + HCV/other)3 (33)/3 (33)/2 (22)/1 (11)5 (50)/2 (20)/3 (30)/0 (0)0.5
Child-Pugh score7 (5-9)6 (5-8)0.49
MELD score11 (6-16)12 (6-18)0.62
Serum bilirubin (μmol/L)17.0 (7-41)27.5 (9-60)0.56
Serum albumin (g/L)32.8 (22.7-49.4)35.9 (30.0-43.9)0.34
INR1.10 (1.01-1.48)1.22 (0.96-1.39)0.68
Blood total leukocyte count (× 109/L)5.89 (2.75-11.48)5.67 (3.84-8.57)0.93
Blood neutrophil count (× 109/L)3.30 (2.00-7.78)3.21 (1.61-5.63)0.74
Blood monocyte count (× 109/L)0.59 (0.20-0.98)0.66 (0.38-1.00)0.46
Blood lymphocyte count (× 109/L)1.00 (0.38-2.15)1.41 (0.35-2.22)0.39
Present ascites3 (33)3 (30)1.00
Diuretics6 (67)9 (90)0.30
Beta-blockers4 (44)5 (50)1.00
Norfloxacin prophylaxis5 (55)4 (40)0.65
Table 2 Data of previous complications of cirrhosis in patients with TLR4 polymorphisms and wild-type patients n (%)
Polymorphisms (n = 9)Wild-type (n = 10)P value
Previous ascites9 (100)10 (100)1.00
Previous variceal bleeding4 (44)2 (20)0.35
Previous bacterial infections8 (89)5 (50)0.14
Number of infections/patient2.0 (0-4)0.5 (0-5)0.14
Previous SBP5 (55)3 (30)0.37
Previous hepatic encephalopathy7 (78)2 (20)0.02
Number of episodes of encephalopathy178
Number of episodes of encephalopathy/patient1 (0-5)0 (0-7)0.03
Degree of encephalopathy (episodes) 1/2/3/45/9/1/23/4/0/1
Degree of encephalopathy12.0 (1-4)1.9 (1-4)0.74
Table 3 Spontaneous and stimulated cytokine production by peripheral blood cells in healthy donors and all patients with cirrhosis
Healthy donors (n = 5)All patients with cirrhosis (n = 19)P value
Spontaneous TNF-α (pg/mL)< 30602.4 (96.1-3920.1)0.001
TNF-α after LPS (pg/mL)1693 (1185-3709)2904 (931-5078)0.150
TNF-α after LTA (pg/mL)638.3 (49.7-1958)2440 (241-4798)0.006
Spontaneous IL-6 (pg/mL)< 101537.8 (172.0-26053.9)0.001
IL-6 after LPS (pg/mL)20493 (19499-23042)30219 (1362-32680)0.006
IL-6 after LTA (pg/mL)22157 (17390-27010)30165 (3269-32707)0.005
Spontaneous IL-10 (pg/mL)< 3043.6 (6.5-318.1)0.210
IL-10 after LPS (pg/mL)1309 (590.2-1578)939.9 (120.8-2100)0.890
IL-10 after LTA (pg/mL)499.3 (268.7-816.9)800.4 (80.72-2077)0.150
Table 4 Increment in cytokine production expressed as stimulated/spontaneous production fold change in patients with cirrhosis and TLR4 polymorphisms and wild-type patients
Polymorphisms (n = 9)Wild-type (n = 10)P value
Increment TNF-α after LPS5.3 (1.0-17.4)3.8 (1.1-17.0)0.280
Increment TNF-α after LTA6.5 (1.2-14.4)2.7 (0.2-5.1)0.040
Increment IL-6 after LPS26.0 (14.7-189.9)3.3 (1.1-17.0)< 0.001
Increment IL-6 after LTA35.2 (15.4-183.6)3.0 (1.2-25.6)< 0.001
Increment IL-10 after LPS37.8 (9.3-185.1)6.3 (0.5-143.9)0.006
Increment IL-10 after LTA32.0 (11.3-70.4)3.7 (1.0-23.7)0.002
Table 5 Spontaneous and stimulated cytokine production by peripheral blood cells in patients with cirrhosis not treated with norfloxacin
Polymorphisms (n = 4)Wild-type (n = 6)P value
Spontaneous TNF-α (pg/mL)464.3 (223.6-3920.1)813.1 (591-1573)0.25
TNF-α after LPS (pg/mL)3166 (931.8-5078)2936 (1272-4547)0.76
TNF-α after LTA (pg/mL)2766 (2291-4798)1927 (241.3-4455)0.17
Spontaneous IL-6 (pg/mL)699.4 (320.8-1145.6)5540 (1538-26053.9)< 0.001
IL-6 after LPS (pg/mL)27880 (19100-30070)29000 (24960-32670)0.47
IL-6 after LTA (pg/mL)29660 (27970-30290)29860 (3269-32170)1.00
Spontaneous IL-10 (pg/mL)13.2 (6.5-39.1)135.6 (36.2-318.1)0.02
IL-10 after LPS (pg/mL)949.5 (655-1474)1467 (334.5-2100)0.35
IL-10 after LTA (pg/mL)606.8 (376-1234)897.6 (86.66-1530)0.91