BACKGROUND & AIMS: Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) causes/predisposes to advanced chronic liver disease. However, the role of the SERPINA1 Pi∗ZZ genotype in patients with decompensated cirrhosis is unclear. Thus, we evaluated the impact of the Pi∗ZZ genotype on the disease course after the first hepatic decompensation event. METHODS: We retrospectively included 59 adults with decompensated cirrhosis and severe AATD (Pi∗ZZ) from 12 European tertiary care centres. First decompensation was considered as baseline. To compare the course of AATD to other cirrhosis aetiologies, we applied propensity score matching for Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score as well as age/sex. Patients were followed until further decompensation, liver transplantation or liver-related death. RESULTS: Most patients were male (74.6%), with a mean age of 55 years. The most common type of first decompensation was ascites (n = 40; 67.8%), followed by variceal bleeding (n = 13; 22.0%) and overt hepatic encephalopathy (n = 6; 10.2%). Median CTP and MELD (model for end-stage liver disease) scores at first decompensation were 8 and 14, respectively. Median MELD scores were 16 and 20 points at listing and liver transplantation (median time on list: 2.9 [IQR 1.1-7.2] months), respectively. Patients with other aetiologies (subdistribution hazard ratio: steatotic liver disease: 0.62, 95% CI 0.44-0.88, p = 0.007; abstinent alcohol-associated liver disease: 0.50, 95% CI 0.35-0.71, p <0.001; hepatitis C virus-associated cirrhosis: 0.56, 95% CI 0.37-0.83, p = 0.004) had a significantly lower risk of further hepatic decompensation, liver transplantation, or liver-related death, compared to those with Pi∗ZZ. Exchanging further decompensation with acute-on-chronic liver failure yielded similar results. CONCLUSION: Our study defines the course of decompensated cirrhosis in patients with severe AATD (Pi∗ZZ), who are particularly prone to complications of cirrhosis and exhibit a more progressive disease course than those with cirrhosis of other aetiologies. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is an inherited disease that affects the lung and the liver. Carrying two severely dysfunctional copies of the alpha-1 antitrypsin gene may cause advanced chronic liver disease/cirrhosis. Affected individuals with a first complication of cirrhosis are more prone to developing further liver-related events (including multiorgan dysfunction) and requiring liver transplantation (which cures the inherited liver disease) compared to patients who have similarly advanced liver disease. These findings should prompt the development of disease-modifying treatments and early listing for liver transplantation.

• Klíčová slova
• AATD, acute-on-chronic liver failure, advanced chronic liver disease, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, liver transplantation, portal hypertension, variceal bleeding,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Acute liver failure (ALF) is defined as rapid onset coagulopathy and encephalopathy in patients without a prior history of liver disease. We performed untargeted and targeted serum proteomics to delineate processes occurring in adult patients with ALF and to identify potential biomarkers. METHODS: Sera of 319 adult patients with ALF (∼50% acetaminophen [APAP]-related cases) were randomly selected from admission samples of the multicenter USA Acute Liver Failure Study Group consortium and subdivided into discovery/validation cohorts. They were analyzed using untargeted proteomics with mass spectroscopy and a serum cytokine profiling and compared with 30 healthy controls. The primary clinical outcome was 21-day transplant-free survival. Single-cell RNAseq data mapped biomarkers to cells of origin; functional enrichment analysis provided mechanistic insights. Novel prognostic scores were compared with the model for end-stage liver disease and ALFSG prognostic index scores. RESULTS: In the discovery cohort, 117 proteins differed between patients with ALF and healthy controls. There were 167 proteins associated with APAP-related ALF, with the majority being hepatocyte-derived. Three hepatocellular proteins (ALDOB, CAT, and PIGR) robustly and reproducibly discriminated APAP from non-APAP cases (AUROCs ∼0.9). In the discovery cohort, 37 proteins were related to 21-day outcome. The key processes associated with survival were acute-phase response and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α signaling. SERPINA1 and LRG1 were the best individual discriminators of 21-day transplant-free survival in both cohorts. Two models of blood-based proteomic biomarkers outperformed the model for end-stage liver disease and ALFSG prognostic index and were reproduced in the validation cohort (AUROCs 0.83-0.86) for 21-day transplant-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: Proteomics and cytokine profiling identified new, reproducible biomarkers associated with APAP etiology and 21-day outcome. These biomarkers may improve prognostication and understanding of the etiopathogenesis of ALF but need to be independently validated. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: Acute liver failure (ALF) is a sudden, and severe condition associated with high fatality. More sensitive and specific prognostic scores are urgently needed to facilitate decision-making regarding liver transplantation in patients with ALF. Our proteomic analysis uncovered marked differences between acetaminophen and non-acetaminophen-related ALF. The identification of routinely measurable biomarkers that are associated with 21-day transplant-free survival and the derivation of novel prognostic scores may facilitate clinical management as well as decisions for/against liver transplantation. Further studies are needed to quantify less abundant proteins. Although we used two cohorts, our findings still need to be independently and prospectively validated.

• Klíčová slova
• ALF subtyping, Acetaminophen, Acute liver injury, Proteomic profiling,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH