Background: Liver cirrhosis and the child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) score are inseparable entities in liver disease. CTP score is largely known as the mortality and prognosis predictor. Nevertheless, ferritin emerges as a simple biomarker related to prognosis. The study aimed to determine whether there was a significant correlation between serum ferritin levels and CTP score. Methods: The study analysed 54 decompensated liver cirrhotic patients including 17 females and 37 males between May 2016 and May 2017 at the Haji Adam Malik General Hospital, Medan, Indonesia. Ferritin levels were, then, divided into trichotomous cut-off value (< 200 ng/ mL, n = 22; 200–400 ng/mL, n = 5; and > 400 ng/mL, n = 27). Data was analysed using SPSS version 12.0 (continuous variables were assessed by the Kruskal-Wallis test and Chi-square test was used for categorical variables). In addition, Spearman correlation test was used to determine any significant correlation between ferritin levels and CTP score. Results: Based on data analysis, gender and CTP score were related to higher ferritin levels (P = 0.002 and P = 0.018, respectively). Furthermore, a significant correlation between serum ferritin levels and CTP score was obtained in to moderate degree (P = 0.000; r = 0.487). Conclusions: There might be a significant role of serum ferritin levels in predicting mortality and prognosis among decompensated liver cirrhosis patients but it still needs further attention.

Background: Human blood groups may play a key role in various human diseases. An association has been found between ABO blood groups and both infectious and non-infectious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other organs. Dyspepsia is one of the most common encountered gastrointestinal complaints. Aims: To investigate the association between ABO blood groups and severity of dyspepsia symptoms in a specific ethnic group. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Consecutive adult Nias tribe dyspepsia outpatients in the General District Hospital, Gunungsitoli Nias,Indonesia, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire between May–June 2018. The severity of dyspepsia was assessed with the Porto Alegre Dyspeptic Symptoms Questionnaire (PADYQ) scoring instrument. ABO blood groups were determined by a standard direct agglutination test. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed in all participants. Data were statistically analyzed using statistical software. P value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Of 66 patients, 54.5% were males, with median age of 47 years (range, 23–67). Majority of the participants had blood group O (48.5%). The most encountered dyspepsia symptom was epigastric pain (66.7%). Participants with blood group type B had significantly more severe dyspepsia symptoms based on total PADYQ score (p=0.017). Participants with blood group type O were more prone to epigastric pain (p=0.015), while blood group type B to bloating (p=0.01) and early satiation (p=0.02). Conclusion In outpatients from the Nias tribe with dyspepsia, those with blood group type B had more severe dyspepsia symptoms.
ABO Blood-Group System