Objective:To investigate the risk factors of anemia and prognostic value of different grades of anemia in patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF).Methods:Anemia grades of 1 163 patients with HBV-ACLF were analyzed and the effect of different grades on prognosis were evaluated. The risk factors related to anemia were evaluated by Spearman rank correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis.Results:Among 1 163 patients, 942 (80.99%) patients had anemia. The incidence of grade 2 and 3 (moderate and severe) anemia in type B and C HBV-ACLF patients was significantly increased ( χ2=72.908, P<0.001). The incidence of macrocytic anemia among type A, B and C HBV-ACLF ranged from 13.0% to 43.98% and 58.33%, respectively( χ2=46.823, P <0.001). The 1-year cumulative survival rate of patients with grade 2 and 3 anemia decreased significantly( χ2=50.179, P<0.001); Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficient between ABC type and anemia grade was 0.319, P<0.001. Logistic regression analysis showed that gastrointestinal bleeding, acute kidney injury (AKI) and ABC types were independently associated with grade 2 and 3 anemia in patients with HBV-ACLF. Conclusions:Anemia grade is closely related to the prognosis in patients with HBV-ACLF. Gastrointestinal bleeding, AKI and ABC types are independent risk factors for grade 2 and 3 anemia in patients with HBV-ACLF.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of N-acetylcysteine （NAC） in the treatment of severe alcoholic hepatitis （SAH）， and to provide a basis for clinical medication for SAH. MethodsA prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted among 172 SAH patients with a Maddrey discriminant function score of >32 points who were recruited by The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from June 2015 to June 2018， and these patients were divided into NAC group with 84 patients and control group with 86 patients. NAC （8 g/day， 28 days） was assessed in terms of its safety in SAH patients， its impact on 28-day biochemical parameters， and its role in improving 28- and 180-day survival rates. A further analysis was performed to investigate the effect of NAC on the 28- and 180-day survival rates of SAH patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure （ACLF-SAH patients） and those without acute-on-chronic liver failure （non-ACLF-SAH patients）. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves， and the Log-rank test was used for comparison of survival curves. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression model analyses were used to investigate independent influencing factors. ResultsNo serious adverse events were observed during NAC treatment， suggesting that NAC had a good safety profile. Compared with the control group， NAC did not significantly improve the 28-day biochemical parameters （all P>0.05） and survival rate of SAH patients （P=0.081）， but it could improve the 180-day survival rate of SAH patients （67.4% vs 81.0%， χ²=4.280， P=0.039）. NAC did not improve the 28- and 180-day survival rates of ACLF-SAH patients （both P>0.05）； NAC did not improve the 28-day survival rate of non-ACLF-SAH patients （P>0.05）， but it could improve the 180-day survival rate of these patients （68.4% vs 88.9%， χ²=4.883， P=0.027）. The multivariate Cox regression survival analysis showed that NAC treatment （hazard ratio ［HR］=2.530， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.334‍ ‍— 4.796， P=0.004，）， Maddrey discriminant function score （HR=3.852， 95%CI： 2.032 — 7.304， P<0.001）， and serum sodium level （HR=1.948， 95%CI： 1.079‍ ‍—‍ ‍3.517， P=0.027） were independent influencing factors for 180-day survival rate in SAH patients. ConclusionNAC has a good safety profile in the treatment of SAH and can improve the 180-day survival rate of SAH patients， and in particular， non-ACLF-SAH patients can benefit from NAC treatment in terms of middle- and long-term survival rates.