1.Serum Ferritin Levels: A Potential Biomarker to Represent Child-Turcotte-Pugh Score among Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis Patients
Taufik Sungkar ; Muhammad Fakhrur Rozi ; Leo Basa Dairi ; Lukman Hakim Zain
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2019;26(2):59-65
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.