Caraceni, Paolo;
O’Brien, Alastair;
Gines, Pere;
(2022)
Long-term albumin treatment in patients with cirrhosis and ascites.
Journal of Hepatology
, 76
(6)
pp. 1306-1317.
10.1016/j.jhep.2022.03.005.
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Abstract
Although proposed for the first time several decades ago, the possibility that long-term human albumin could be effective for the treatment of patients with cirrhosis and ascites has become a topic of scientific and clinical discussion in the last decade. Long-term albumin administration represents a completely different treatment perspective compared to acute or short-term uses of albumin. Results from the ANSWER and the MACHT studies indicate that long-term albumin treatment can be effective, safe and able to modify the course of the disease provided that albumin is given at a sufficient dose and for a sufficient time to restore physiological levels and functions of the circulating molecule, which are compromised, at least partially, in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Further clinical studies and randomised trials are warranted to confirm the clinical benefits of long-term albumin therapy. Important areas for further research include determining the precise target population, the biomarkers of response, the optimal dose and frequency of albumin infusions, the stopping rules, and the cost-effectiveness of treatment in different healthcare systems across the world, particularly in those where the logistical issues and costs related to the periodic intravenous infusions may represent an important limitation to the implementation of this innovative approach in clinical practice. In this review, we will critically analyse the available data on long-term albumin treatment, focusing on the differences that exist between studies, the controversial issues and the future perspectives.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Long-term albumin treatment in patients with cirrhosis and ascites |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.03.005 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2022.03.005 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | decompensated cirrhosis, ascites, long-term albumin treatment, disease-modifying intervention, effective albumin concentration |
| UCL classification: | UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Medicine > Inst for Liver and Digestive Hlth UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Div of Medicine |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10149712 |
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