Li, Beiling; Hong, Changze; Fan, Zhiping; Cai, Shumin; He, Qinjun; Lan, Xiaoqin; Lai, Qintao; ... Chen, Jinjun; + view all Li, Beiling; Hong, Changze; Fan, Zhiping; Cai, Shumin; He, Qinjun; Lan, Xiaoqin; Lai, Qintao; Ji, Yali; Luo, Wenfan; Li, Junying; Cheng, Xiao; Liu, Miaoxia; Gu, Yixiu; Lu, Guanting; Li, Shaochuan; Wang, Yali; Weng, Xing; Niu, Xiaoyun; Liu, Qifa; Jalan, Rajiv; Chen, Jinjun; - view fewer (2023) Prognostic and therapeutic significance of microbial cell-free DNA in plasma of people with acutely decompensated cirrhosis. Journal of Hepatology , 78 (2) pp. 322-332. 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.10.008.

Preview

Text 1-s2.0-S0168827822031440-main.pdf Download (947kB) | Preview

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Although the effect of bacterial infection on cirrhosis has been well-described, the effect of non-hepatotropic virus (NHV) infection is unknown. This study evaluated the genome fragments of circulating microorganisms using metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in cirrhosis patients with acute decompensation (AD), focusing on NHVs and related the findings to clinical outcomes. METHODS: Plasma mNGS was performed in 129 cirrhosis patients with AD in study cohort. Ten healthy volunteers and 20, 39, and 81 patients with stable cirrhosis, severe sepsis and hematological malignancies, respectively, were enrolled as controls. Validation assays for human cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation in a validation cohort (n = 58) were performed and exploratory treatment instituted. RESULTS: In study cohort, 188 microorganisms were detected in 74.4% (96/129) patients, including viruses (58.0%), bacteria (34.1%), fungi (7.4%) and chlamydia (0.5%). Patients with AD had an NHV signature, and CMV was the most frequent NHV, which correlated with the clinical effect of empirical antibiotic treatment, progression to acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), and 90-day mortality. The NHV signature in ACLF patients was similar to patients with sepsis and hematological malignancies. The treatable NHV, CMV was detected in 24.1% (14/58) patients in the validation cohort. Of the 14 cases with detectable CMV by mNGS, 9 were further validated by DNA RT-PCR or pp65 antigenemia testing. Three patients with CMV reactivation received ganciclovir therapy in exploratory manner with clinical resolutions. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggests that NHVs may have a pathogenic role in complicating the course of AD. Further validation is needed to define whether this should be incorporated in the routine management of AD patients. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: ●Cirrhosis patients with acute decompensation have a non-hepatotropic virus (NHV) signature, which is similar to that in sepsis and hematological malignancies patients. ●The detected viral signature had clinical correlates, including clinical efficacy of empirical antibiotic treatment, progression to acute-on-chronic liver failure and short-term mortality. ●The treatable NHV, CMV reactivation may be involved in the clinical outcomes of decompensated cirrhosis. ●Routine screening for NHVs, especially CMV, may be useful for the management of patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis.

Download activity - last month

Export as CSVXMLJSON

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as JSONCSVXML

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as JSONCSVXML

Archive Staff Only

View Item