Therapeutic implications of granulocyte colony stimulating factor in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure: increased survival and containment of liver damage.

Background And Purpose: Mobilization of bone marrow-derived stem cells by granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) supports hepatic regeneration and may augment clinical improvement in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). The aim of this study is to assess the impact of G-CSF on complications and transplant-free survival in patients with ACLF.

Methods: Thirty-two patients with ACLF defined by Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) criteria were openly randomized to control (group A) or intervention (group B) receiving G-CSF (5 μg/kg/day, for 6 consecutive days) in addition to standard medical therapy with antiviral drugs.