Patients with acute on chronic liver failure display "sepsis-like" immune paralysis.

Background/aims: Cellular immune depression is linked to high mortality in sepsis, but has yet to be systematically analysed in liver cirrhosis. The aim of the present study was to directly compare functional immune parameters in patients with acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF), severe sepsis, and non-decompensated cirrhosis.

Methods: Patients with ACLF (n=27) were investigated at admission to a medical ICU.