Factors related to increased resting energy expenditure in men with liver cirrhosis.

Objective: Hypermetabolism in cirrhosis is associated with a high risk of complications and mortality. However, studies about underlying mechanisms are usually focussed on isolated potential determinants and specific etiologies, with contradictory results. We aimed at investigating differences in nutrition, metabolic hormones, and hepatic function between hypermetabolic and nonhypermetabolic men with cirrhosis of the liver.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) replacement therapy increases albumin concentration in liver cirrhosis: results of a pilot randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background/aims: Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is an anabolic hormone synthesized in the liver whose levels decrease sharply in liver cirrhosis.

Methods: We conducted a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effect of subcutaneous administration of IGF-I (20 microg/kg/day with dose escalation to 50-100 microg/kg/day) for 4 months in patients with alcoholic or primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and subnormal IGF-I levels. Eight alcoholics and one PBC entered the placebo group and seven alcoholics and two PBC the treatment group.