Extracorporeal liver support with molecular adsorbents recirculating system in patients with severe acute alcoholic hepatitis.

Background/aims: The mortality of patients with severe acute alcoholic hepatitis (AH) remains high, leading to interest in the use of extracorporeal liver support. The molecular adsorbents recirculating system (MARS) is a liver support device based upon a hollow fibre module in which the patient's blood is dialyzed across an albumin-impregnated membrane. The aim of this paper is to assess the safety, efficacy and feasibility of using MARS in patients with severe AH.

Methods: Eight patients (all encephalopathic; hepatorenal syndrome: Type 1, five patients; Type 2, two patients) were treated with MARS. Clinical, biochemical and haemodynamic assessments were done.

Results: Five patients were discharged from hospital, and four are alive at 3 months of follow-up, compared with an estimated survival of about 20%. There were significant improvement in serum bilirubin (P=0.008), creatinine (P=0.02), prothrombin time (P=0.04), and grade of encephalopathy (P=0.05). Sustained improvements in mean arterial pressure, systemic vascular resistance and cardiac output were observed. Thrombocytopaenia was the only MARS-related adverse event observed.

Conclusions: MARS resulted in improved liver biochemistry, cardiovascular haemodynamics, renal function and encephalopathy in patients with severe AH, with an apparent reduction in mortality. On this basis, a multi-centre, randomized clinical trial has been initiated.