Serum levels of ferritin and transferrin serve as prognostic factors for mortality and survival in patients with end-stage liver disease: A propensity score-matched cohort study.

Background: Patients with end-stage liver disease are known to suffer from a significantly high risk of mortality, but accurate prediction of the course of disease is challenging.

Objective: The study aim was to evaluate the independent prognostic and clinical importance of serum levels of ferritin and transferrin for 90-day survival of patients with liver disease.

Methods: Patients with end-stage liver disease treated during a 2-year period were enrolled retrospectively in a single-centre study. Unmatched and propensity score matching (PSM) analyses were applied.

Results: The study cohort comprised 286 patients with end-stage liver disease, of which 22.9% died during the observational period. High serum ferritin levels and low serum transferrin levels were associated significantly with increased 90-day mortality in the unmatched ( < 0.001) and PSM study population ( = 0.017). Serum levels of ferritin and transferrin had high prognostic capability to predict 90-day survival similar to the Model for End-stage Liver Disease. Patients with serum ferritin values >1030.5 µg/l had a 50% risk of dying within 11 days after measurement, which translated up to a 90-day mortality of 83%.

Conclusion: Serum levels of ferritin and transferrin have independent and excellent capabilities to determine prognosis in patients with end-stage liver disease. Ferritin measurements can reliably identify those with high mortality in daily practice.