Lower platelet counts were associated with 90-day adverse outcomes in acute-on-chronic liver disease patients.

Background: Chronic liver diseases (CLD), including cirrhosis and non-cirrhotic liver diseases, are globally widespread and create a serious disease burden. Platelet count is a clinically accessible and affordable prognostic indicator of liver disease. We investigated the relationship between platelet count and 90-day prognosis in patients with acute-on-chronic liver diseases (AoCLD).

Methods: A total of 3,970 patients with AoCLD from the Chinese Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (CATCH-LIFE) study, which included two prospective multi-center cohorts, were included in the study. We grouped the patients according to the platelet count and analyzed the 90-day adverse outcome (death or liver transplantation).

Results: In the final analysis, 3,939 patients with AoCLD were included, of whom 2,802 had definite liver cirrhosis. The cumulative incidence of 90-day adverse outcomes in patients increased with the change of platelet group (log-rank P<0.001). From univariate and multivariate analyses, platelet count was inversely associated with the incidence of 90-day adverse outcomes in patients (P for trend <0.001). The group with platelet count <20×109/L had the highest risk (odds ratio, 3.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-6.25), with 21 (36.8%) of these patients having adverse outcomes within 90 days. The risk of a 90-day adverse outcome in patients increased by 5% for every 10×109/L decrease in platelet count below 210×109/L.

Conclusions: Lower platelet count was associated with a higher incidence of 90-day adverse outcomes in patients with AoCLD. Even within the normal platelet count range, the risk of a 90-day adverse outcome in patients increased with decreases in platelet count.

Trial Registration: NCT02457637, NCT03641872.