Table 1.
Features of patients with and without hepatic encephalopathy
| HE (n = 17) | No HE (n = 8) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcoholic etiology | 58% | 37% | 0.41 |
| Prior variceal bleeding | 23% | 0% | 0.07 |
| Prior SBP | 0% | 0% | 1.0 |
| Renal insufficiency | 0% | 18% | 0.09 |
| Clinically evident ascites | 29% | 47% | 0.65 |
| Median daily bowel movements | 2 | 1 | 0.02 |
| Proton pump inhibitor therapy | 94% | 86% | 0.51 |
| MELD score | 17 ± 6 | 12 ± 5 | 0.048 |
| Venous ammonia | 52 ± 28 | 31 ± 21 | 0.148 |
| WBC count, /mm3 | 5.2 ± 2 | 5 ± 3 | 0.33 |
| Endotoxin | 0.27 ± 0.24 | 0.059 ± 0.012 | 0.002 |
| IL-1b, pg/ml | 6.2 ± 11.1 | 1.07 ± 0.55 | 0.06 |
| IFN-γ, pg/ml | 11.3 ± 26.6 | 1.6 ± 1.8 | 0.148 |
| IL-10, pg/ml | 8.21 ± 8.70 | 2.9 ± 1.5 | 0.022 |
| IL-23, pg/ml | 1842 ± 4873 | 317 ± 359 | 0.205 |
| IL-17, pg/ml | 32.1 ± 81.3 | 4.53 ± 5.27 | 0.107 |
| IL-6, pg/ml | 67.8 ± 72.2 | 9.3 ± 7.8 | 0.004 |
| IL-2, pg/ml | 48 ± 91 | 2.7 ± 2 | 0.04 |
| TNF-α, pg/ml | 7.01 ± 4.09 | 4.33 ± 2.33 | 0.05 |
| IL-13, pg/ml | 32.0 ± 17.2 | 0.80 ± 0.02 | 0.0001 |
Applicable values are means ± SD. There were significant differences at baseline between those with and without HE with respect to endotoxemia and inflammation, all of which were significantly worse in patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE). As expected, patients with HE had a significantly higher model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and a higher number of daily bowel movements because they were on lactulose.
SBP, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis; WBC, white blood cells.