Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of participants.
| Characteristics | Healthy Controls (n = 18) |
Cirrhosis (n = 18) | p Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age (years) | 48.72 ± 8.63 | 49.89 ± 11.49 | 0.733 a |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 25.85 ± 2.86 | 24.66 ± 3.82 | 0.355 b |
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 15.1 ± 0.9 | 8.66 ± 2.4 | 0.000 a |
| Platelets (109/µL) | 229.59 ± 63.5 | 140.32 ± 90.18 | <0.002 a |
| White blood cells (109/µL) | 5.68 ± 1.42 | 17.13 ± 14.23 | 0.000 b |
| Neutrophils (109/µL) | 3.29 ± 1.05 | 14.01 ± 12.92 | 0.000 b |
| Lymphocytes (109/µL) | 1.8 ± 0.43 | 1.53 ± 0.94 | <0.001 b |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dL) | 0.67 ± 0.17 | 7.72 ± 8.99 | 0.000 b |
| Direct bilirubin (mg/dL) | 0.13 ± 0.05 | 2.26 ± 3.74 | <0.002 b |
| GGT (IU/L) | 25.67 ± 13.07 | 116.22 ± 92.83 | 0.000 b |
| Albumin (g/dL) | 4.47 ± 0.32 | 2.1 ± 0.58 | 0.000 b |
| ALT (U/L) | 26.94 ± 12.91 | 31 ± 17.07 | 0.284 a |
| AST (IU/L) | 22.89 ± 9.23 | 79.06 ± 46.98 | 0.000 b |
| ALP (IU/L) | 69.67 ± 22.21 | 142.39 ± 59.78 | 0.000 b |
| Total protein (g/dL) | 7.16 ± 0.47 | 2.94 ± 1.35 | 0.000 b |
| Creatinine (mg/dL) | 0.82 ± 0.12 | 1.42 ± 0.86 | <0.008 b |
| Prothrombin time (s) | 11.49 ± 0.77 | 23.26 ± 8.55 | 0.000 b |
| INR | 1.09 ± 0.08 | 2.13 ± 0.79 | 0.000 b |
| Sodium (mmol/L) | N/A | 131.94 ± 6.46 | N/A |
| Child–Pugh score | N/A | 11.39 ± 1.33 | N/A |
| MELD-Na score | N/A | 28.11 ± 6.69 | N/A |
| Prior or actual HE | N/A | 16 (88.9) | N/A |
| West Haven grade (1/2/3/4) | N/A | 1/8/7/0 | N/A |
| Ascites | N/A | 14 (77.8) | N/A |
| Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) | N/A | 6 (33.3) | N/A |
| Acute kidney injury | N/A | 5 (27.8) | N/A |
| Lactulose | N/A | 18 (100) | N/A |
| Mean arterial pressure (mmHg) | N/A | 78.06 ± 12.05 | N/A |
| Duration of antibiotic treatment (days) | N/A | 3.94 ± 4.15 | N/A |
| Antibiotic type c (n) | 0 | 18 | N/A |
| Only ceftriaxone | - | 4 | |
| Ceftriaxone + rifaximin | - | 5 | |
| Ceftriaxone + other | - | 3 | |
| Others | - | 6 | |
| Use of proton pump inhibitors | 0 (0) | 8 (44.4) | N/A |
| Infection at admission | N/A | 10 (55.6) | N/A |
| Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio | 1.87 ± 0.58 | 10.01 ± 10.46 | 0.000 b |
| AST/ALT ratio | 0.93 ± 0.26 | 5.89 ± 1.57 | 0.000 b |
| APRI index | 0.22 ± 0.13 | 1.49 ± 1.16 | 0.000 b |
| FIB-4 index | 1.1 ± 0.66 | 6.55 ± 4.04 | 0.000 b |
Abbreviations: N/A (not assessed), BMI (body mass index), HE (hepatic encephalopathy), MELD-Na (Model for End-stage Liver Disease-Sodium), GGT (gamma-glutamyltransferase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), INR (international normalized ratio), APRI (AST to Platelet Ratio Index). Data are expressed as means ± standard deviation or number of patients (%). a Student’s t-test, b Mann-Whitney U test. c Antibiotic treatment was categorized in 4 groups: only ceftriaxone, ceftriaxone plus rifaximin, ceftriaxone plus other, and others (clarithromycin, piperacillin/tazobactam, linezolid, metronidazole, levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin). Patients could receive more than one antibiotic.