Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Aug 29;2(1):8-15.
doi: 10.1016/j.gastha.2022.07.022. eCollection 2023.

The Prognostic Significance of the Platelet Count in Alcoholic Hepatitis

Jessie A Birnbaum  1 , Howard S Herman  1 , Qi Gao  1 , Mordecai Koenigsberg  1   2 , Samuel H Sigal  1   3
Affiliations

The Prognostic Significance of the Platelet Count in Alcoholic Hepatitis

Jessie A Birnbaum et al. Gastro Hep Adv. .

Abstract

Background and aims: Thrombocytopenia is present in up to 76% of patients with chronic liver disease, and lower platelet counts (PCs) are associated with greater severity of portal hypertension. In this study, we assess the relationship of PC in patients with a clinical diagnosis of severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH) with clinical severity and response to corticosteroid (CS) therapy.

Methods: Clinical characteristics, treatment, and hospital outcomes for patients admitted with SAH were analyzed from an electronic health record system. Patients were categorized based on admission PC (k/uL) into 5 categories: <50, 50-99, 100-149, 150-199, and ≥200. Frequency of complications (acute kidney injury, ascites, and hepatic encephalopathy), length of stay, and admission to an intensive care unit were analyzed across PC categories. Characteristics of patients who did and did not receive at least 4 days of CS therapy were compared.

Results: Among 159 patients, 15 (9.4%) were in the PC < 50 category, 42 (26.4%) in PC 50-99, 51 (32%) in PC 100-149, 23 (14.5%) in PC 150-199, and 28 (17.6%) in PC ≥ 200. A higher admission PC was associated with greater white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, and total bilirubin (P < .05). Patients with higher PC on admission were more likely to receive steroids. PC was inversely associated with Lille score at treatment day 4 (P < .05).

Conclusion: A higher PC in SAH was associated with a greater inflammatory response and total bilirubin. Patients with a higher PC were more likely to receive CS and have a favorable treatment response.

Keywords: Alcoholic Hepatitis; Corticosteroids; Interleukin-6; Platelet Count.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Basra S., Anand B.S. Definition, epidemiology and magnitude of alcoholic hepatitis. World J Hepatol. 2011;3(5):108–113. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Shirazi F., Singal A.K., Wong R.J. Alcohol-associated cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis hospitalization trends in the United States. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2021;55(2):174–179. - PubMed
    1. Thompson J.A., Martinson N., Martinson M. Mortality and costs associated with alcoholic hepatitis: a claims analysis of a commercially insured population. Alcohol. 2018;71:57–63. - PubMed
    1. Moon A.M., Curtis B., Mandrekar P., et al. Alcohol-associated liver disease before and after COVID-19-an overview and call for ongoing investigation. Hepatol Commun. 2021;5(9):1616–1621. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Crabb D.W., Im G.Y., Szabo G., et al. Diagnosis and treatment of alcohol-associated liver diseases: 2019 practice guidance from the American association for the study of liver diseases. Hepatology. 2020;71(1):306–333. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources