[Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System in liver function replacement therapy]

The molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) method removes from the blood catabolites either free in the plasma water such as uremic toxins and ammonia, taking advantage of dialysis or free albumin bound ones, like hepatic toxins, transferring them from the albumin in the blood to the albumin circulating in a closed loop where toxins are removed by adsorbtion on resins (charcoal and ion exchange resin). The efficacy of the method in removing the hepatic toxins either in the acute or in the acute on chronic liver failure is demonstrated in numerous studies. Based on these findings, 10 patients affected by acute on chronic liver failure were treated. The results demonstrated that the method, powerfully removing ammonia, bilirubin and bile acids (taken as method efficacy markers), reduced the blood concentrations of these molecules remarkably; allowing the elimination of the refractory pruritus (due to the lowering of plasma bile acid levels), an almost constant symptom in chronic liver diseases, especially with cholestasis, and improves other parameters (cholinesterase, alkaline phosphatase and prothrombin activity). These results agree with those reported in the literature concerning the efficacy of MARS in the replacement of the liver detoxifying function.