Predictors of hepatorenal syndrome in alcoholic liver cirrhosis

Alcoholic liver disease is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and the hepatorenal syndrome is a serious complication. Risk factors for hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) in alcoholic liver cirrhosis are not entirely explored.

To assess the risk factors for hepatorenal syndrome in alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

Consecutive patients with alcoholic liver disease were followed for two months, development of renal failure, classified either as HRS or renal failure not fulfilling criteria of HRS, was the main outcome.

Of 171 patients, 14 (8.2%) developed HRS and 13 (7.6%), renal failure not fulfilling the HRS criteria. A significant difference was found between patients with and without HRS in serum sodium (131.1±3.8 vs. 135.7±5.2; P = 0.003), creatinine, (94.1±26.8 vs. 80.3±20.2; P < 0.001), albumin (23.5±4.9 vs. 29.9±5.8; P < 0.001), INR (1.76±0.45 vs. 1.44±0.41; P < 0.001), bilirubin (252.3±179.4 vs. 91.2±101.0; P < 0.001), MELD (23±6 vs 15±5; P < 0.001) and MELD-Na score (27±5 vs. 18±6; P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis adjusted for sex and age showed that sodium together with creatinine are the strongest HRS predictors, followed by bilirubin with respective odds´ ratios (95% CI) of 1.041 (1.012-1.072) for creatinine, 0.870 (0.766-0.988) for serum sodium and 1.005 (1.001-1.010) for serum bilirubin.

Serum levels of sodium, creatinine and bilirubin are important predictors of the hepatorenal syndrome.