Phase angle associates with severity and mortality in acute-on-chronic liver failure

Acute-on-chronic liver failure is characterized by acute hepatic decompensation and high short-term mortality, thereby necessitating prompt prognostic assessment. Although phase angle (PhA) has been established as a biomarker in chronic diseases, its prognostic significance in ACLF remains unclear.

In this study, we evaluated PhA in 78 ACLF patients and compared the results with those of two control groups: 45 patients with chronic hepatitis B infection but normal liver function, and 51 patients with abnormal liver function who did not meet the ACLF criteria. Upon hospital admission, comprehensive laboratory parameters were obtained, and PhA measurements were conducted to explore the associations among PhA, organ dysfunction indices, and established prognostic scoring systems for predicting 90-days outcomes in ACLF patients.

Our analysis demonstrated that ACLF patients exhibited significantly lower PhA values compared with both control groups. Notably, non-survivors within 90 days had substantially lower PhA levels than survivors. Additionally, patients with complications, including hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, and infection, showed markedly lower PhA values than those without such complications. Moreover, the combination of PhA with the Chronic Liver Failure - Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA) score enhanced the predictive accuracy of 90-days mortality in ACLF patients.

Phase angle serves as a valuable biomarker for evaluating ACLF severity and predicting short-term mortality, potentially offering a novel approach to risk stratification in ACLF management.