Long-term effect of prophylactic endoscopic injection sclerotherapy on liver function

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Gastroenterology
• Endoscopic Procedures

Background:

• Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a progressive condition affecting liver function.
• Early-stage LC patients require interventions to prevent disease progression.
• Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) is a potential treatment for esophageal varices in LC patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term impact of prophylactic endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) on liver function in patients with liver cirrhosis.
• To compare liver function markers between patients who received prophylactic EIS and those who did not.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 78 patients with Child's A liver cirrhosis.
• Comparison of laboratory data (cholinesterase, total cholesterol) before and after follow-up.
• Inclusion of an EIS group (n=21) and a non-treated control group (n=57).

Main Results:

• In the non-treated group, cholinesterase and total cholesterol levels deteriorated over 3 or more years, particularly in severe-variceal cases.
• In the EIS group, these liver function markers remained stable over the same follow-up period.
• Prophylactic EIS demonstrated a protective effect against liver function decline.

Conclusions:

• Prophylactic endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) may be a beneficial intervention for patients with early-stage liver cirrhosis (LC).
• EIS can prevent the deterioration of liver function markers, such as cholinesterase and total cholesterol.
• This suggests EIS could be a valuable tool in managing early-stage LC and preserving liver health.