Pediatr Gastroenterol Hepatol Nutr.  2022 Nov;25(6):481-488. 10.5223/pghn.2022.25.6.481.

Effectiveness of High-Volume Therapeutic Plasma Exchange for Acute and Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure in Korean Pediatric Patients

Affiliations
  • 1Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
  • 2Severance Pediatric Liver Diseases Research Group, Severance Children's Hospital, Seoul, Korea
  • 3Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
Liver transplantation (LT) is the only curative treatment for acute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). In high-volume therapeutic plasma exchange (HV-TPE), extracorporeal liver support filters accumulate toxins and improve the coagulation factor by replacing them. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of HV-TPE in pediatric patients with ALF and ACLF.
Methods
We reviewed the records of children waiting for LT at Severance Hospital who underwent HV-TPE between 2017 and 2021. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total and direct bilirubin (TB and DB), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), ammonia, and coagulation parameter-international normalized ratio (INR) were all measured before and after HV-TPE to analyze the liver function. The statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26.0 (IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA).
Results
Nine patients underwent HV-TPE with standard medical therapy while waiting for LT. One had neonatal hemochromatosis, four had biliary atresia, and the other four had ALF of unknown etiology. Significant decreases in AST, ALT, TB, DB, GGT, and INR were noted after performing HV-TPE (930.38–331.75 IU/L, 282.62–63.00 IU/L, 11.75–5.59 mg/dL, 8.10– 3.66 mg/dL, 205.62–51.75 IU/L, and 3.57–1.50, respectively, p<0.05). All patients underwent LT, and two expired due to acute complications.
Conclusion
HV-TPE could remove accumulated toxins and improve coagulation. Therefore, we conclude that HV-TPE can be regarded as a representative bridging therapy before LT.

Keyword

Acute liver failure; Acute-on-chronic liver failure; Therapeutic plasma exchange; Children; Liver transplantation
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