Albumin dialysis has no clear effect on cytokine levels in patients with life-threatening liver insufficiency.

Cytokines play a important role in life-threatening liver insufficiency. They are released within the liver in response to hepatic injury and inflammation. To study cytokine clearance during albumin dialysis treatment (Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System [MARS]), we monitored proinflammatory (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-alpha] and interleukin-8 [IL-8]) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and IL-6) cytokines and the lymphocyte activation marker IL-2sRalpha in 81 consecutive ICU patients displaying serious hepatic decompensation. Cytokine levels were measured before treatment and after the last MARS treatment in 49 acute liver failure (ALF) and 32 acute decompensation of chronic liver disease (AcOChr) patients who were mainly considered for liver transplantation. No significant change in cytokines was observed before versus after the last MARS treatment in the AcOChr group, and only IL-10 decreased significantly in the ALF group. Baseline levels of IL-8 and IL-6 were significantly lower and IL-10 was higher in the ALF group compared with those in the AcOChr group. TNF-alpha and IL-2sRalpha levels did not differ between the groups. After treatment, IL-8 was also significantly lower in ALF patients compared with the levels in AcOChr patients. In this study, MARS therapy did not show a clearly identifiable efficacy at removing circulating cytokines. However, the results revealed that ALF and AcOChr patients displayed different profiles of circulating cytokines.