Background/aims: It is important to evaluate the general status of the liver including the structural and inflammatory aspects, as well as the functional aspects, in order to determine a patient's treatment modality and prognosis.
Methods: 55 Child-Pugh class A liver cirrhosis patients confirmed by liver biopsy have been categorized into 4 groups based on the shunt index and p-value(Y= 3.3431-0.8160 ALT/AST ratio-0.0343 X prothrombin time+2.6963 X shunt index, p = e(y)/(e(y)+1)), which was obtained by Thallium- 201 scan; group I - shunt index less than 0.3 and p-value less than 0.7; group II - shunt index less than 0.3 and p-value more than 0.7; group III - shunt index more than 0.3 and p-value less than 0.7; and group IV - shunt index more than 0.3 and p-value more than 0.7. Statistical analyses used were ANOVA, paired t-test, and Chi-square test.
Results: 1. The laboratory data after a 5-year follow-up also showed a significant difference between four groups. 2. In group IV, the Child-Pugh class after 5 years worsened, and complications of liver cirrhosis such as esophageal varix, ascites, and hepatic encephalopathy occurred more frequently. 3. In group II, the laboratory data after a 5-year follow-up indicated some improvement.
Conclusion: It can be seen that even early in patients with initially the same cirrhosis, the course of the illness can progress to a variety of different situations. The measurement of shunt index and the p-value of cirrhosis will be more helpful in the follow-up evaluation and predicting its prognostic index in liver cirrhosis patients.