1.
Combination of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and erythropoietin improves outcomes of patients with decompensated cirrhosis
Kedarisetty CK, Anand L, Bhardwaj A, Bhadoria AS, Kumar G, Vyas AK, David P, Trehanpati N, Rastogi A, Bihari C, et al
Gastroenterology. 2015;148((7)):1362-1370.e7.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Patients with decompensated cirrhosis have significantly reduced survival without liver transplantation. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been shown to increase survival in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure, and erythropoietin promoted hepatic regeneration in animal studies. We performed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to determine whether co-administration of these growth factors improved outcomes for patients with advanced cirrhosis. METHODS In a prospective study, consecutive patients with decompensated cirrhosis seen at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi (from May 2011 through June 2012) were randomly assigned to groups given subcutaneous G-CSF (5 mug/kg/d) for 5 days and then every third day (12 total doses), along with subcutaneous darbopoietin alpha(40 mcg/wk) for 4 weeks (GDP group, n = 29), or only placebos (control group, n = 26). All patients also received standard medical therapy and were followed for 12 months. Histology was performed on liver biopsies. The primary end point was survival at 12 months. RESULTS Baseline characteristics of patients were comparable; alcohol intake was the most common etiology of cirrhosis. A higher proportion of patients in the GDP group than controls survived until 12 months (68.6% vs 26.9%; P = .003). At 12 months, Child-Turcotte Pugh scores were reduced by 48.6% in the GDP group and 39.1% in the control group, from baseline (P = .001); Model for End Stage Liver Disease scores were reduced by 40.4% and 33%, respectively (P = .03). The need for large-volume paracentesis was significantly reduced in GDP group, compared with controls (P < .05). A lower proportion of patients in the GDP group developed septic shock (6.9%) during follow-up compared with controls (38.5%; P = .005). No major adverse events were observed in either group. CONCLUSIONS In a single-center randomized trial, a significantly larger proportion of patients with decompensated cirrhosis given a combination of G-CSF and darbopoietin alpha survived for 12 months more than patients given only placebo. The combination therapy also reduced liver severity scores and sepsis to a greater extent than placebo. Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT01384565.Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
2.
Immunomodulatory therapies in neurologic critical care
McDaneld LM, Fields JD, Bourdette DN, Bhardwaj A
Neurocritical Care. 2010;12((1):):132-43.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neurologic disorders with autoimmune dysregulation are commonly encountered in the critical care setting. Frequently encountered diseases include Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis, acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis, and encephalitides. Immunomodulatory therapies, including high-dose corticosteroids, plasmapheresis, and intravenous immunoglobulins, are the cornerstone of the treatment of these diseases. Here we review the efficacy and side effects of immunomodulatory therapies commonly utilized in critically ill neurologic patients in the intensive care setting. METHODS Search of Medline, Cochrane databases, and manual review of article bibliographies. RESULTS The efficacy of high-dose corticosteroids, plasmapheresis, and intravenous immunoglobulins have been studied extensively in GBS, myasthenia gravis, and demyelinating disorders such as multiple sclerosis and acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis. For these diseases, however, the duration of treatment, dosing regimens, and choices among different therapeutic modalities remain controversial. For many of the other diseases (e.g., encephalitis and status epilepticus of autoimmune etiology) discussed in this review, evidence is limited to small case series. CONCLUSIONS There is good evidence for the efficacy and tolerability of immunomodulatory therapies in GBS, myasthenia gravis, and acute central nervous system demyelination, though data to establish superiority of one therapeutic regimen over another remains lacking. For most other conditions, the data for immunomodulatory therapies are limited, and further research is required.