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World J Gastroenterol. Jul 14, 2026; 32(26): 118957
Published online Jul 14, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i26.118957
Published online Jul 14, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i26.118957
Clinical assessment of malnutrition among patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis: A single-center study in Southern China
Xiao-Qin Wu, Yi-Yan Liu, Hong-Sheng Yu, Kodjo-Kunale Abassa, Li-Li Pan, Bi-Lun Ke, Yun-Wei Guo, Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China
Xiao-Qin Wu, Yi-Yan Liu, Hong-Sheng Yu, Kodjo-Kunale Abassa, Li-Li Pan, Bi-Lun Ke, Yun-Wei Guo, Alcoholic Liver Disease Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China
Co-first authors: Xiao-Qin Wu and Yi-Yan Liu.
Author contributions: Wu XQ and Liu YY contributed equally to this work, as they are co-first authors; Guo YW designed the research study; Wu XQ, Liu YY, Yu HS, Abassa KK, Pan LL, Ke BL and Guo YW performed the research; Liu YY, Pan LL and Ke BL collected the data; Wu XQ, Yu HS and Abassa KK analyzed the data; Wu XQ, Yu HS and Guo YW wrote the manuscript; all authors contributed to the interpretation of the study and have read and approve the final manuscript.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82370599.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, approval No. [2020]02-032-01.
Informed consent statement: All study participants, or their legal guardian, provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—a checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-a checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: The dataset used during the current study is available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Yun-Wei Guo, MD, Chief Physician, Department of Gastroenterology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, No. 600 Tianhe Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, Guangdong Province, China. guoyw@mail.sysu.edu.cn
Received: January 16, 2026
Revised: March 3, 2026
Accepted: April 1, 2026
Published online: July 14, 2026
Processing time: 163 Days and 12.9 Hours
Revised: March 3, 2026
Accepted: April 1, 2026
Published online: July 14, 2026
Processing time: 163 Days and 12.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study identifies a unique malnutrition phenotype in Chinese male patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC), featuring pronounced anemia, hypoproteinemia, and central adiposity despite relatively higher muscle circumferences. Severe zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D depletion correlates with disease severity. Notably, mid-arm circumference remains a robust bedside survival predictor despite the potential confounding effects of fluid retention. Furthermore, the independent prognostic value of serum zinc and vitamin D levels highlights their potential as therapeutic targets. These findings advocate for etiology-specific nutritional assessment and early intervention to optimize clinical outcomes in ALC.