Randomized Controlled Trial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022.
World J Hepatol. Aug 27, 2022; 14(8): 1667-1677
Published online Aug 27, 2022. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i8.1667
Table 1 Main indicators and drugs used of enrolled patients at inclusion by arms

The test arm, n = 24
The control arm, n = 16
P value
Age, yr48.5 (42.5-59.0)53.5 (44.5-59.0)0.730
Body mass index, kg/m225.4 (22.3-27.9)26.5 (24.3-28.7)0.553
Male/female8/169/70.134
Etiology of cirrhosis: Alcohol12 (50.0)8 (50.0)> 0.050
Metabolically associated fatty liver disease2 (8.3)0
HBV2 (8.3)0
HCV3 (12.5)2 (12.5)
Mixed3 (12.5)3 (18.8)
Cryptogenic2 (8.3)3 (18.8)
Child–Pugh score9 (8-10)9 (8-10)0.730
Child–Pugh class, B/C17/712/40.533
End-diastolic volume of the left ventricle, mL109 (84-116)100 (90-143)0.689
Ejection fraction of the left ventricle, %61.5 (59.4-62.8)59.8 (57.5-62.0)0.263
Stroke volume, mL67 (52-72)58 (55-82)0.689
Heart rate, bpm71 (69-75)70 (69-74)0.709
Cardiac output, L/min4.8 (3.6-5.2)4.4 (4.0-5.8)0.473
Mean blood pressure, mmHg84.7 (80.3-89.7)87.3 (79.8-93.7)0.499
Systemic vascular resistance, dyn· s· cm−51442 (1243-1874)1470 (1255-1744)0.945
Mean pulmonary artery pressure, mmHg23.4 (22.1-25.8)23.4 (20.9-26.4)0.749
Esophageal varices (Grade 1), n (%)8 (33.3)6 (37.5)0.338
Esophageal varices (Grade 2-3), n (%)16 (66.7)7 (43.8)
Minimal hepatic encephalopathy, n (%)18 (75.0)10 (62.5)0.484
Overt hepatic encephalopathy, n (%)2 (8.3)2 (12.5)
Hepatic encephalopathy, n (%)20 (83.3)12 (75.0)0.399
Ascites, n (%)22 (91.7)12 (75.0)0.160
Minimal ascites, n (%)15 (62.5)6 (37.5)0.249
Clinically significant ascites, n (%)7 (29.2)6 (37.5)
Red blood cells as 1012 cell/L3.7 (3.3-4.3)3.6 (3.1-4.1)0.689
White blood cells as 109 cell/L4.3 (3.2-5.6)3.8 (2.6-7.2)0.553
Platelets as 109 cell/ L94 (69-107)94 (48-104)0.669
Serum total protein, g/L73 (63-77)70 (61-77)0.649
Serum albumin, g/L33 (31-36)33 (29-37)0.967
Serum total bilirubin, μmol/L37 (27-64)55 (29-67)0.499
International normalized ratio1.48 (1.39-1.68)1.58 (1.31-1.73)0.978
Serum cholesterol, mmol/L4.1 (3.1-5.5)3.5 (2.6-4.6)0.230
Serum triglyceride, mmol/L1.1 (0.7-1.4)1.0 (0.7-1.4)0.626
Serum creatinine, mg/dL76 (65-88)78 (70-105)0.448
Serum sodium, mmol/L140 (139-141)141 (140-142)0.235
Serum potassium, mmol/L4.3 (4.0-4.8)4.4 (4.1-4.6)0.804
Serum glucose, mmol/L4.7 (4.2-5.7)4.8 (4.6-5.4)0.464
Serum iron, μmol/L13.9 (8.1-20.6)11.3 (7.3-22.0)0.761
Alanine aminotransferase, U/L31 (20-46)26 (20-51)0.782
Aspartate aminotransferase, U/L54 (34-72)52 (38-79)0.945
Gamma glutamyl transferase, U/L82 (28-299)84 (49-118)0.934
Alkaline phosphatase, U/L268 (221-395)214 (173-274)0.098
Cholinesterase, U/L3650 (2861-3961)3803 (2778-4215)0.827
C-reactive protein, mg/L9 (6-15)7 (2-20)0.347
Beta blockers, n (%)17 (70.8)11 (68.8)0.580
Spironolactone, n (%)22 (91.7)14 (87.5)0.529
Loop diuretics, n (%)11 (45.8)7 (43.8)0.578
Ademetionine, n (%)15 (62.5)9 (56.3)0.472
Entecavir or tenofovir, n (%)2 (8.3)00.354
Table 2 Calculations of hemodynamic parameters
Parameter
Calculation
End-diastolic and end-systolic volume of the left ventricleModified Simpson’s disk method
Ejection fraction of the left ventricle[(End-diastolic volume) – (end-systolic volume)]/(end-diastolic volume)
Stroke volume(Doppler velocity time integral) × (cross-sectional aorta area)[41]
Mean arterial pressure[(systolic blood pressure)+2 × (diastolic blood pressure)]/3
Cardiac output(Stroke volume) × (heart rate)
Systemic vascular resistance(Mean arterial pressure)/(cardiac output)
Systolic pulmonary artery pressure(Right atrium pressure estimated from diameter of inferior vena cava and respiratory changes) + 4 × (the peak velocity of the tricuspid valve regurgitant jet)2[39,40]
Mean pulmonary artery pressure0.61 × (systolic pulmonary artery pressure) + 2 mmHg[42]
Table 3 Changes of the main indicators of the included patients after treatment

The test arm (n = 24)
The control arm (n = 16)
P value
Body mass index, kg/m2-0.2 (-0.9-1.5)0.0 (0.0-0.5)0.281
Child–Pugh score-1.5 [-3.0-(-0.5)]0 (-0.5-1.5)0.001
Child–Pugh class (from B or C to A), n (%)8 (33.3)1 (6.3)0.048
End-diastolic volume of the left ventricle, mL-13 [-17-(-10)]0 (-3-12)< 0.001
Ejection fraction of the left ventricle, %0.5 (-0.7-0.3)0.0 (0.0-0.3)0.590
Stroke volume, mL-7 [-12-(-4)]0 (-3-8)< 0.001
Heart rate, bpm2 (-4-8)-2 (-7-7)0.234
Cardiac output, L/min-0.5 [-1.0-(-0.1)]0.3 (-0.3-0.9)0.026
Mean blood pressure, mmHg1.8 (-1.7-7.5)3.8 (-3.3-15.3)0.847
Systemic vascular resistance, dyn· s· cm−5237 (39-358)30 (-200-227)0.026
Mean pulmonary artery pressure, mmHg0.0 (-2.1-0.6)1.2 (0.0-1.8)0.043
Esophageal varices, a decrease in grade, n (%)2 (4.3)00.354
Esophageal varices, an increase in grade, n (%)00-
Regression hepatic encephalopathy, n (%)8 (33.3)1 (6.3)0,048
Ascites, a decrease in degree, n (%)15 (62.4)4 (25.0)0.022
Ascites, an increase in degree, n (%)1 (4.2)3 (18.8)0.167
Red blood cells as 1012 cell/L0.2 (-0.1-0.5)0.2 (-0.1-0.4)0.730
White blood cells as 109 cell/L0.1 (-1.2-0.6)-0.1 (-2.1-0.7)0.782
Platelets as 109 cell/ L11 (4-32)-6 (-14-1)< 0.001
Serum total protein, g/L-0.2 (-4.2-8.9)-1.4 (-3.5-5.6)0.793
Serum albumin, g/L3.0 (0.6-7.7)-3.1 (-5.1-2.4)0.001
Serum total bilirubin, μmol/L-5.1 [-23.9-(-0.9)]-3.7 (-10.0-17.2)0.181
International normalized ratio0.0 (-0.1-0.1)0.0 (-1.0-0.1)0.544
Serum cholesterol, mmol/L0.2 (-0.4-1.2)0.5 (-1.0-2.0)0.571
Serum triglyceride, mmol/L0.1 (-0.2-0.2)0.1 (-0.6-0.4)0.836
Serum creatinine, mg/dL2.4 (-9.1-8.1)-3.5 (-11.2-4.2)0.264
Serum sodium, mmol/L1.5 (0.5-3.0)-1 (-3-2)0.048
Serum potassium, mmol/L0.0 (-0.4-1.2)0.1 (-0.2-0.3)0.523
Serum glucose, mmol/L0.4 (-0.1-0.7)0.0 (-0.9-0.8)0.423
Alanine aminotransferase, U/L-1 (-15-6)2 (-15-8)0.740
Aspartate aminotransferase, U/L-9 (-32-1)-2 (-26-20)0.116
Gamma glutamyl transferase, U/L-8 (-171-11)6 (-15-23)0.039
Alkaline phosphatase, U/L-40 (-95-3)26 (-57-91)0.016
Cholinesterase, U/L257 (28-734)-155 [-239-(-68)]0.016
C-reactive protein, mg/L-3.0 [-4.5-(-0.5)]1.0 (-2.0-4.5)0.044