Human Immunoglobulin Therapy for End-Stage Liver Disease Complicated with Infection: Efficacy and Safety Analysis

Abstract

Background: The incidence of liver diseases is high in China. Although the concept of end-stage liver disease (ESLD) has been proposed, it has not been strictly defined. Infection is a common complication of ESLD. Immunoglobulin has been used in the treatment of related diseases. To explore the efficacy and safety of human immunoglobulin (HIG) therapy for end-stage liver disease (ESLD) complicated with infection. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 101 patients with ESLD complicated with infection admitted to the China Coast Guard Hospital of the Peoples Armed Police Force from May 2019 to May 2023, including 50 patients in the control group who were treated with conventional comprehensive treatment and 51 cases in the observation group receiving HIG in addition to conventional comprehensive treatment. The treatment efficacy, hepatic function parameters, immune function indices, complications, secondary infection rate, as well as mortality rate before and after treatment, were compared. Results: Higher treatment efficacy was found in the observation group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). After treatment, a significant improvement was observed in the levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin (TBiL), and immunoglobulin (Ig) A/G/M in both groups, especially in the observation group (p < 0.05). There were no significant inter-group differences in the incidence of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and electrolyte disturbances (p > 0.05), but the incidences of hepatic encephalopathy and hepatorenal syndrome were lower in the observation group (p < 0.05). The observation group also exhibited lower secondary infection and mortality rates than the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The HIG therapy in patients with ESLD complicated with infection can effectively enhance therapeutic efficacy, improve hepatic and immune functions, and reduce the risk of complications and secondary infection, which is worth popularizing in clinical practice.