Abstract:

Objective To analyze the value of peripheral blood mucous ⁃associated invariant T（MAIT） cell level on the 90⁃day prognosis of patients with acid⁃on⁃chronic liver failure（ACLF）. Methods The ratio of MAIT cells to CD3+ T cells in peripheral blood of 51 ACLF patients and 30 healthy controls was determined by flow cytometry. The expression level of MAIT cells in ACLF patients and control subjects was compared. At the same time，the ratio of MAIT cells of ACLF patients was compared with that of patients with virus infection or other chronic liver diseases. According to the 90 ⁃ day survival，the patients were divided into improvement group and death group. After logistic regression analysis of risk factors for death in patients with ACLF，the patients were divided into high expression group and low expression group according to the median of MAIT cell proportion as the demarcation value. The Kaplan ⁃ Meier method was used to draw the survival curve. Results The proportion of MAIT cells in peripheral blood of ACLF patients（2.03 ± 1.19）% was significantly lower than that of control group （5.07 ± 1.22）%（P < 0.05），and the change was not related to virus infection［（2.08 ± 1.27）% vs.（1.82 ± 0.81）%， P > 0.05］. MAIT cell level in ACLF patients with basic cirrhosis was significantly lower than that in patients without cirrhosis［（1.69 ± 0.84）% vs.（3.29 ± 1.49）%，P < 0.05］. MAIT cell level in decompensated cirrhosis patients（1.54 ± 0.80）% was lower than that in compensated cirrhosis patients（2.18 ± 0.80）%（P < 0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the proportion of MAIT cells and the model for end stage liver disease（MELD）score were risk factors for the prognosis of ACLF patients（P < 0.01）. According to the median MAIT ratio at admission（1.96%），ACLF patients were divided into high MAIT group（≥ 1.96% ，26 cases）and low MAIT group（< 1.96%，25 cases）. Kaplan⁃Meier method was used to draw the survival curve. The survival rate of MAIT ≥ 1.96% was 80.77%，while MAIT < 1.96% 36.00%，and the difference in survival between the high MAIT group and the low MAIT group was statistically significant（P = 0.000 3）. Conclusion The level of MAIT cells in peripheral blood is of certain value in predicting the 90⁃day prognosis of ACLF patients.

Key words:

acute?on?chronic liver failure, mucosal associated invariant T cells, short period, progress