MELD-Sarcopenia is Better than ALBI and MELD Score in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Awaiting Liver Transplantation

Alsebaey, Ayman; Sabry, Aliaa; Rashed, Hanaa Said; Elsabaawy, Maha Mohammad; Ragab, Amr; Aly, Rasha Abdelhafiz; Badran, Hanaa

doi:10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.7.2005

MELD-Sarcopenia is Better than ALBI and MELD Score in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Awaiting Liver Transplantation

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

¹ Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Egypt.

² Department of Anesthesia, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebeen El-Koom, Egypt.

³ Department of Diagnostic Medical Imaging and Interventional Radiology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebeen El-Koom, Egypt.

10.31557/APJCP.2021.22.7.2005

Abstract

Background: The albumin bilirubin (ALBI) score and model of end stage liver disease (MELD) are prognostic in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Aim was to compare MELD-sarcopenia to MELD and ALBI scores in patients with HCC awaiting liver transplantation. Methods: patients with HCC (n=262) were included and followed up for 12 months. Baseline MELD, ALBI and MELD-sarcopenia models were calculated. Results: The average age was 59.61 ±8.09 years. Most patients were males (69.5%), CTP class A (55.7%) and BCLC stage B (54.2%). Hepatitis C virus was the main cause of liver cirrhosis in most patients (88.9%). The average MELD, MELD-sarcopenia and median ALBI score were 10.65 ±2.54, 15.11 ±6.22 and -2.12 (0.74) respectively. Sarcopenia patients had higher MELD, ALBI and MELD-sarcopenia values. Patients with sarcopenia had lower survival (10.09 months) than those without (11.72 months). The ALBI, MELD and MELD-sarcopenia were associated with mortality. ALBI had AUROC of 0.717 (95% CI: 0.659 - 0.771), MELD had AUROC of 0.656 (95% CI: 0.595 - 0.713) and MELD-sarcopenia had AUROC of 0.798 (95% CI: 0.744 - 0.845). The ALBI and MELD scores had comparable AUROC (p=0.081). The MELD-sarcopenia had superior AUROC than MELD (p=0.001) and ALBI (p=0.05). Conclusion: MELD-sarcopenia is better prognostic model than the ALBI and MELD scores in HCC patients awaiting liver transplantation.

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