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Abstract: Objective To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of drug-induced hyperacute liver failure (DIHALF) and drug-induced acute liver failure (DIALF).
Methods A total of nineteen patients with drug-induced liver failure (DILF) who underwent
liver transplantation in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January
1st, 2015 to December 31st, 2024 were enrolled and retrospectively analyzed. The patients
were divided into DIHALF group (13 cases) and DIALF group (6 cases). Clinical data (age,
gender, medication types, latency period, preoperative window period, postoperative survival,
laboratory parameters) and pathological features (hepatocyte necrosis, portal inflammation,
cholestasis, bile duct reaction, hepatocyte regeneration, and fibrosis) were compared between
DIHALF group and DIALF group. Results There were no statistically significant differences
in gender, age, type of suspected drugs, pattern of liver injury and surgical approach between
DIHALF group and DIALF group (all P > 0.05). Compared with the DIALF group, the
DIHALF group had a higher proportion of preoperative plasma exchange (84.62% vs. 15.38%,
P = 0.046), higher prothrombin time level (median: 45.70 s vs. 26.70 s, P = 0.048), higher
international normalized ratio (median: 4.05 vs. 2.30, P = 0.035), higher lactate level (median:
3.20 mmol/L vs. 2.10 mmol/L, P = 0.016), and higher drug-induced liver injury mortality
predictive score (median: 12.15 points vs. 9.72 points, P = 0.029); meanwhile, the DIHALF
group had lower direct bilirubin level (median: 115.88 μmol/L vs. 245.99 μmol/L, P = 0.017),
lower platelet count (median: 141.00 × 109 /L vs. 268.50 × 109 /L, P = 0.044), and shorter
preoperative window period (median: 16 d vs. 82 d, P < 0.001); all the above differences were
statistically significant. Liver histopathology results showed that the DIHALF group had more
severe hepatocyte necrosis and less hepatocyte regeneration, but there were no statistically
significant difference in pathological feature scores between the two groups (all P > 0.05).
Conclusions Patients with DIHALF present with more critical illness, faster progression,
more severe liver and coagulation dysfunction, and greater systemic instability. Liver
pathology in DIHALF patients often showed massive or submassive hepatocyte necrosis with
limited hepatocyte regeneration. Early liver transplantation may prolong survival and improve
prognosis in patients with DIHALF
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