The DECISION consortium has just published a fundamental study in the Journal of Hepatology on immune mechanisms predicting outcomes in patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis (ADC).
By analysing whole-blood RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from over 1,200+ patients, researchers identified maladaptive emergency granulopoiesis (EG) as a key factor in patients at high risk of developing ACLF within 28 days.
- Patients with poor outcomes exhibit transcriptomic features of maladaptive EG, including neutrophil activation and immunosuppressive signatures
- Specific gene markers may help identify individuals at high risk for ACLF and short-term mortality
- Targeting maladaptive EG may present a promising avenue for future therapies to prevent disease progression
The results strongly suggest that neutrophil-granulopoietic perturbations play a pathogenic role in the development of poor outcomes.