Macrophage activation is a prognostic parameter for variceal bleeding and overall survival in patients with liver cirrhosis

Background and Aims: Soluble CD 163 (sCD163) is shed in the blood circulation by activated macrophages, correlates strongly with the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and is thereby a good indicator for portal hypertension. It is unknown if sCD163 correlates with the risk of variceal bleeding and overall survival (OS) in patients with liver cirrhosis. We performed a prospective study to investigate if sCD163 serum levels correlate with the risk of variceal bleeding and with OS in cirrhotic patients. Methods: Patients with liver cirrhosis were prospectively enrolled and followed until death or last contact.…