Decompensated cirrhosis is associated with significantly high mortality resulting from hepatic failure, and liver transplantation seems to be the only viable indication for its management. The objective of this study is to assess if granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), a stimulatory of stem cell in vivo, may be of any benefit for patients with decompensated cirrhosis of liver.

Seventeen consecutive patients with decompensated cirrhosis of liver were recruited in this prospective study. They received injection of G-CSF (30 IU) over a period of 6 weeks (12 injections) in addition to standard of care.

Patients were followed up at the end of treatment and at 12 weeks of treatment. Treatment was well tolerated, and no significant adverse event was recorded in any patient. Fifteen out of 17 (88%) patients were alive at last follow-up. Although serum bilirubin, albumin, and prothrombin time improved in some patients, statistically significant improvement of Child–Pugh score could not be documented.

The study establishes the safety of G-CSF therapy in patients with decompensated cirrhosis of liver. Besides, such therapy may also have survival benefit, although long-term follow-up is needed to assess its real utility in clinical perspectives.

Al Mahtab M, Alam SMN, Moben AL, Raihan R, Alam MA, Rahim MA, Uddin MH, Akbar SMF. Therapy Targeting Stem Cell in Patients with Decompensated Cirrhosis of Liver in a Tertiary Treatment Care Center of Bangladesh. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2017;7(1):113-115.

The study was partially supported by a grant from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh