Long-term albumin administration in decompensated cirrhosis (ANSWER): an open-label randomised trial.
- Autori: Caraceni P1, Riggio O2, Angeli P3, Alessandria C4, Neri S5, Foschi FG6, Levantesi F7, Airoldi A8, Boccia S9, Svegliati-Baroni G10, Fagiuoli S11, Romanelli RG12, Cozzolongo R13, Di Marco Vito, Sangiovanni V15, Morisco F16, Toniutto P17, Tortora A18, De Marco R19, Angelico M20, Cacciola I21, Elia G22, Federico A23, Massironi S24, Guarisco R25, Galioto A26, Ballardini G27, Rendina M28, Nardelli S2, Piano S3, Elia C4, Prestianni L5, Cappa FM6, Cesarini L8, Simone L9, Pasquale C2, Cavallin M3, Andrealli A4, Fidone F5, Ruggeri M29, Roncadori A30, Baldassarre M1, Tufoni M1, Zaccherini G1, Bernardi M31; Domenicali M, Giannone FA, Merli M, Gioia S, Fasolato S, Sticca A, Campion D, Risso A, Saracco GM, Maiorca D, Rizzotto A, Lanzi A, Neri E, Visani A, Mastroianni A, Alberti AB, Mazzarelli C, Vangeli M, Marzioni M, Capretti F, Kostandini A, Magini G, Colpani M, Laffi G, Gabbani T, Marsico M, Zappimbulso M, Petruzzi J, Calvaruso Vincenza, Parrella G, Caporaso N, Auriemma F, Guarino M, Pugliese F, Gasbarrini A, Leo P, De Leonardis F, Pecchioli A, Rossi P, Raimondo G, Negri E, Dallio M, Loguercio C, Conte D, Celli N, Bringiotti R, Castellaneta NM, Salerno F.
- Anno di pubblicazione: 2018
- Tipologia: Articolo in rivista (Articolo in rivista)
- OA Link: http://hdl.handle.net/10447/345363
Abstract
Background Evidence is scarce on the efficacy of long-term human albumin (HA) administration in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. The human Albumin for the treatmeNt of aScites in patients With hEpatic ciRrhosis (ANSWER) study was designed to clarify this issue. Methods We did an investigator-initiated multicentre randomised, parallel, open-label, pragmatic trial in 33 academic and non-academic Italian hospitals. We randomly assigned patients with cirrhosis and uncomplicated ascites who were treated with anti-aldosteronic drugs (≥200 mg/day) and furosemide (≥25 mg/day) to receive either standard medical treatment (SMT) or SMT plus HA (40 g twice weekly for 2 weeks, and then 40 g weekly) for up to 18 months. The primary endpoint was 18-month mortality, evaluated as difference of events and analysis of survival time in patients included in the modified intention-to-treat and per-protocol populations. This study is registered with EudraCT, number 2008–000625–19, and ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01288794. Findings From April 2, 2011, to May 27, 2015, 440 patients were randomly assigned and 431 were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. 38 of 218 patients died in the SMT plus HA group and 46 of 213 in the SMT group. Overall 18-month survival was significantly higher in the SMT plus HA than in the SMT group (Kaplan-Meier estimates 77% vs 66%; p=0·028), resulting in a 38% reduction in the mortality hazard ratio (0·62 [95% CI 0·40–0·95]). 46 (22%) patients in the SMT group and 49 (22%) in the SMT plus HA group had grade 3–4 non-liver related adverse events. Interpretation In this trial, long-term HA administration prolongs overall survival and might act as a disease modifying treatment in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Funding Italian Medicine Agency. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.