Variables Predicting Elevated Portal Pressure in Alcoholic Liver Disease: Results of a Multivariate Analysis

Abstract

In 46 alcoholic patients the association of wedged-to-free hepatic-vein pressure with other variables (clinical, histologic, hemodynamic, and liver function data) was studied by means of multiple regression analysis, taking the wedged-to-free hepatic-vein pressure as the dependent variable. Four variables showed significant independent association with the wedged-to-free hepatic-vein pressure: (i) indocyanine green clearance (p = 0.031), (ii) degree of necrosis (p = 0.023), (iii) degree of hepatic architectural destruction (graded as: preserved architecture, nodules alternating with preserved architecture, totally destroyed architecture) (p = 2.3 × 10′) and (iv) sex (p = 0.0024), male sex being associated with higher wedged-to-free hepatic-vein pressure. The multiple coefficient of determination (R^') was 0.63; thus, 63% of the variation in the wedged-to-free hepatic-vein pressure was 'explained' by variation in these four variables.

Key Words:

• Alcoholic liver disease
• liver architecture
• morphological variables
• multivariate analysis
• portal pressure