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Objective Hepatitis B virus–associated decompensated cirrhosis (HBV-DeCi) is difficult to cure and has a very high risk of mortality. However, prediction of its prognosis is challenging. The C-reactive protein–to–lymphocyte ratio (CLR) is a newly discovered inflammatory indicator, but its role in HBV-DeCi remains unclear. In the present study, we sought to determine the prognostic role of the CLR in patients with HBV-DeCi. Materials and Methods This retrospective study enrolled 134 patients with HBV-DeCi. Independent prognostic markers were identified using multivariate regression analysis. Results The 30-day mortality rate was 12.7% (n = 17). The CLR was markedly higher in nonsurvivors compared with survivors. The multivariate analysis identified a high CLR as an independent risk factor for mortality. Conclusion We found that the CLR is an effective and simple prognostic marker in patients with HBV-DeCi.

Objective To study the value of serum soluble CD14 subtype (sCD14-ST) in early diagnosis of sepsis. Methods Seventy-two patients were diagnosed with systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, or septic shock. Peripheral blood was collected at 0, 12, 24, and 48 hours after admission to the hospital. Levels of sCD14-ST, procalcitonin (PCT), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cells (WBC) were determined. Results Levels of sCD14-ST in the patients with septic shock were higher than those in the other patients (P < .01) and peaked at 48 h. PCT and CRP levels were similar in the patients at admission but increased by 5 times to 10 times in the next 48 h, especially in the patients with septic shock. WBC levels remained high and did not change dramatically. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity values of sCD14-ST to diagnose sepsis were much higher than those of the other markers. Conclusion Compared with PCT, CRP, and WBC, sCD14-ST is a better biomarker for the early diagnosis of sepsis.