BACKGROUND AND AIM: Patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites have a poor prognosis with increased risk of infection related death, as advanced stages of cirrhosis are associated with immunodeficiency. We aimed to investigate immunologically active molecules in ascitic fluid and blood and their potential association to survival.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In an exploratory pilot study; blood and ascitic fluid from 34 patients with liver cirrhosis of different etiology were analyzed for pattern recognition molecules (ficolin-1, ficolin-2, ficolin-3 and MBL) and complement proteins (C4 and C3). An observational follow-up study (minimum 17 months) was conducted to assess the association to all-cause mortality or liver transplantation.

RESULTS: Ficolin-1, ficolin-2, MBL, C4 and C3 in ascitic fluid and ficolin-1, C4 and C3 in blood were significantly (p = .001-.027) lower in patients with Child-Pugh stage C (n = 16, 47%) compared to Child-Pugh stage B cirrhosis (n = 18, 53%). In multivariate COX-regression analysis low levels of ficolin-1(p = .036) and C3 (p = .025) in ascitic fluid and C4(p = .005) and C3 (p = .032) in serum were associated with all-cause mortality or liver transplantation independent of Child-Pugh score.

CONCLUSION: Levels of lectin-complement pathway molecules in ascitic fluid and blood are lower in patients with more advanced stage of cirrhosis. Low C4 and C3 in serum and C3 and ficolin-1 in ascitic fluid are risk factors for all-cause mortality or liver transplantation independently of liver function in patients with cirrhosis and ascites.