Turkish J Pediatr
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Apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) has been found to be decreased in adults with cirrhosis, but it has not been routinely used for prognostic purposes thus far. This study was performed to determine apo A-I levels in childhood cirrhosis and to establish some prognostic cut-off values. Apo A-I levels of 78 children with chronic liver disease, 38 of whom had cirrhosis as well, were studied. ⋯ Apo A-I value < 80 mg/dl had 84% specificity and 84% negative predictive value for the high risk group of Malatack's model. Similarly, Apo A-I value < 83 mg/dl had 95% specificity and 87% negative predictive value for the Child-Pugh C group. We concluded that Apo A-I is a sensitive and specific parameter of poor prognosis in childhood cirrhosis.