C-Reactive Protein Levels Predict Improvement in the Liver Functional Reserve by Long-Term Rifaximin Treatment

Objectives: Rifaximin is a non-absorbable antibiotic that has an efficacy for hepatic encephalopathy (HE). We previously demonstrated that rifaximin improved liver functional reserve, but this was a single-center study with a limited number of cases, and there were few cases of long-term use. Here, we conducted a multicenter study to evaluate the efficacy of long-term rifaximin administration on the liver functional reserve. Methods: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted on cirrhotic patients who received rifaximin for more than 12 months. We evaluated the efficacy of long-term rifaximin administration on the liver functional reserve. Results: A total of 65 cirrhotic patients were enrolled. Administration of rifaximin for 12 months significantly improved the Child–Pugh score (CPS) and albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) score. Regarding the parameters of the CPS, albumin scores significantly improved in addition to HE scores at 12 months. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (>0.69 mg/dL) at baseline were the predictive factor for improvement in the liver functional reserve. Conclusions: This study suggests that long-term rifaximin administration may improve the liver functional reserve in cirrhotic patients through improvement in albumin levels. CRP levels predict improvement in the liver functional reserve.