Blood multiomics reveal a dysregulated lipid mediator-mitochondrial network associated with the outcome of advanced cirrhosis

The mechanisms driving the progression from acutely decompensated (AD) cirrhosis to acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), a high mortality condition, remain poorly understood. In this study, we integrate multiomics and clinical data from 766 AD patients to construct multiscale, multifactorial response networks associated with two major outcomes: ACLF development and death. Among 291 features, 22 are linked to ACLF development and 16 to mortality. These features constitute a network connecting mitochondrial dysfunction with the accumulation of the lipid mediator 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE). In vitro validation of this network in human peripheral leukocytes shows that 20-HETE induces mitochondrial oxidative stress and impairs mitochondrial respiration via a GPR75-Akt signaling pathway. Network features also act as early predictors of AD outcomes, a finding validated in an independent cohort of 580 patients. Here, we show a strong link between dysregulated immunomodulatory lipid mediators and mitochondrial dysfunction driving ACLF development and mortality risk in advanced cirrhosis. The mechanisms underlying life-threatening complications in advanced liver disease remain unclear. Here, the authors show that disrupted lipid signals are linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, helping drive these complications and predict patient outcomes.