Serum Albumin Levels Are Closely Associated with Liver Cirrhosis Reversal: A Multicenter Study on Patients with Hepatitis B/C-Related Decompensated Liver Disease Reveals the Value of Key Biomarkers

This article investigates the relationship between serum albumin (Alb) levels and the incidence of reversal in decompensated liver cirrhosis patients with hepatitis B/C. The study included 734 patients and found that with the increase of Alb levels, the incidence of reversal significantly increased: the reversal rate in the Alb <25.9 g/L group was 20.3%, while in the Alb >34.8 g/L group it reached 53.3%, showing a significant upward trend (χ²=41.730, P<0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that higher Alb levels were an independent predictor of reversal, and the Kaplan-Meier curve indicated a significant difference in cumulative reversal rates among the three groups (Log-rank test P<0.001). The study suggests that higher Alb levels are more conducive to achieving reversal, indicating that Alb is not only an important indicator of liver synthetic function but may also play a positive role in the process of liver function recovery. This result provides an important basis for clinical identification of high-risk patients and the development of individualized management strategies, especially for those with low Alb levels, to strengthen monitoring and prevent secondary decompensation and adverse outcomes. Although the value of exogenous human serum albumin (HSA) supplementation has been widely recommended in the treatment of complications, this study did not find a clear role in promoting reversal, possibly due to the limitations of the retrospective design and incomplete dose records, suggesting the need for further prospective, multicenter studies to verify the true value of HSA in reversing decompensation. Therefore, this study not only deepens the understanding of the reversibility of liver cirrhosis but also provides a direction for the optimization of future intervention strategies.