Acute kidney injury in patients with decompensated cirrhosis

Recently, Campello and colleagues conducted a fascinating study on acute kidney injury (AKI) and circulating microvesicles levels in patients with decompensated cirrhosis [1]. In this study involving 80 participants, the authors found that AKI induces endothelial dysfunction and platelet activation, and then leading to disorders of blood vessel and cell dynamics in cirrhosis patients, yet AKI does not aggravate systemic inflammation and activation of hepatocytes. However, several concerns need to be pointed out.