Mani I, et al. - Researchers conducted this study to determine human beta-defensin-1 (hBD-1), a natural antimicrobial peptide expressed in the epithelia of multiple tissues including the digestive tract, levels in different subsets of patients with decompensated cirrhosis including acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), as well as evaluated the relationship with mortality of hBD-1, C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT). For this investigation, they divided 125 patients into three groups: 39 with ACLF (derivation cohort), 46 with acute decompensation without ACLF (AD) and 40 with decompensated cirrhosis without an acute event (DC). Compared to both AD and DC groups, serum hBD-1, CRP and PCT levels were higher in ACLF. In patients with ACLF who died during the follow-up period, high hBD-1 was detected at presentation. Data reported that CRP was a poor predictor of mortality. In patients with ACLF, hBD-1 is an accurate predictor of short-term mortality.