AIM: To elucidate influencing factors of treatment response, then tolvaptan has been approved in Japan for liquid retention.METHODS: We herein conducted this study to clarify the influencing factors in 40 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis complicated by liquid retention. Tolvaptan was administered at a dosage of 7.5 mg once a day for patients with conventional diuretic-resistant hepatic edema for 7 d. At the initiation of tolvaptan, the estimated hepatic venous pressure gradient(HVPG) value which was estimated portal vein pressure was measured using hepatic venous catheterization. We analyzed the effects of tolvaptan and influencing factors associated with treatment response.RESULTS: Subjects comprised patients with a median age of 65(range, 40-82) years. According to the ChildPugh classification, class A was 3 patients, class B was 19, and class C was 18. Changes from the baseline in body weight were-1.0 kg(P = 2.04 × 10~(-6)) and-1.3 kg(P = 1.83 × 10~(-5)), respectively. The median HVPG value was 240(range, 105-580) mm H2 O. HVPG was only significant influencing factor of the weight loss effect. When patients with body weight loss of 2 kg or greater from the baseline was defined as responders, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal HVPG cutoff value was 190 mm H_2 O in predicting treatment response. The response rate was 87.5%(7/8) in patients with HVPG of 190 mm H2 O or less, whereas it was only 12.5%(2/16) in those with HVPG of greater than 190 mm H2O(P = 7.46 × 10~(-4)). We compared each characteristics factors between responders and non-responders. As a result, HVPG(P = 0.045) and serum hyaluronic acid(P = 0.017) were detected as useful factors.CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that tolvaptan in the treatment of liquid retention could be more effective for patients with lower portal vein pressure. AIM: To elucidate influencing factors of treatment response, then tolvaptan has been approved in Japan for liquid retention. METHODS: We conducted a study of clarify the influencing factors in 40 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis complicated by liquid retention. Tolvaptan was administered at a dosage the 7.5 mg once a day for patients with conventional diuretic-resistant hepatic edema for 7 d. At the initiation of tolvaptan, the estimated hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) value which was estimated portal vein pressure was measured using hepatic venous catheterization. We analyzed the effects of tolvaptan and influencing factors associated with treatment response .RESULTS: Subjects comprised patients with a median age of 65 (range, 40-82) years. According to the ChildPugh classification, class A was 3 patients, class B was 19, and class C was 18. Changes from the baseline in body weight were-1.0 kg (P = 2.04 × 10 -6) and -1.3 kg (P = 1.83 × 10 -5), respectively. The median HVPG value was 240 (range, 105-580) mm H2 O. HVPG was only significant stressing factor of the weight loss effect. When patients with body weight loss of 2 kg or greater from the baseline was defined as responders, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal HVPG cutoff value was 190 mm H 2 O in predicting treatment response. The response rate was 87.5% (7/8) in patients with HVPG of 190 mm H 2 O or less, but it was only 12.5% ​​( 2/16) in those with HVPG of greater than 190 mm H2O (P = 7.46 × 10 -4). We compared each characteristic factors between responders and non-responders. As a result, HVPG (P = 0.045) and serum hyaluronic acid (P = 0.017) were detected as useful factors. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that tolvaptan in the treatment of liquid retention could be more effective for patients with lower portal vein pressure.