Retrospective analysis of the efficacy and survival associated with cTACE and DEB-TACE in the palliative treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: experience of a tertiary care hospital in southern Brazil.

Objective: To compare conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) and drug-eluting bead TACE (DEB-TACE) in terms of efficacy, survival, and adverse effects in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who are not candidates for curative therapy.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent cTACE or DEB-TACE for palliative treatment between January 2009 and December 2021. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.

Results of transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma as a bridging therapy to liver transplantation.

Objective: To evaluate the degree of tumor necrosis after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), used as a bridging therapy in patients awaiting liver transplantation, and its effect on survival.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study involving 118 patients submitted to TACE prior to liver transplantation, after which the degree of tumor necrosis in the explant and post-transplant survival were evaluated.

Results: Total necrosis of the neoplastic nodule in the explant was observed in 76 patients (64.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis without cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis is an emerging major cause of the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), up to 50% of patients with HCC had no clinical or histological evidence of cirrhosis. It is currently challenging to propose general recommendations for screening patients with NAFLD without cirrhosis, and each patient should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on the profile of specific risk factors identified. For HCC screening in NAFLD, a valid precision-based screening is needed.

Albumin administration in patients with cirrhosis: Current role and novel perspectives.

Mortality in cirrhosis is mostly associated with the development of clinical decompensation, characterized by ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, variceal bleeding, or jaundice. Therefore, it is important to prevent and manage such complications. Traditionally, the pathophysiology of decompensated cirrhosis was explained by the peripheral arterial vasodilation hypothesis, but it is currently understood that decompensation might also be driven by a systemic inflammatory state (the systemic inflammation hypothesis).

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt with transhepatic portal vein puncture guided by ultrasound: a technical alternative.

Objective: Evaluation of an alternative technique to perform transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), using abdominal ultrasound to guide portal puncture.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of TIPS performed from January 2014 to December 2018 in an interventional radiology service. TIPS were performed according to the classic technique, except at the moment of portal branch puncture, when abdominal ultrasound was used to guide it, visualized its path within the parenchyma in real-time.

Albumin in the management of hepatic encephalopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction and objectives It has been suggested that albumin administration could alter the natural history of cirrhosis, and also, that long-term treatment with albumin might be associated with improvement in survival, control of ascites, reduction in the incidence bacterial infections, renal dysfunction, hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and hyponatremia, as well as reduction in length of hospitalization in patients with cirrhosis and ascites. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the role of albumin in the management of HE. Materiales and methods:: This is a systematic review of randomized controlled trials that evaluated the use of albumin in adult patients with cirrhosis and HE.

Current impact of viral hepatitis on liver cancer development: The challenge remains.

Chronic infections due to hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses are responsible for most cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide, and this association is likely to remain during the next decade. Moreover, viral hepatitis-related HCC imposes an important burden on public health in terms of disability-adjusted life years. In order to reduce such a burden, some major challenges must be faced.

The prognostic impact of different stages of acute kidney injury in patients with decompensated cirrhosis: a prospective cohort study.

Aim: To assess the impact of the different stages of acute kidney injury (AKI) on the prognosis of patients hospitalized with decompensated cirrhosis.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of consecutive patients admitted in two tertiary hospitals in southern Brazil. Participants were considered eligible if they were admitted for acute decompensation of cirrhosis.

EVALUATION OF PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS IN A SPECIALIZED OUTPATIENT CLINIC IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL.

Background: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver disease, characterized by necroinflammation and autoimmune etiology. Studies evaluating the characteristics of patients with AIH are scarce in Brazil.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the profile of patients with AIH in a specialized center in Southern Brazil and to verify factors related to treatment response.

Treatment of hepatitis B virus infection in chronic infection with HBeAg-positive adult patients (immunotolerant patients): a systematic review.

Recently, a controversial approach suggesting the early treatment of chronic infection with hepatitis B "e" antigen-positive patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, has been proposed. The objective of this study is to systematically review medical literature regarding treatment of HBV infection in adult chronic infection with HBeAg-positive patients. A systematic review was performed according to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis statement.

Long-term albumin administration in patients with cirrhosis and ascites: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background And Aim: Ascites is a common complication of cirrhosis, and it is associated with increased mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of long-term albumin administration in decreasing mortality and other complications of patients with cirrhosis and ascites.

Methods: A systematic review was performed using MEDLINE and Embase databases.

Role of zinc supplementation in the management of chronic liver diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction And Objectives: Zinc deficiency has been associated with poor prognosis in chronic liver disease. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the role of zinc supplementation in the management of chronic liver diseases.

Materials And Methods: We searched MEDLINE, LILACS, EMBASE, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases from inception to August 2018.

Evaluation of response to hepatitis B virus vaccine in adults with human immunodeficiency virus.

Introduction And Aim: Viral hepatitis is a serious public health problem. The risk of progression to chronic hepatitis in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection occurs in 5-10% of adults and is a leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. Individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may have coinfection with HBV.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure: A comparison of three different diagnostic criteria.

Introduction And Aim: Different criteria are applied for the diagnosis of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Our aim was to compare the performance of different ACLF diagnostic criteria for predicting mortality.

Materials And Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of adult cirrhotic patients admitted to a tertiary hospital for acute decompensation (AD) of cirrhosis.

Transient hepatic elastography has the best performance to evaluate liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Introduction And Aim: The gold-standard for fibrosis diagnosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is liver biopsy, despite its invasive approach, sampling limitations and variability among observers. The objective was to validate the performance of non-invasive methods (Fibroscan™; APRI, FIB4 and NAFLD score) comparing with liver biopsy in the evaluation of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

Material And Methods: NAFLD patients ≥18 years of age who were submitted to liver biopsy were included and evaluated at two reference tertiary hospitals in Brazil with transient hepatic elastography (THE) assessment through Fibroscan™, APRI, FIB4 and NAFLD scores were determined.

Incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic liver disease due to hepatitis B or C and coinfected with the human immunodeficiency virus: A retrospective cohort study.

Aim: To assess the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic liver disease due to hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed, including patients with chronic liver disease due to HBV or HCV, with and without HIV coinfection. Patients were selected in the largest tertiary public hospital complex in southern Brazil between January 2007 and June 2014.

Sarcopenia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Is there a relationship? A systematic review.

Aim: To perform a systematic review to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adult patients with sarcopenia.

Methods: Randomized clinical trials, cross-sectional or cohort studies including adult patients (over 18 years) with sarcopenia were selected. The primary outcomes of interest were the prevalence or incidence of NAFLD in sarcopenic patients.

Incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in outpatients with cirrhosis in Brazil: A 10-year retrospective cohort study.

Aim: To determine the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the impact of HCC surveillance on early diagnosis and survival of cirrhotic outpatients.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, cirrhotic outpatients undergoing HCC surveillance between March 2005 and March 2014 were analyzed. Exclusion criteria were HIV coinfection; previous organ transplantation; diagnosis of HCC at first consultation; missing data in the medical chart; and less than 1 year of follow-up.

Polymorphisms and resistance mutations of hepatitis C virus on sequences in the European hepatitis C virus database.

Aim: To evaluate the occurrence of resistant mutations in treatment-naïve hepatitis C virus (HCV) sequences deposited in the European hepatitis C virus database (euHCVdb).

Methods: The sequences were downloaded from the euHCVdb (https://euhcvdb.ibcp.