OMIP-103: A 35-marker imaging mass cytometry panel for the co-detection of HIV and immune cell populations in human formalin fixed paraffin embedded intestinal tissue.

We introduce a 35-marker imaging mass cytometry (IMC) panel for a detailed examination of immune cell populations and HIV RNA in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) human intestinal tissue. The panel has broad cell type coverage and particularly excels in delineating subsets of mononuclear phagocytes and T cells. Markers for key tissue structures are included, enabling identification of epithelium, blood vessels, lymphatics, and musculature.

Recurrent alcohol-associated hepatitis is common and is associated with increased mortality.

Background And Aims: Alcohol relapse after surviving an episode of alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH) is common. However, the clinical features, risk factors, and prognostic implications of recurrent alcohol-associated hepatitis (RAH) are not well described.

Approach And Results: A registry-based study was done of patients admitted to 28 Spanish hospitals for an episode of AH between 2014 and 2021.

Further decompensation in cirrhosis: Results of a large multicenter cohort study supporting Baveno VII statements.

Background And Aims: The prognostic weight of further decompensation in cirrhosis is still unclear. We investigated the incidence of further decompensation and its effect on mortality in patients with cirrhosis.

Approach And Results: Multicenter cohort study.

Predicting survival in patients with 'non-high-risk' acute variceal bleeding receiving β-blockers+ligation to prevent re-bleeding.

Background & Aims: Pre-emptive transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is the treatment of choice for high-risk acute variceal bleeding (AVB; i.e., Child-Turcotte-Pugh [CTP] B8-9+active bleeding/C10-13).

Alcohol-related liver disease phenotype impacts survival after an acute variceal bleeding episode.

Background & Aims: Alcohol-related hepatitis (AH) encompasses a high mortality. AH might be a concomitant event in patients with acute variceal bleeding (AVB). The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of AH in patients with AVB and to compare the clinical outcomes of AH patients to other alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) phenotypes and viral cirrhosis.

Spatial analysis for highly multiplexed imaging data to identify tissue microenvironments.

Highly multiplexed in situ imaging cytometry assays have made it possible to study the spatial organization of numerous cell types simultaneously. We have addressed the challenge of quantifying complex multi-cellular relationships by proposing a statistical method which clusters local indicators of spatial association. Our approach successfully identifies distinct tissue architectures in datasets generated from three state-of-the-art high-parameter assays demonstrating its value in summarizing the information-rich data generated from these technologies.

Hepatic encephalopathy is not a contraindication to pre-emptive TIPS in high-risk patients with cirrhosis with variceal bleeding.

Background: A pre-emptive transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (pTIPS) reduces mortality in high-risk patients with cirrhosis (Child-Pugh C/B+active bleeding) with acute variceal bleeding (AVB). Real-life studies point out that <15% of patients eligible for pTIPS ultimately undergo transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) due to concerns about hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The outcome of patients undergoing pTIPS with HE is unknown.

An in situ analysis pipeline for initial host-pathogen interactions reveals signatures of human colorectal HIV transmission.

The initial immune response to HIV determines transmission. However, due to technical limitations we still do not have a comparative map of early mucosal transmission events. By combining RNAscope, cyclic immunofluorescence, and image analysis tools, we quantify HIV transmission signatures in intact human colorectal explants within 2 h of topical exposure.

Follow-up evaluation of patients with liver test abnormalities detected during SARS-CoV2 infection.

Abnormal liver function tests (A-LFTs) during admission for coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) are frequent, but its evolution after COVID-19 resolution remains unexplored. We evaluated factors related to A-LFTs during COVID-19 and assessed the liver outcome after patients' discharge. This is a observational study including: (1) retrospective analysis of variables related to A-LFTs during COVID-19; and (2) follow-up evaluation with blood test, transient elastography and liver biopsy in those with persistent A-LFTs.

spicyR: spatial analysis of in situ cytometry data in R.

Motivation: High parameter histological techniques have allowed for the identification of a variety of distinct cell types within an image, providing a comprehensive overview of the tissue environment. This allows the complex cellular architecture and environment of diseased tissue to be explored. While spatial analysis techniques have revealed how cell-cell interactions are important within the disease pathology, there remains a gap in exploring changes in these interactions within the disease process.

Effect of rifaximin on infections, acute-on-chronic liver failure and mortality in alcoholic hepatitis: A pilot study (RIFA-AH).

Background & Aims: Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is associated with a high incidence of infection and mortality. Rifaximin reduces bacterial overgrowth and translocation. We aimed to study whether the administration of rifaximin as an adjuvant treatment to corticosteroids decreases the number of bacterial infections at 90 days in patients with severe AH compared to a control cohort.

On-therapy HBsAg kinetics can predict HBsAg loss after nucleos(t)ide analogues interruption in HBeAg-negative patients. The cup is half full and half empty.

Background: Nucleos(t)ide analogues withdrawal may improve HBsAg loss rates. However, conditions to select patients are not well established.

Aims: to evaluate the impact of HBsAg kinetics before treatment interruption on post-treatment response.

Effects of Albumin on Survival after a Hepatic Encephalopathy Episode: Randomized Double-Blind Trial and Meta-Analysis.

Unlabelled: No therapies have been proven to increase survival after a hepatic encephalopathy (HE) episode. We hypothesize that two doses of albumin could improve 90-day survival rates after a HE episode.

Methods: (1) A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (BETA) was conducted in 12 hospitals.

Hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B core-related antigen kinetics after adding pegylated-interferon to nucleos(t)ids analogues in hepatitis B e antigen-negative patients.

Background: Hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B patients under nucleos(t)ids analogues (NAs) rarely achieve hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss.

Aim: To evaluate if the addition of pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) could decrease HBsAg and hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) levels and increase HBsAg loss rate in patients under NAs therapy.

Methods: Prospective, non-randomized, open-label trial evaluating the combination of Peg-IFN 180 µg/week plus NAs during forty-eight weeks NAs in monotherapy.

AFid: a tool for automated identification and exclusion of autofluorescent objects from microscopy images.

Motivation: Autofluorescence is a long-standing problem that has hindered the analysis of images of tissues acquired by fluorescence microscopy. Current approaches to mitigate autofluorescence in tissue are lab-based and involve either chemical treatment of sections or specialized instrumentation and software to 'unmix' autofluorescent signals. Importantly, these approaches are pre-emptive and there are currently no methods to deal with autofluorescence in acquired fluorescence microscopy images.

Rebleeding and mortality risk are increased by ACLF but reduced by pre-emptive TIPS.

Background & Aims: The relationship between acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and acute variceal bleeding (AVB) is poorly understood. Specifically, the prevalence and prognosis of ACLF in the context of AVB is unclear, while the role of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in the management in patients with ACLF has not been described to date.

Methods: A multicenter, international, observational study was conducted in 2,138 patients from 34 centers between 2011 and 2015.

Mass Cytometry Imaging for the Study of Human Diseases-Applications and Data Analysis Strategies.

High parameter imaging is an important tool in the life sciences for both discovery and healthcare applications. Imaging Mass Cytometry (IMC) and Multiplexed Ion Beam Imaging (MIBI) are two relatively recent technologies which enable clinical samples to be simultaneously analyzed for up to 40 parameters at subcellular resolution. Importantly, these "Mass Cytometry Imaging" (MCI) modalities are being rapidly adopted for studies of the immune system in both health and disease.

Quantification of HBsAg to predict low levels and seroclearance in HBeAg-negative patients receiving nucleos(t)ide analogues.

Background: HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients require long-term nucleos(t)ide analogues(NAs) because loss of surface antigen (HBsAg) is unusual. Low quantitative HBsAg (qHBsAg) levels can identify patients with higher probability of seroclearance. The aim of our study was to evaluate qHBsAg in HBeAg-negative patients receiving NAs to predict a reduction of HBsAg levels and seroclearance.

Effects of alfapump™ system on kidney and circulatory function in patients with cirrhosis and refractory ascites.

The alfapump system has been proposed as a new treatment for the management of refractory ascites. The system removes ascites from the peritoneal cavity to urinary bladder, producing a continuous low-volume paracentesis. The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of treatment with the alfapump™ system on kidney and circulatory function in patients with cirrhosis and refractory ascites.

Aplastic Anemia and Severe Myelosuppression with Boceprevir or Simeprevir-Containing Hepatitis C Virus Treatment.

The addition of the new protease inhibitors (PIs) to peg-interferon (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV), approved for chronic hepatitis C, has clearly improved sustained virological response (SVR) rates although several adverse events have been reported with this regimens, including mild hematological toxicity. Moreover, severe pancytopenia and aplastic anemia during triple therapy with telaprevir has recently been described in seven patients. We report here two cases of severe agranulocytosis/aplastic anemia using boceprevir or simeprevir in interferon-based combination and 2 additional cases of severe myelosupression in IFN-free therapy with sofosbuvir and simeprevir plus RBV.

Impact of anthropometric features on the applicability and accuracy of FibroScan (M and XL) in overweight/obese patients.

Background And Aim: Transient elastography is the reference method for liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in the general population, having lower applicability in obese patients. We evaluated the applicability and diagnostic accuracy of the M and XL probes in overweight/obese patients to establish the most appropriate approach.

Methods: From May 2013 to March 2015, we evaluated patients with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 28 kg/m .

Correction: Neutrophil and Monocyte Function in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Undergoing Antiviral Therapy with Regimens Containing Protease Inhibitors with and without Interferon.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.