Trends in Eating Habits and Body Weight Status, Perception Patterns and Management Practices among First-Year Students of Kaunas (Lithuania) Universities, 2000-2017.

Students' transition from high school to university is accompanied by lifestyle changes. This study aimed to assess trends in students' body weight status, perception, management practices and eating habits from 2000 to 2017. Three cross-sectional surveys were carried out among the first-year students of five Kaunas (Lithuania) universities in 2000, 2010 and 2017.

SERPINA1 and HSD17B13 Gene Variants in Patients with Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SERPINA1 (Pi*Z rs28929474 and Pi*S rs17580) are risk factors for developing liver cirrhosis. A recent study identified a common SNP in HSD17B13 (rs72613567) that conferred protection from chronic liver disease. The aim of the present study was to test these associations in a cohort of Lithuanian patients with liver fibrosis or cirrhosis.

Plasma Nogo-A and placental growth factor levels are associated with portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Background: Clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) and severe portal hypertension (SPH) increase the risk for decompensation and life-threatening complications in liver cirrhosis. Pathologic angiogenesis might contribute to the formation of these conditions. Placental growth factor (PlGF) and Nogo-A protein are biomarkers of pathological angiogenesis, but data on their role in liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension is scarce.

and Gene Variants in Liver Fibrosis and Cirrhosis.

Previous large-scale genetic studies identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the and genes as risk factors for alcoholic liver cirrhosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. In this study, we tried to evaluate the association between variant and variant and the risk of hepatic fibrosis or liver cirrhosis of different etiology. In parallel, we also aimed to evaluate whether these two SNPs modify the effects of the risk variant for the development of hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis.

Budesonide is more effective than mesalamine or placebo in short-term treatment of collagenous colitis.

Background & Aims: Studies reporting that budesonide is effective for the treatment of collagenous colitis have been small and differed in efficacy measures. Mesalamine has been proposed as a treatment option for collagenous colitis, although its efficacy has never been investigated in placebo-controlled trials. We performed a phase 3, placebo-controlled, multicenter study to evaluate budesonide and mesalamine as short-term treatments for collagenous colitis.

Prevalence of hepatitis B virus chronic carriers and risk factors for hepatitis B virus infection among Lithuanian army soldiers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of hepatitis B serological markers (hepatitis B virus (HBV) superficial antigen (HBsAg)) and risk factors for HBV infection among Lithuanian Army soldiers. The study was carried out in Lithuanian military subunits in 2003. Serum samples were draw from 1,830 soldiers (average age, 21.

Disease-specific health-related quality of life and its determinants in liver cirrhosis patients in Lithuania.

Aim: To evaluate disease-specific quality of life (QOL) in liver cirrhosis patients and to compare it with those of a healthy population. Also an important objective was to assess whether QOL in liver cirrhosis patients differs by age and gender, by type and severity of disease.

Methods: The case group of 131 liver cirrhosis patients was selected.