Gut-brain Axis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome During the Lockdown due to the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A Survey-based Study.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is influenced by various factors, including socioemotional stressors. The COVID-19 lockdown created a unique environment characterized by reduced social interactions, potentially impacting IBS symptoms.

Aim: To assess how lockdown measures affected symptoms related to the gut-brain axis in IBS patients in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Tannin-based supplementation influences gut microbiota composition and activity in IBS-D patients with a potential impact on symptoms: a pilot study.

As the involvement of the intestinal microbiota in the etiopathology of irritable bowel syndrome, subtype diarrhoea (IBS-D) is now increasingly recognised, a preliminary, quasi-experimental, before-after and prospective study was conducted on 28 patients to test the effect of a tannin-based supplement on the composition and activity of the microbiota, after 8 weeks of treatment. No statistically significant differences were found in α- or β-diversity. However, sparse Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (sPLS-DA) and Boruta algorithm did reveal significant changes in the relative abundance of specific groups of bacteria, highlighting the involvement of recognized of IBS-D biomarkes, namely (adj = 3.

Towards evidence-based empiric antibiotic recommendations for spontaneous infections in patients with cirrhosis.

Background: With the emergence of multidrug-resistant infections, healthcare professionals must evaluate the effectiveness of empiric antibiotic treatments.

Aims: To assess the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of microorganisms causing spontaneous infections in patients with cirrhosis and to evaluate the suitability of empiric antibiotic treatments based on major clinical guidelines.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized two datasets from prospective studies of patients with cirrhosis and culture-positive spontaneous bacterial infections in Argentina and Uruguay.

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.

Icteric Variant of Stauffer Syndrome as a Paraneoplastic Manifestation of Type 1 Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Intrahepatic cholestasis as a paraneoplastic manifestation was first described by Dr. Maurice H. Stauffer in 1961.

Implementation of a re-linkage to care strategy in patients with chronic hepatitis C who were lost to follow-up in Latin America.

To achieve WHO's goal of eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV), innovative strategies must be designed to diagnose and treat more patients. Therefore, we aimed to describe an implementation strategy to identify patients with HCV who were lost to follow-up (LTFU) and offer them re-linkage to HCV care. We conducted an implementation study utilizing a strategy to contact patients with HCV who were not under regular follow-up in 13 countries from Latin America.

Bezafibrate therapy in primary biliary cholangitis refractory to ursodeoxycholic acid: a longitudinal study of paired liver biopsies at 5 years of follow up.

Background: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the first-line therapy for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, nearly 40% of patients have an incomplete response to UDCA. The addition of bezafibrate has shown biochemical benefit in this group of patients.

Analysis of The Left Atrial Function Using Two-Dimensional Strain in Patients with Recent Diagnosis of Hereditary Hemochromatosis.

Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic condition associated with a systemic iron overload. Heart failure is an important cause of mortality. It has been demonstrated early stages of systolic and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction in previous studies.

Comparison of different prognostic scores for patients with cirrhosis hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Introduction And Objectives: Viral infections have been described to increase the risk of decompensation in patients with cirrhosis. We aimed to determine the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on outcome of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and to compare the performance of different prognostic models for predicting mortality.

Patients: We performed a prospective cohort study including 2211 hospitalized patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from April 15, 2020 through October 1, 2020 in 38 Hospitals from 11 Latin American countries.

Prospective Latin American cohort evaluating outcomes of patients with COVID-19 and abnormal liver tests on admission.

Introduction & Objectives: The independent effect of liver biochemistries as a prognostic factor in patients with COVID-19 has not been completely addressed. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of abnormal liver tests on admission of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Materials & Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study including 1611 hospitalized patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection from April 15, 2020 through July 31, 2020 in 38 different Hospitals from 11 Latin American countries.

Sorafenib for Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Survival Analysis From the South American Liver Research Network.

Goals: We aim to describe the efficacy, safety profile, and variables associated with survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with sorafenib in South America.

Background: Sorafenib has been shown to improve survival in patients with advanced HCC. There are few data on sorafenib use for HCC in South America.

Sublingual microcirculatory alterations in cirrhotic patients.

Objective: To assess sublingual microcirculation in cirrhotic patients and its relationship to spider angiomas, complications, and outcome.

Methods: Thirty-one cirrhotic patients were prospectively compared to 31 matched controls. Sublingual microcirculation was evaluated by videomicroscopy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in South America: Evaluation of risk factors, demographics and therapy.

Background & Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Most studies addressing the epidemiology of HCC originate from developed countries. This study reports the preliminary findings of a multinational approach to characterize HCC in South America.

New evidence for the therapeutic potential of curcumin to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in humans.

Introduction: The immune system acts on different metabolic tissues that are implicated in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Leptin and linoleic acid have the ability to potentially affect immune cells, whereas curcumin is a known natural polyphenol with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Aims: This study was designed to evaluate the pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant effects of leptin and linoleic acid on immune cells from patients with NAFLD and to corroborate the modulatory effects of curcumin and its preventive properties against the progression of NAFLD using a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis mouse model.

Alterations in triglyceride rich lipoproteins are related to endothelial dysfunction in metabolic syndrome.

Unlabelled: Our aim was to analyze the effect of circulating triglyceride rich lipoprotein (TRL) on endothelial function in metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods: We studied 40 patients with MetS (ATPIII), divided into those presenting normal endothelial function (n=19) and those with endothelial dysfunction (n=21) by means of the evaluation of pulse wave velocity, before and after brachial artery ischemia. In fasting serum we measured lipid and lipoprotein profile, insulin and glucose (HOMA-IR).

Metabolic alterations, HFE gene mutations and atherogenic lipoprotein modifications in patients with primary iron overload.

Iron overload (IO) has been associated with glucose metabolism alterations and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Primary IO is associated with mutations in the HFE gene. To which extent HFE gene mutations and metabolic alterations contribute to the presence of atherogenic lipoprotein modifications in primary IO remains undetermined.