Prognostic significance of anti-gliadin and anti-F-actin immunoglobulin A antibodies in primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Introduction: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a biliary disorder associated with a high risk of end‑stage liver disease and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Currently, prediction of unfavorable outcomes is hindered by a lack of valuable prognostic biomarkers.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of autoantibodies in PSC and define their potential use as the predictors of the disease progress and CCA in a large, prospective cohort of PSC patients.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: What Do We Know in 2023?

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic liver disease associated with the pathological accumulation of lipids inside hepatocytes. Untreated NAFL can progress to non-alcoholic hepatitis (NASH), followed by fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The common denominator of the above-mentioned metabolic disorders seems to be insulin resistance, which occurs in NAFLD patients.

Health-related quality of life and symptoms in autoimmune liver diseases.

Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) has emerged as an important tool in the evaluation of both the well-being of patients and the results of their clinical management. Over the years, a large number of questionnaires focusing on various aspects of quality of life have been developed. They are frequently divided into generic questionnaires, which can be used under various conditions, disease-specific and symptom-specific questionnaires.

Variants of autoimmune liver diseases: how to diagnose and treat them?

Autoimmune liver diseases (AILDs), such as autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), are classified as rare diseases, but their incidence is increasing. In this review, we present the characteristics of AILDs in adults, and mainly focus on their variants in terms of diagnosis and management. The classic AILDs have been well defined in clinical guidelines, but a proportion of patients with a single AILD tend to show features of other AILDs.

Precision Nutrition in NAFLD: Effects of a High-Fiber Intervention on the Serum Metabolome of NAFD Patients-A Pilot Study.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with dysfunction of the intestinal microbiota and its metabolites. We aimed to assess whether replacing bread with high-fiber buns beneficially changes the metabolome in NAFLD patients. This study involved 27 adult patients with NAFLD validated by FibroScan (CAP ≥ 234 dB/m).

PR3-ANCAs Detected by Third-Generation ELISA Predicts Severe Disease and Poor Survival in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.

A highly sensitive detection of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies to serine proteinase-3 (PR3-ANCAs) aids in the serological diagnosis of autoimmune liver disorders and the prediction of severity in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Here, we evaluate a novel third-generation ELISA for the detection of PR3-ANCAs. In total, 309 patients with PSC, 51 with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), and 120 healthy blood donors (BD) were analyzed.

Confidence in treatment is contributing to quality of life in autoimmune liver diseases. The results of ERN RARE-LIVER online survey.

Background And Aims: Autoimmune liver diseases (AILDs) are associated with impaired health-related quality of life (HrQoL). The aim of this project was to identify potentially modifiable factors related to HrQoL in a large transnational cohort of patients with AILDs.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted on patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) or primary sclerosing cholangitis from 15 European countries.

Impact on follow-up strategies in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Background & Aims: Evidence for the benefit of scheduled imaging for early detection of hepatobiliary malignancies in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is limited. We aimed to compare different follow-up strategies in PSC with the hypothesis that regular imaging improves survival.

Methods: We collected retrospective data from 2975 PSC patients from 27 centres.

Improvement of bowel movements among people with a sedentary lifestyle after prebiotic snack supply - preliminary study.

Introduction: Dietary fiber is one of the most important components of food. Fulfilling regulatory and nutritional functions for the intestinal microbiota, it appears to be an essential ingredient for people with a sedentary lifestyle.

Aim: We hypothesized that regular intake of a snack containing high amounts of soluble fibre in parallel to a regular diet may rapidly improve bowel habits with simultaneous elevation of synthesis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA).

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate indicates decreased sulfation capacity and impaired quality of life in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Introduction: Impaired elimination of toxic compounds via inadequate sulfation may contribute to the pathogenesis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which is metabolized into its sulfated form (DHEA-S) in the liver, has been linked with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in various conditions.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the sulfation capacity of the liver in PSC using DHEA-S as a surrogate marker.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Non-Imaging and Ultrasound-Based Assessment of Hepatic Steatosis Using Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) as Reference.

Background & Aims: In view of the limited reliability of biopsies in the assessment of liver fat, a non-invasive, trustworthy, and more accessible method estimating a degree of steatosis is urgently needed. While the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is used to quantify hepatic fat, its availability in routine practice is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of biomarker- and ultrasound-based techniques for the diagnosis and grading of hepatic steatosis.

Chronic Fatigue Persists in a Significant Proportion of Female Patients After Transplantation for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.

Chronic fatigue and an impairment of general health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are frequently reported by patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Studies on patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) suggest that, unlike pruritus, fatigue may not be ameliorated by liver transplantation (LT). However, there are few data regarding the assessment of fatigue before and after transplantation in PSC.

Anti-glycoprotein 2 (anti-GP2) IgA and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies to serine proteinase 3 (PR3-ANCA): antibodies to predict severe disease, poor survival and cholangiocarcinoma in primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Background: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is associated with progressive liver disease and cholangiocarcinoma. Although risk stratification is crucial for making clinical decisions, it is hindered by a scarcity of proven prognostic markers.

Aims: To assess the value of novel anti-glycoprotein 2 (anti-GP2) and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies to serine proteinase 3 (PR3-ANCA) in combination with PSC-specific clinical and laboratory markers as predictors of quality of life, disease severity, and cholangiocarcinoma in two large, independent cohorts of PSC patients METHODS: Discovery (338 Polish patients) and validation (178 German patients) cohorts with PSC were evaluated.

The search for the Holy Grail: autoantigenic targets in primary sclerosing cholangitis associated with disease phenotype and neoplasia.

Unlike in other autoimmune liver diseases such as autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cholangitis, the role and nature of autoantigenic targets in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a progressive, chronic, immune-mediated, life threatening, genetically predisposed, cholestatic liver illness, is poorly elucidated. Although anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have been associated with the occurrence of PSC, their corresponding targets have not yet been identified entirely. Genome-wide association studies revealed a significant number of immune-related and even disease-modifying susceptibility loci for PSC.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis With Features of Autoimmune Hepatitis: Exploring the Global Variation in Management.

Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) frequently manifest features of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). We sought to understand factors affecting expert management, with the goal of facilitating uniformity of care. A Survey Monkey questionnaire with four hypothetical cases suggesting a potential AIH/PSC variant was sent to hepatologists spanning global practices.

5-Lipooxygenase Derivatives as Serum Biomarkers of a Successful Dietary Intervention in Patients with NonAlcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

It was previously shown that a bodyweight reduction among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) was connected to the lower concentration of arachidonic and linoleic acid derivatives in their blood. We hypothesized that the concentration of these lipids was correlated with the extent of their body mass reduction and, thus, liver steatosis. We analyzed 68 individuals who completed the dietary intervention.

Oncomir MicroRNA-346 Is Upregulated in Colons of Patients With Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.

Introduction: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a cholestatic liver disorder that is frequently associated with ulcerative colitis (UC). Patients with PSC and UC (PSC-UC) have a higher risk of colorectal neoplasia compared with patients with UC. The oncogenic properties of microRNA-346 (miR-346) have been recently reported.

The Association between SOCS1-1656G>A Polymorphism, Insulin Resistance and Obesity in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Patients.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins prevent uncontrolled cytokine signaling and appear to play a role in the pathological processes behind obesity and insulin resistance. The polymorphism of the gene (rs243330, -1656G>A) is associated with obesity and glucose sensitivity. To estimate the effect of this gene polymorphism on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) susceptibility, we performed a study on 138 patients with ultrasound-confirmed NAFLD and 1000 healthy blood donors.

The Prevalence of Anti-Hexokinase-1 and Anti-Kelch-Like 12 Peptide Antibodies in Patients With Primary Biliary Cholangitis Is Similar in Europe and North America: A Large International, Multi-Center Study.

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), formerly known as primary biliary cirrhosis, is present worldwide. Autoantibodies, in particular anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) detected by indirect immunofluorescence assays or newer solid phase immunoassays can detect most, but not all individuals with PBC. Detection of antibodies to the anti-nuclear antigens sp100 and gp210 can identify additional PBC patients, but some seronegative patients remain, often resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment.

Effect of S-adenosyl-L-methionine on liver biochemistry and quality of life in patients with primary biliary cholangitis treated with ursodeoxycholic acid. A prospective, open label pilot study.

Background And Aims: Chronic liver disease induces an acquired deficiency of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) leading to impairment of detoxifying processes in the liver. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) represents the standard treatment in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). As both compounds exert their hepatoprotective effects by different mechanisms, it is conceivable that when used together their effect might be additive.