Metabolic profile of chronic liver disease by NMR spectroscopy of human biopsies.

Among the different processes occurring during the evolution of liver disease, fibrosis has a predominant role. Liver fibrosis mechanisms are fairly constant irrespective of the underlying etiology. Cirrhosis is the end-stage of this reaction.

Does an association exist between chronic pancreatitis and liver cirrhosis in alcoholic subjects?

Aim: To study the possible association between chronic pancreatitis (CP) and liver cirrhosis (LC) of alcoholic etiology, after excluding any other causes.

Methods: One hundred and forty consecutive alcoholic patients were subdivided into three groups: CP (n = 53), LC (n = 57), and asymptomatic alcoholic (n = 30). Clinical, biochemical and morphological characteristics, Child-Pugh index, indocyanine green test, and fecal pancreatic elastase-1 test were assessed.

Metabolite identification in human liver needle biopsies by high-resolution magic angle spinning 1H NMR spectroscopy.

High-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) 1H NMR spectroscopy of intact human liver needle biopsies has not been previously reported. HR-MAS NMR spectra collected on 17 specimens with tissue amounts between approximately 0.5 and 12 mg showed very good spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratios.

Clinical significance of abdominal lymphadenopathy in chronic liver disease.

The possibility of assessing the relationship of ultrasound (US)-detected abdominal lymphadenopathy with etiology, biochemical findings, and histologic data in patients with chronic liver disease was evaluated. US examination of the upper abdomen was performed in 321 consecutive patients with various chronic liver disorders and 56 control patients. The prevalence of lymphadenopathy in chronic liver disease was 38%.