In adults with metabolic dysfunction, the MAF-5 score predicted risk for liver fibrosis (AUC range, 0.73 to 0.81).

van Kleef LA, Francque SM, Prieto-Ortiz JE, et al. Gastroenterology. 2024;167:357-367.

Oral V2 receptor antagonist (RWJ-351647) in patients with cirrhosis and ascites: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose study.

Background: RWJ-351647 is a selective V2 receptor antagonist that inhibits vasopressin-induced water reabsorption in the kidney.

Aim: To investigate the safety and tolerability of RWJ-351647 compared with placebo after single oral dose administration to patients with cirrhosis and ascites, on a stable treatment with furosemide and spironolactone.

Methods: Single oral doses of 1, 2 and 5 mg of RWJ-351647 were administered to 24 patients with ascites on stable concomitant diuretic treatment.

Patients with ascites have higher variceal pressure and wall tension than patients without ascites.

Objective: It has been suggested that ascites is a risk factor for variceal bleeding. Recently, it has been demonstrated that total paracentesis decreases variceal pressure. However, no data are available showing the basal variceal pressure in patients with and without ascites.

Low albumin gradient ascites complicating severe pseudomembranous colitis.

Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) is a frequently severe, sometimes fatal iatrogenic disease that is antibiotic-associated in almost all cases. The most common clinical features of PMC include abdominal pain, watery diarrhea, fever, leukocytosis, hypoalbuminemia, and hypovolemia. Ascites, not considered a well-known feature of PMC, is fairly common, based on a review of the English language literature but has not been characterized fully.

Analysis of long-term endoscopic surveillance during follow-up after variceal sclerotherapy from a 13-year experience.

Purpose: To evaluate the course of patients with bleeding esophageal varices treated with endoscopic sclerotherapy after obliterating varices and to determine the cost benefits of long-term endoscopic surveillance from a retrospective analysis of a 13-year experience.

Location: University-affiliated teaching hospital and county facility.

Methods: Patients whose varices were obliterated by endoscopic sclerotherapy were considered for the study if they had a minimum of 12 months of follow-up.

Diagnostic features of tuberculous peritonitis in the absence and presence of chronic liver disease: a case control study.

Purpose: To determine diagnostic features of tuberculous peritonitis (TBP) in the absence and presence of chronic liver disease.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-four patients with TBP (13 without [Group I] and 21 with chronic liver disease [Group II] and 26 controls with cirrhosis and uninfected ascites (Group III) were studied.

Results: The clinical features in Groups I and II were similar and all patients had elevated ascitic fluid total mononuclear cell count.

Portal vein thrombosis following endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy. Prospective controlled comparison in patients with cirrhosis.

The association between portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and prior endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy has been suggested but remains unproven. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of PVT in patients who had received sclerotherapy for esophageal variceal hemorrhage to a control group of cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension who had not received sclerotherapy. Doppler ultrasound was used to assess PVT in 48 patients (group 1) who had received sclerotherapy for variceal hemorrhage as well as in 52 patients (group 3) with cirrhosis and portal hypertension who had not received sclerotherapy.