Publications by authors named "Lampros Chrysavgis"

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) are incretins that regulate postprandial glucose regulation, stimulating insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells in response to food ingestion. Modified GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are being administered for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Strongly related to those disorders, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), especially its aggressive form, defined as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), is a major healthcare burden associated with high morbidity and extrahepatic complications.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Myosteatosis in cirrhotic patients has been evaluated in limited studies with conflicting results and no systematic review or meta-analysis have been performed in this setting.

Methods: We searched for all articles published until June 2023 to evaluate the prevalence of myosteatosis in cirrhosis and chronic liver disease.

Results: Seventeen studies focused on cirrhosis and five studies in patients with chronic liver disease were included: the overall pooled prevalence of myosteatosis was 46% [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 36-57%] and 33% (95% CI 15-59%), respectively (p = 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Testosterone is an important anabolic hormone responsible for maintaining body composition and muscle mass and circulates mostly albumin-bound, or sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)-bound or free in the plasma. Of these fractions, the latter is bioactive and exerts the androgenic effects on male population. Liver cirrhosis, the advanced stage of any chronic liver disease characterized by permanent distortions to the hepatic architecture, disrupts the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, leading to diminished levels of free testosterone and hypogonadism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • There is a strong link between sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle mass and strength, and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).
  • Both conditions share similar biological processes, and their coexistence can lead to more severe health issues and increased risk of death.
  • Understanding the relationship between muscle loss and liver health is crucial for early detection and treatment of these conditions, and this review highlights the need for better therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the significance of platelet (PLT)-based biomarkers in predicting outcomes for 525 patients with stable decompensated cirrhosis, focusing on variables like mean PLT volume and various PLT-based scores.
  • Results indicated that the aspartate aminotransferase-to-PLT ratio index (APRI) strongly correlated with survival outcomes, more so than traditional scoring systems like MELD and CTP.
  • The findings suggest that APRI could serve as an effective noninvasive predictor for patient prognosis in decompensated cirrhosis, offering a new approach to assess liver disease severity.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is estimated to be the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality and is characterized by low survival rates. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as a leading cause of HCC, whose rates are increasing, owing to the increasing prevalence of NAFLD. The pathogenesis of NAFLD-associated HCC is multifactorial: insulin resistance, obesity, diabetes and the low-grade hepatic inflammation, which characterizes NAFLD, seem to play key roles in the development and progression of HCC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a common chronic liver disease that is closely associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Circulating cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) and global DNA methylation, expressed as circulating levels of 5-methyl-2'-deoxycytidine, are increasingly used to monitor chronic inflammatory diseases of several etiologies. This study attempts to investigate the serum levels of circulating cf-DNA and 5-methyl-2'-deoxycytidine in HBeAg-negative patients with chronic infection (carriers) and chronic hepatitis B (CHB), as well as their changes after treatment initiation in CHB.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as the predominant cause of chronic liver injury worldwide. Bile acids and their receptors are profoundly implicated in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and its progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and cirrhosis.

Areas Covered: We conducted extensive literature search using PubMed database, and we summarized the relevant literature.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In recent years, frailty has been increasingly recognized among researchers of distinct medical specialties worldwide. Frailty comprises a complex of multisystemic physiological decline, reduced physiologic reserve, and vulnerability to stressors. Frail people tend to have a shorter lifespan and greater disability, morbidity and mortality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as the most common liver disorder worldwide mainly attributed to the epidemic spread of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although it is considered a benign disease, NAFLD can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Most data regarding the epidemiology of NAFLD-related HCC are derived from cohort and population studies and show that its incidence is increasing as well as it is likely to emerge as the leading indication for liver transplantation, especially in the Western World.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have not been completely elucidated, while the significance of circulating cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) species has been rarely evaluated in NAFLD. Herein, we assessed the serum levels of cf-DNA species in NAFLD patients and investigated their potential associations with patients' characteristics and severity of liver disease. Forty-nine adult patients with NAFLD of any stage were included in this cohort study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Excessive alcohol intake is an established risk factor for chronic liver disease. At the same time, moderate alcohol intake appears to reduce cardiovascular morbidity. Accordingly, recommendations for alcohol intake in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), who are at increased risk for liver-related and cardiovascular events, are a point of debate.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Affecting one fourth of the global population, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the commonest chronic liver disorder. It encompasses the simple liver fat accumulation to more progressive steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis characterized as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and in some cases cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD regularly coexists with metabolic disorders, such as obesity and mostly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) accounts for most cases of chronic liver disease worldwide, with an estimated global prevalence of approximately 25% and ranges from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and cirrhosis. NAFLD is strongly connected to metabolic syndrome, and for many years, fatty liver was considered to be an exclusive feature of obese patients. However, recent studies have highlighted the presence of NAFLD in non-obese subjects, with or without increased visceral fat or even in lean subjects without increased waist circumference.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may still develop in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients even under effective long-term oral antiviral therapy, but its pathogenesis in the setting of long-standing inhibition of viral replication has not been completely elucidated. We investigated whether species of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) may be involved in the process of hepatocarcinogenesis in treated CHB patients. Serum samples were obtained from HBeAg-negative CHB patients with (HCC cases, n = 37) or without HCC development during the first 5 years of oral antiviral therapy (controls, n = 74).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the predominant cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. NAFLD progresses in some cases to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is characterized, in addition to liver fat deposition, by hepatocyte ballooning, inflammation and liver fibrosis, and in some cases may lead to hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD prevalence increases along with the rising incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In recent years, cellular senescence has generated a lot of interest among researchers because of its involvement in both the normal aging process and common human diseases. During senescence, cells undergo alterations that include telomere shortening, nuclear area enlargement, and genomic and mitochondrial DNA damage, leading to irreversible cell cycle arrest, and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. Evidence suggests that the complex process of senescence is involved in the development of a plethora of chronic diseases including metabolic and inflammatory disorders and tumorigenesis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF