Natural anticoagulants can be useful predictors of severity in chronic liver disease.

Protein S (PS), protein C (PC), and antithrombin (AT) are produced by the liver, and their levels were previously shown to be reduced in chronic as well as acute liver disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether measurement of PS, PC, and AT levels in patients would be as good as the commonly used clinical and histological parameters of liver disease in discriminating early and advanced hepatocyte dysfunction. A total of 154 patients were recruited and categorized into five groups: hepatitis B inactive carriers in group 1 (n = 29), nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients in group 2 (n = 30), chronic hepatitis B patients with elevated liver enzymes in group 3 (n = 29), chronic hepatitis C patients with elevated liver enzymes in group 4 (n = 30), liver cirrhosis patients in group 5 (n = 36).

Six Minute Walk Test to assess functional capacity in chronic liver disease patients.

Aim: To examine the utility of Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD).

Methods: Two hundred and fifty subjects between the ages of 18 and 80 (mean 47) years performed 6MWT and the Six Minute Walk Distance (6MWD) was measured.

Results: The subjects were categorized into four groups.

Radiological response in Saudi patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second commonest cancer affecting males and the eighth most common one affecting females in Saudi Arabia. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is currently considered the first line therapy for multifocal HCC in selected patients.

Objective: To evaluate HCC response to TACE based on triphasic computerized tomography (CT) of the liver obtained 6 weeks after the procedure.

Hepatitis B genotypes: relation to clinical outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis B in Saudi Arabia.

Aim: To identify the most common hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype in Saudi Arabia, and correlate the prevailing genotypes with the clinical outcome of patients.

Methods: Patients were consecutively recruited from the hepatology clinics of two tertiary care referral centers. Patients were categorized into 4 different groups: group 1, patients with hepatitis B and normal liver enzymes; group 2, patients with hepatitis B and abnormal liver enzymes but without cirrhosis; group 3, patients with hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis; group 4, patients with hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma.