Osteopontin Promotes Cholangiocyte Secretion of Chemokines to Support Macrophage Recruitment and Fibrosis in MASH.

Background And Aims: Osteopontin (OPN) promotes the ductular reaction and is a major driver of chronic liver disease (CLD) progression. Although CLD is characterised by the accumulation of inflammatory cells including macrophages around the peri-portal regions, the influence of OPN on recruitment is unclear. We investigated the role of OPN in cholangiocyte chemokine production and macrophage recruitment by combining in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches.

Factors Positively Correlated with Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Seroconversion in Chronic Hepatitis B.

Background And Aims: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health challenge since more than 250 million individuals are affected worldwide. Since different treatment modalities are available and not all patients are candidates for antiviral treatment, biomarkers that potentially predict the possibility of HBsAg clearance and seroconversion may be useful in clinical practice.

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective study, we aimed to identify factors positively correlated with HBsAg seroconversion in a large cohort of 371 chronic hepatitis B patients treated at a German tertial center between 2005 and 2020.

MASLD-Related HCC-Update on Pathogenesis and Current Treatment Options.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common complication of chronic liver diseases and remains a relevant cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The global prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) as a risk factor for hepatocarcinogenesis is on the rise. Early detection of HCC has been crucial in improving the survival outcomes of patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), even in the absence of cirrhosis.

Liver Stiffness Determined by Transient Elastography Is a Simple and Highly Accurate Predictor for Presence of Liver Cirrhosis in Clinical Routine.

Introduction: Early detection of patients with advanced chronic liver disease is critical for the prevention of complications and inclusion in surveillance programs for hepatocellular carcinoma. In daily clinical care, it remains challenging to differentiate early cirrhosis from lower fibrosis grades without performing a liver biopsy. The aim of the present study was to assess the performance of different non-invasive detection tools to differentiate cirrhosis from lower fibrosis grades.

Thyroid hormone receptor alpha modulates fibrogenesis in hepatic stellate cells.

Objective: Progressive hepatic fibrosis can be considered the final stage of chronic liver disease. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) play a central role in liver fibrogenesis. Thyroid hormones (TH, e.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease Cross Talk.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a multisystem condition with effects beyond the liver. The identification of chronic kidney disease as an independent mediator of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or associated entity with shared cardiometabolic risk factors remains controversial and continues to draw scientific interest. With increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and lack of Food and Drug Administration approved therapies, these shared cardiometabolic risk factors have drawn significant attention.

Higher pNRF2, SOCS3, IRF3, and RIG1 Tissue Protein Expression in NASH Patients versus NAFL Patients: pNRF2 Expression Is Concomitantly Associated with Elevated Fasting Glucose Levels.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) embraces simple steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to advanced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) associated with inflammation, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. NAFLD patients often have metabolic syndrome and high risks of cardiovascular and liver-related mortality. Our aim was to clarify which proteins play a role in the progression of NAFL to NASH.

No Differences in Rotational Thromboelastometry Measurements between Portal and Peripheral Circulation in Cirrhotic Patients Undergoing TIPS.

Background: In patients with liver cirrhosis, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is considered a standardized treatment of refractory ascites or variceal bleeding. TIPS thrombosis (TT) and/or portal vein thrombosis (PVT) are possible complications during/after TIPS placement. Previous studies suggested increased clotting activity in portal circulation (PORC).

Comparison of age- and sex-dependent reference limits derived from distinct sources for metabolic measurands in basic liver diagnostics.

Background: Reference intervals for basic liver laboratory diagnostic rely on manufacturers' information, remaining unchanged for more than 20 years. This ignores known age and sex dependencies.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study to compare the age-dependent distribution of flagged and non-flagged laboratory findings between reference limits from 3 distinct sources: manufacturer, published reference study, and the truncated maximum likelihood method applied on a cohort of inpatients aged 18-100 years.

Patients with NAFLD exhibit more advanced fibrosis in liver biopsy than patients with other chronic liver diseases.

Introduction: Despite extremely high and seemingly rising prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), awareness for this health condition is still low. In the present study we analyzed, if this is reflected in clinical routine for advanced diagnostic measures.

Methods: Retrospective data of 93 patients with histologically determined fibrosis stage and confirmed etiology was analyzed.

LiMAx Prior to Radioembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma as an Additional Tool for Patient Selection in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: Radioembolization (RE) has recently demonstrated a non-inferior survival outcome compared to systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, current guidelines recommend RE for patients with advanced HCC and preserved liver function who are unsuitable for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or systemic therapy. However, despite the excellent safety profile of RE, post-therapeutic hepatic decompensation remains a serious complication that is difficult to predicted by standard laboratory liver function parameters or imaging modalities.

Discovering Biomarkers for Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis Patients with and without Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Fecal Metaproteomics.

High-calorie diets lead to hepatic steatosis and to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can evolve over many years into the inflammatory form of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), posing a risk for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Due to diet and liver alteration, the axis between liver and gut is disturbed, resulting in gut microbiome alterations. Consequently, detecting these gut microbiome alterations represents a promising strategy for early NASH and HCC detection.

A Potential Role for Bile Acid Signaling in Celiac Disease-Associated Fatty Liver.

Celiac disease (CeD) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by an intolerance to storage proteins of many grains. CeD is frequently associated with liver damage and steatosis. Bile acid (BA) signaling has been identified as an important mediator in gut-liver interaction and the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Performance of the Liver Maximum Function Capacity Test, Fibrinogen, and Transient Elastography in Patients with Acute Liver Injury.

Background: Acute liver failure (ALF) occurs as a rare, sudden, extensive loss of liver function in a previously healthy liver. In advanced cases, ALF may require liver transplantation (LT). Available prognostic parameters have limited accuracy to decide, which patient to consider for LT.

Effects of Moderate Alcohol Consumption in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have emerged as leading causes of chronic liver diseases worldwide. ALD and NAFLD share several pathophysiological patterns as well as histological features, while clinically, they are distinguished by the amount of alcohol consumed daily. However, NAFLD coexists with moderate alcohol consumption in a growing proportion of the population.

GALAD Score Detects Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a European Cohort of Chronic Hepatitis B and C Patients.

Despite vaccination programs and direct antiviral treatments, the incidence of virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains high, while ultrasound-based detection rates for early-stage HCC is continuously low. To address this insufficiency, we set out to characterize whether the GALAD score, which incorporates gender, age, and serum levels of AFP, AFP isoform L3 (AFP-L3), and des-gamma-carboxy-prothrombin (DCP), can improve early-stage HCC detection in a Caucasian HBV/HCV cohort. In a retrospective German single-center study, 182 patients with HBV, 223 with HCV and 168 with other etiology (OE) of chronic liver disease (CLD) were enrolled.

A Review of the Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Efficacy of Anti-diabetic Drugs Used in the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

In recent years, epidemiological studies have consistently demonstrated that the coexistence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is strongly associated with increased mortality and morbidity related to hepatic- and extrahepatic causes. Indeed, compared with the general population, patients with T2DM are more likely to be diagnosed with more severe forms of NAFLD (i.e.

Anti-TNFα treatment in Crohn's disease: Impact on hepatic steatosis, gut-derived hormones and metabolic status.

Background And Aims: An association between Crohn's disease (CD) and hepatic steatosis has been reported. However, the underlying mechanisms of steatosis progression in CD are not clear. Among the most effective CD treatments are agents that inhibit Tumor-Necrosis-Factor (TNF) activity, yet it is unclear why anti-TNFα agents would affect steatosis in CD.

Gender and gut microbiota composition determine hepatic bile acid, metabolic and inflammatory response to a single fast-food meal in healthy adults.

Background & Aims: Regular consumption of fast-food (FF) as a form of typical Western style diet is associated with obesity and the metabolic syndrome, including its hepatic manifestation nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Currently, it remains unclear how intermittent excess FF consumption may influence liver metabolism. The study aimed to characterize the effects of a single FF binge on hepatic steatosis, inflammation, bile acid (BA), glucose and lipid metabolism.

Targeting myosin 1c inhibits murine hepatic fibrogenesis.

Myosin 1c (Myo1c) is an unconventional myosin that modulates signaling pathways involved in tissue injury and repair. In this study, we observed that Myo1c expression is significantly upregulated in human chronic liver disease such as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and in animal models of liver fibrosis. High throughput data from the GEO-database identified similar Myo1c upregulation in mice and human liver fibrosis.