Publications by authors named "Mario Reis Alvares-DA-Silva"

Gaucher disease (GD) is a rare genetic disorder with multi-system involvement. Liver fibrosis is a long-term complication of GD, potentially leading to cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. There are currently no validated clinical tools for the monitoring of liver fibrosis in patients with GD.

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Background: Genetic and epigenetic alterations are related to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) pathogenesis.

Aim: To evaluate micro (mi)RNAs and lipophagy markers in an experimental model of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

Methods: Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into two groups: Control group ( = 10) fed a standard diet; and intervention group ( = 10) fed a high-fat-choline-deficient diet for 16 weeks.

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The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been rising, particularly among individuals diagnosed with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. In the present study, the prophylactic effects of rifaximin (RIF) on HCC, inflammatory markers and cardiovascular risk (CVR) were investigated in an animal model. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into three groups (n=10, each): Control [standard diet/water plus gavage with vehicle (Veh)], HCC [high-fat choline deficient diet (HFCD)/diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in drinking water/Veh gavage] and RIF [HFCD/DEN/RIF (50 mg/kg/day) gavage] groups.

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Background Aims: Cut-points for non-invasive tests (NITs) for risk stratification in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) were derived from predominantly non-Hispanic populations. It is unknown if these cut-points perform adequately in Hispanic individuals. We assessed the performance characteristics of current NIT cut-points among Hispanic patients and determined whether they could be further optimized.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the prevalence and severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in primary health care in Brazil, as there are currently no effective public health policies addressing it.* -
  • The research involved two phases: a retrospective analysis of 12,054 patients' health data and a prospective assessment of 350 randomly selected patients, revealing significant rates of dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity.* -
  • Results indicated that 62.1% of patients had MASLD-related metabolic features, suggesting a pressing need for public health policies to combat this liver disease epidemic and its associated risks.*
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Background: Infections have a poor prognosis in inpatients with cirrhosis. We aimed to determine regional variations in infections and their association with clinical outcomes in a global cohort of inpatients with cirrhosis.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study initiated by the CLEARED Consortium, we enrolled adults (aged >18 years) with cirrhosis who were non-electively admitted to 98 hospitals from 26 countries or regions across six continents between Nov 5, 2021, and Dec 10, 2022.

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Background: Some evidence suggests an association between gut dysbiosis and cirrhosis progression. The authors investigated Gut Microbiome (GM) influence on 90-day mortality and hospitalization/rehospitalization rates in cirrhotic patients.

Methods: Compensated/decompensated outpatients and decompensated inpatients were prospectively included and compared to healthy controls.

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It is known that the inflammation process leading to oxidative stress and thyroid hormone metabolism dysfunction is highly altered in metabolic dysfunction associated with steatotic liver disease (MASLD). This study aims to address the effect of ornithine aspartate (LOLA) and vitamin E (VitE) in improving these processes. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to five groups and treated for 28 weeks: controls ( = 10) received a standard diet (for 28 weeks) plus gavage with distilled water (DW) from weeks 16 to 28.

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Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive malignant neoplasm that requires liver transplantation (LT). Despite patients with HCC being prioritized by most organ allocation systems worldwide, they still have to wait for long periods. Locoregional therapies (LRTs) are employed as bridging therapies in patients with HCC awaiting LT.

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Article Synopsis
  • Metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is linked to metabolic syndrome, and the study investigates the effects of ornithine aspartate (LOLA) on gut microbiota in a MASLD model.
  • The experiment involved feeding groups of rats either a standard diet, a high-fat choline-deficient diet, or the latter diet supplemented with LOLA for analysis of gut microbiota and metabolic pathways after 28 weeks.
  • Results showed that while LOLA didn't change overall gut diversity, it altered specific microbes and influenced metabolic pathways linked to energy sources and nucleotide biosynthesis.
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  • Morphometry of striated muscle fibres is important for assessing muscle health, and this study used the MusMA tool to analyze muscle function in two models: collagen-induced arthritis for skeletal muscle and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease for cardiac muscle.
  • After studying muscle segments stained with specific dyes, researchers classified muscle fibres into various categories, revealing links between fibre types and functional performance measures such as walking speed and grip strength.
  • The findings indicate that normal muscle fibres are associated with better physical function and lower cardiovascular risks, suggesting that MusMA could be a valuable tool in diagnosing muscle diseases and researching their functional implications.
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Background And Aim: Considering the increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and treatment gaps, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of probiotic supplementation on liver function markers, nutritional status, and clinical parameters.

Methods: This double-blind, randomized clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT0346782) included adult outpatients with biopsy-proven NASH.

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Background: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and metabolic-dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are common, and gut microbiota (GM) is involved with both. Here we compared GM composition in animal models of MASLD and ALD to assess whether there are specific patterns for each disease.

Methods: MASLD model- adult male Sprague Dawley rats, randomized into two groups: MASLD-control (n=10) fed a standard diet; MASLD-group (n=10) fed a high-fat-choline-deficient diet for 16 weeks.

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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising as a biomarker of metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The objective is to study EVs and their involvement in MASLD concerning the disease's pathogenesis and progression characteristics. Male adult Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned into two experimental models of MASLD: MASLD-16 and MASLD-28, animals received a choline-deficient high-fat diet (CHFD) and Control-16 and Control-28, animals received a standard diet (SD) for 16 and 28 weeks, respectively.

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Background & Aim: Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 gene (PNPLA3) polymorphism has been implicated in susceptibility to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with evidence for potential interaction with nutrition. However, the combination of meat consumption with genetic polymorphism has not been tested. Therefore, this study aims to test the association between the joint presence of PNPLA3 rs738409 G-allele with high meat consumption and NAFLD in populations with diverse meat consumption.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer significantly increase mortality risks, and liver transplantation (LT) is a critical lifesaving option, though access varies widely, especially in lower-income countries due to various barriers.
  • - The Chronic Liver Disease Evolution and Registry for Events and Decompensation consortium identified key barriers to LT, emphasizing the importance of early intervention and affordable care to improve survival rates among hospitalized cirrhosis patients.
  • - There are distinct challenges associated with live-donor LT in Asia and deceased-donor LT in Western countries, highlighting the need for standardized definitions, enhanced resources, and knowledge sharing to improve equitable access to transplantation services.
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Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide, with an estimated prevalence of 31% in Latin America. The presence of metabolic comorbidities coexisting with liver disease varies substantially among populations. It is acknowledged that obesity is boosting the type 2 diabetes mellitus "epidemic," and both conditions are significant contributors to the increasing number of patients with MASLD.

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Article Synopsis
  • * In a study involving Sprague-Dawley rats, while all HCC and RIF groups developed liver disease, three rats treated with RIF did not go on to develop HCC, suggesting a potential protective effect of RIF.
  • * Gene expression analysis showed differences in various epigenetic and autophagy markers between HCC and RIF groups, indicating that RIF may influence these pathways and potentially mitigate HCC development.
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Background: Liver transplantation (LT) is the only treatment that can provide long-term survival for patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). Although several studies identify prognostic factors for patients in ACLF who do not undergo LT, there is scarce literature about prognostic factors after LT in this population.

Aim: Evaluate outcomes of ACLF patients undergoing LT, studying prognostic factors related to 1-year and 90 days post-LT.

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Introduction: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is one of the most common hepatic diseases in individuals with overweight or obesity. In this context, a panel of experts from three medical societies was organized to develop an evidence-based guideline on the screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of MASLD.

Material And Methods: A MEDLINE search was performed to identify randomized clinical trials, meta-analyses, cohort studies, observational studies, and other relevant studies on NAFLD.

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Article Synopsis
  • Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic liver disease affecting bile ducts, and the effectiveness of elafibranor, a dual PPAR α and δ agonist, in treating PBC was investigated through a clinical trial.
  • In a phase 3, double-blind trial with 161 participants, those treated with elafibranor showed a significant biochemical response (51%) compared to only 4% in the placebo group, indicating substantial improvement in liver function.
  • While 15% of elafibranor-treated patients normalized their alkaline phosphatase levels, the results for reducing itching (pruritus) between the elafibranor and placebo groups were not statistically
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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease. Chronic HCV infection is also an important cause of hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCV has the capacity to evade immune surveillance by altering the host immune response.

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Intestinal fungi play an important role in the health-disease process. We observed that in liver diseases, fungal infections lead to high mortality. In this review, we were able to gather and evaluate the available scientific evidence on intestinal mycobiota and liver diseases.

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Background: COVID-19 is a multisystemic disease, primarily affecting the respiratory system. Liver involvement is frequent, but the impact on the clinical course and outcomes are controversial.

Objective: The aim was to assess liver function at the admission and evaluate its effects on severity and mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The Brazilian Society of Hepatology (SBH) published in 2020 the updated recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC. Since then, new data have emerged in the literature, including new drugs approved for the systemic treatment of HCC that were not available at the time.

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