Bile acids profile, histopathological indices and genetic variants for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease progression.

Objective: Metabolomic studies suggest plasma levels of bile acids (BAs) are elevated amongst subjects with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) compared to healthy controls. However, it remains unclear whether or not specific BAs are associated with the clinically relevant transition from nonalcoholic fatty liver (i.e.

A review of the utility of tacrolimus in the management of adults with autoimmune hepatitis.

Background: There is paucity of data on alternative drug therapies for patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Tacrolimus (TAC) is a promising salvage agent. We present a review of TAC therapy in AIH patients.

The Effect of Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt on Platelet Counts in Patients With Liver Cirrhosis.

Thrombocytopenia is a well-known complication of liver cirrhosis. Although the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia is not well understood, splenic congestion resulting from portal hypertension is considered the most significant underlying mechanism. Therapeutic measures that lower portal hypertension, such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), are expected to improve thrombocytopenia associated with liver cirrhosis.

The TMAO-Producing Enzyme Flavin-Containing Monooxygenase 3 Regulates Obesity and the Beiging of White Adipose Tissue.

Emerging evidence suggests that microbes resident in the human intestine represent a key environmental factor contributing to obesity-associated disorders. Here, we demonstrate that the gut microbiota-initiated trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)-generating pathway is linked to obesity and energy metabolism. In multiple clinical cohorts, systemic levels of TMAO were observed to strongly associate with type 2 diabetes.

Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis-Associated Cirrhosis in the United States: An Analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data.

Objectives: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a wide spectrum of manifestations ranging from nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis and eventually cirrhosis. The prevalence of NAFLD has been shown to be increasing over time; however, the prevalence of NASH cirrhosis and advanced fibrosis over time has not been well studied. Estimate the changes in prevalence of NASH cirrhosis and NAFLD-associated advanced fibrosis among adults in the United States.

Increasing Burden of Chronic Liver Disease Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the USA: A Silent Epidemic.

Background And Aims: Chronic liver disease (CLD) starts or becomes established in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) age group. This study aimed to estimate trends in CLD prevalence among US AYAs and to assess factors associated with CLD.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from 14,547 AYAs (population-weighted N = 68,274,386) aged 15-39 years enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1988 to 2012 were used.

Donor IFNL4 Genotype Is Associated with Early Post-Transplant Fibrosis in Recipients with Hepatitis C.

Background And Aims: Early post-transplant hepatic fibrosis is associated with poor outcomes and may be influenced by donor/recipient genetic factors. The rs368234815 IFNL4 polymorphism is related to the previously described IL28B polymorphism, which predicts etiology-independent hepatic fibrosis. The aim of this study was to identify the impact of donor and/or recipient IFNL4 genotype on early fibrosis among patients transplanted for hepatitis C (HCV).

Predictors of Successful Downstaging of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Outside Milan Criteria.

Background: Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) outside Milan criteria (MC) may be candidates for liver transplantation (LT) after successful downstaging. Factors that predict successful downstaging are unclear. We aimed to identify the predictors of successful downstaging of HCC in patients outside MC.

Ohio solid organ transplantation consortium criteria for liver transplantation in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

Aim: To evaluate risk of recidivism on a case-by-case basis.

Methods: From our center's liver transplant program, we selected patients with alcoholic liver disease who were listed for transplant based on Ohio Solid Organ Transplantation Consortium (OSOTC) exception criteria. They were considered to have either a low or medium risk of recidivism, and had at least one or three or more months of abstinence, respectively.

Asian-Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) consensus guidelines on invasive and non-invasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis: a 2016 update.

Hepatic fibrosis is a common pathway leading to liver cirrhosis, which is the end result of any injury to the liver. Accurate assessment of the degree of fibrosis is important clinically, especially when treatments aimed at reversing fibrosis are being evolved. Despite the fact that liver biopsy (LB) has been considered the "gold standard" of assessment of hepatic fibrosis, LB is not favored by patients or physicians owing to its invasiveness, limitations, sampling errors, etc.

Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir Without Ribavirin Achieved High Sustained Virologic Response for Hepatitis C Recurrence After Liver Transplantation: Two-Center Experience.

Background: Current recommended regimens to treat patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection after liver transplantation include the use of ribavirin (RBV). Limited data are available on the efficacy of RBV-free regimens posttransplant, particularly the use of sofosbuvir (SOF)/ledipasvir (LDV) without RBV in this patient population. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of SOF/LDV fixed-dose combination without RBV in patients with HCV recurrence posttransplant.

Three-dimensional printing and pediatric liver disease.

Purpose Of Review: Enthusiastic physicians and medical researchers are investigating the role of three-dimensional printing in medicine. The purpose of the current review is to provide a concise summary of the role of three-dimensional printing technology as it relates to the field of pediatric hepatology and liver transplantation.

Recent Findings: Our group and others have recently demonstrated the feasibility of printing three-dimensional livers with identical anatomical and geometrical landmarks to the native liver to facilitate presurgical planning of complex liver surgeries.

Transjugular Intrahepatic Porto-Systemic Shunt in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease ≥15.

Background: It is not known whether transjugular intrahepatic porto-systemic shunt (TIPS) is safe in patients with advanced liver cirrhosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of TIPS on transplant-free survival in patients with liver cirrhosis and MELD score ≥15.

Methods: All adult patients who underwent TIPS at our institution between 2004 and 2011 were identified (N = 470).

Metabolomics studies identify novel diagnostic and prognostic indicators in patients with alcoholic hepatitis.

Aim: To identify plasma analytes using metabolomics that correlate with the diagnosis and severity of liver disease in patients with alcoholic hepatitis (AH).

Methods: We prospectively recruited patients with cirrhosis from AH (n = 23) and those with cirrhosis with acute decompensation (AD) from etiologies other than alcohol (n = 25). We used mass spectrometry to identify 29 metabolic compounds in plasma samples from fasted subjects.

Sofosbuvir and simeprevir without ribavirin effectively treat hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection after liver transplantation in a two-center experience.

Background: The interferon-free antiviral regimen, sofosbuvir (SOF) and simeprevir (SIM) without ribavirin has been reported to achieve high sustained virologic response (SVR) rates with few adverse effects when treating patients with hepatitis C genotype 1 (HCV GT1) infection. However, there is scarcity of safety and efficacy data in this regimen after liver transplantation (LT).

Aim And Methods: We aim to report the safety, tolerability and efficacy of SOF + SIM to treat LT recipients with recurrent HCV GT1 in a multicenter cohort study.

Sonic hedgehog signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma: A pilot study.

Hedgehog signaling is involved in the pathogenesis of several tumor types; however, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been fully elucidated. Biomarkers that reflect tumor aggressiveness are of potential value in selecting HCC patients for liver transplantation (LT). The aim of the present study was to assess the tissue expression of sonic hedgehog (Shh) biomarkers in HCC and surrounding non-tumorous liver tissue, and to correlate this expression with HCC recurrence following LT.

Portal Hypertension Complications Are Frequently the First Presentation of NAFLD in Patients Undergoing Liver Transplantation Evaluation.

Introduction: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is likely to replace Hepatitis C as the leading cause of cirrhosis resulting in liver transplantation (LT) within a few years. Unfortunately, due to the lack of established guidelines for the screening of NAFLD in high-risk populations, many patients present with portal hypertension complications as their first manifestation of NAFLD require a LT evaluation. We aimed to investigate what proportion of patients who underwent LT for NAFLD-cirrhosis had knowledge of their liver disease prior to presenting with portal hypertension complications and to identify differences in clinical parameters between those with and without knowledge of preexisting NAFLD.

Liver Transplant in Young Adults with Chronic Hepatitis C Virus: An Argument for Hepatitis C Treatment in Childhood.

Objectives: We sought to assess the characteristics of hepatitis C virus-positive young adults who received a liver transplant and to evaluate posttransplant outcomes.

Materials And Methods: United Network for Organ Sharing database was conducted from 1989 to 2012, and retrospective analysis was performed on all hepatitis C virus-positive young adult patients (aged, 8-35 y) who underwent a liver transplant in the United States.

Results: A total of 506 hepatitis C virus subjects were included.