Quantitative MRI for Monitoring Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease: A Test-Retest Repeatability Study.

Background: Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging metrics iron-corrected T1 (cT1) and liver fat from proton density fat-fraction (PDFF) are both commonly used as noninvasive biomarkers for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH); however, their repeatability in this population has rarely been characterized.

Purpose: To quantify the variability of cT1 and liver fat fraction from PDFF in patients with biopsy-confirmed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and MASH.

Study Type: Prospective, single center.

Quantitative Imaging Reveals Steatosis and Fibroinflammation in Multiple Organs in People With Type 2 Diabetes: A Real-World Study.

We aimed to determine the extent of multiorgan fat accumulation and fibroinflammation in individuals living with type 2 diabetes. We deeply phenotyped individuals with type 2 diabetes (134 from secondary care, 69 from primary care) with multiorgan, quantitative, multiparametric MRI and compared with 134 matched control individuals without diabetes and 92 control individuals with normal weight. We examined the impact of diabetes duration, obesity status, and glycemic control.

SACRED: Effect of simvastatin on hepatic decompensation and death in subjects with high-risk compensated cirrhosis: Statins and Cirrhosis: Reducing Events of Decompensation.

Background/aims: The development of decompensation in cirrhosis demarcates a marked change in the natural history of chronic liver disease. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) exert pleiotropic effects that reduce inflammation and fibrosis as well as improve vascular reactivity. Retrospective studies uniformly have associated statin utilization with improved outcomes for patients with cirrhosis.

Patients with post-transplant biliary strictures have significantly higher rates of liver transplant failure and rejection: A nationwide inpatient analysis.

Background And Aim: Biliary strictures are a common complication of liver transplantation. We assess the impact of post-transplant biliary strictures and describe the outcomes of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), interventional radiology (IR), and surgical therapies.

Methods: Using the Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD), hospitalized liver transplant recipients were identified using the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision codes.

gene predicts clinical recovery after sustained virological response in decompensated hepatitis C cirrhosis.

Background: Patients with decompensated hepatitis C virus (HCV) cirrhosis experience various outcomes after sustained virological response (SVR), ranging from clinical recovery to further deterioration. We hypothesised that the genetic risk for steatosis, namely the polymorphisms rs738409 of Patatin-like Phospholipase Domain-Containing 3 (), rs58542926 of Transmembrane-6-Superfamily-2 (), and rs641738 of Membrane-bound O-acyltransferase Domain-Containing 7 (), is predictive of recovery.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 56 patients with Child-Pugh (CPT) B/C cirrhosis who underwent antiviral therapy.

Impact of sustained virological response to chronic hepatitic C antiviral therapy on new onset diabetes mellitus type 2 after controlling for metabolic syndrome.

The high cost associated with antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection mandates further investigation in the context of preventing complications such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). We determined the cumulative incidence of DM2 in subjects with chronic HCV infection who received concomitant pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) and ribavirin. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data obtained from Veterans Administrations Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) to identify an adult cohort of patients without diabetes with chronic HCV infection who received Peg-IFN-based therapy between October 2001 and December 2011.

Impact of sustained viral response postcurative therapy of hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Antiviral therapy with interferon based therapies (IBT) has shown potential in improving survival in patients who have undergone resection or locoregional therapy for hepatitis C-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCV-HCC). However, this benefit has not been definitively ascribed to sustained viral response (SVR). Since IBT has been replaced with new directly acting agents (DAA), which are more efficacious in the treatment of HCV, we sought to better determine the prognostic impact of SVR in HCV-HCC.

Hepatorenal syndrome in hospitalized patients with chronic liver disease: results from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2002-2012.

Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is one of the leading causes of hospitalizations in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). We conducted a retrospective national database study to determine the epidemiology of HRS in hospitalized patients with CLD. Data from a Nationwide Inpatient Sample were extracted from 2002 to 2012 using ICD-9-CM codes related to CLD and HRS.

Predictors of Early Discontinuation of Pegylated Interferon for Reasons Other Than Lack of Efficacy in United States Veterans With Chronic Hepatitis C.

During the dual-therapy era, many patients with chronic hepatitis C discontinued therapy for reasons other than lack of efficacy (non-LOE). We determined whether selected patient characteristics predicted non-LOE discontinuation using national databases of U.S.

Sustained virologic response and other potential genotype-specific roles of statins among patients with hepatitis C-related chronic liver diseases.

Background: While statins have shown antiviral effects in different studies, few data are available about their effect among different HCV genotypes.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of concomitant statin use on sustained virologic response (SVR) and other treatment outcomes among patients with HCV genotypes 1-3.

Method: Using US Department of Veterans Affairs database, multivariate (MV), propensity score matched (PSM) and repeated measures mixed model analyses were performed on patients who received combination therapy with Peg-IFN and Ribavirin for treatment of HCV genotypes 1-3 between October 2001-December 2011.

Emergency department visits related to cirrhosis: a retrospective study of the nationwide emergency department sample 2006 to 2011.

There is scant literature about cirrhosis and its associated complications in a non-hospitalized population.To study the epidemiology of cirrhosis-associated Emergency Department visits in the US.Estimates were calculated in patients' ≥18 years using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.

Emergency department visits related to Clostridium difficile infection: results from the nationwide emergency department sample, 2006 through 2010.

Objectives: The objective was to estimate emergency department (ED) visits for Clostridium difficile infection in the United States for the years 2006 through 2010.

Methods: Estimates of ED visits for C. difficile infection were calculated in patients 18 years and older using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample.

Predicting Discontinuation of Pegylated Interferon as a Result of Lack of Efficacy in United States Veterans With Chronic Hepatitis C on Dual Therapy.

Background: Many patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) being treated with pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) do not respond to therapy and do not clear the virus. Standard of care during the era of dual therapy was to discontinue the patient's therapy based on insufficient decreases in viral load after 12 and/or 24 weeks on therapy.

Objectives: We identified patient characteristics that were significant predictors of discontinuation as a result of lack of efficacy (LOE) in a national database of US veterans with genotypes 1 and 4.

High rates of early treatment discontinuation in hepatitis C-infected US veterans.

Background: Patients with chronic hepatitis C (HCV) frequently discontinued dual therapy with pegylated interferon alfa (Peg-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) before reaching the recommended duration of 48 or 24 weeks for genotypes (G) 1/4 or 2/3, respectively. We quantified rates of discontinuation despite efficacy (non-LOE) versus lack of efficacy (LOE) versus discontinuation for unknown reasons in a national database of United States veterans.

Methods: We identified a population-based cohort of U.

Chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 patients with insulin resistance treated with pioglitazone and peginterferon alpha-2a plus ribavirin.

Unlabelled: Patients with chronic hepatitis C and insulin resistance are less likely to respond to anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy and are at risk for more rapid fibrosis progression. Coadministration of pioglitazone with peginterferon/ribavirin improves insulin sensitivity and increases virologic response rates in insulin-resistant HCV genotype 4 patients, but it is unclear whether this finding applies to genotype 1 patients. For this reason we randomized treatment-naive HCV genotype 1 patients with insulin resistance to receive either standard care (peginterferon alpha-2a plus ribavirin for 48 weeks, n = 73) or pioglitazone 30-45 mg/day plus standard care (n = 77) in an open-label multicenter trial.

Statin therapy improves sustained virologic response among diabetic patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background & Aims: Patients with chronic hepatitis C infection are 2- to 3-fold more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, which reduces their chances of achieving a sustained virologic response (SVR). To identify differences in predictors of SVR in patients with and without diabetes who received combination antiviral therapy, we conducted a retrospective analysis of a national Veterans Affairs administrative database.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Veterans Affairs Medical SAS Datasets and Decision Support System for entire cohort and separately for diabetic patients (n = 1704) and nondiabetic patients (n = 6589).

Predictors of hematological abnormalities in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon and ribavirin.

Hematological abnormalities including neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia are commonly seen in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. The aim of this study was to identify factors which would help to predict the development of hematological abnormalities in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. During a 4-year period, all patients with chronic hepatitis C started on treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin were identified.

Severe thrombocytopenia due to hypersplenism successfully treated with partial splenic embolization in preoperative management.

Hypersplenism is a known complication of portal hypertension secondary to cirrhosis of the liver. Although thrombocytopenia secondary to hypersplenism does not cause clinically significant hemostatic defect, it may need to be addressed in selective circumstances, such as preoperative preparation for a surgery. This report describes a 30-year-old male with a history of cirrhosis of the liver and hypersplenism who had a recurrence of craniopharyngioma.

Does leptin play a role in the pathogenesis of human nonalcoholic steatohepatitis?

Objectives: Obesity is a risk factor for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Leptin plays an important role in the regulation of food intake, body composition, energy expenditure, and body weight. It has been suggested that leptin plays a role in the pathogenesis of NASH; however, adequate studies are lacking.

Improved patient survival after acute variceal bleeding: a multicenter, cohort study.

Objective: Existing literature indicates that the mortality rate with each variceal bleeding episode is 30-50%. Over the past 2 decades, there have been significant developments in the management of variceal bleeding. The effect of these developments on the natural history of variceal bleeding is unclear.