Alcohol Use in Liver Transplant Recipients With Alcohol-related Liver Disease: A Comparative Assessment of Relapse Prediction Models.

Background: The selection of liver transplant (LT) candidates with alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is influenced by the risk of alcohol relapse (AR), yet the ability to predict AR is limited. We evaluate psychosocial factors associated with post-LT AR and compare the performance of high-risk alcoholism risk (HRAR), sustained alcohol use post-LT (SALT), and the Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation (SIPAT) scores in predicting relapse.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of ALD patients undergoing LT from 2015 to 2021 at a single US transplant center was performed.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes in those with primary extrahepatic malignancy and malignant ascites.

Background: Malignancy-related ascites accounts for approximately 10% of causes of ascites. Our AIM was to characterize the ascites fluid and correlate clinical outcomes in those with extrahepatic malignancy and ascites.

Methods: 241 subjects with extrahepatic solid tumors and ascites were reviewed from 1/1/2000 to 12/31/2019, 119 without liver metastasis and 122 with liver metastasis.

Incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B virus infection in those not meeting criteria for antiviral therapy.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to explore the incidence of HCC in a cohort of subjects with HBV and correlate with HBV treatment current guidance. We identified 2846 subjects with HBV over the study period.

Trends in the Prevalence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection based on the Insurance Status in the United States from 2013 to 2018.

Background & Aims: With the recent improvement in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, a better understanding of the infection burden is needed. We aimed to (a) estimate the trends in the national prevalence of HCV infection based on the type of health insurance coverage and (b) identify at-risk populations for HCV infection in the United States (US) general population.

Methods: Population-based analyses using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2018) were performed with a focus on HCV infection.

Predictors of Outcomes of Patients Referred to a Transplant Center for Urgent Liver Transplantation Evaluation.

Liver transplantation (LT) is definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease. This study evaluated factors predicting successful evaluation in patients transferred for urgent inpatient LT evaluation. Eighty-two patients with cirrhosis were transferred for urgent LT evaluation from January 2016 to December 2018.

Temporal trends in disease presentation and survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A real-world experience from 1998 to 2015.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the few cancers whose incidence continues to increase. The goal of the current study was to investigate the presentation and survival trends of patients with HCC presenting to a university hospital between 1998 and 2015.

Methods: Study data were ascertained by individual chart review with survival data also supplemented by National Death Index query up to December 31, 2015.

Optimizing the Nutritional Support of Adult Patients in the Setting of Cirrhosis.

Aim: The aim of this work is to develop a pragmatic approach in the assessment and management strategies of patients with cirrhosis in order to optimize the outcomes in this patient population.

Method: A systematic review of literature was conducted through 8 July 2017 on the PubMed Database looking for key terms, such as malnutrition, nutrition, assessment, treatment, and cirrhosis. Articles and studies looking at associations between nutrition and cirrhosis were reviewed.

Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein A Levels in Late First Trimester Pregnancies with Small-for-Gestational Age Neonates: A Prospective Case-Control Study.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the association of pregnancy associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) levels in late first trimester with small for gestational age (SGA) neonates and adverse pregnancy outcomes in a low-income setting.

Methods: The inclusion criteria were late first trimester (11-13 + 6 weeks) women with singleton and non-anomalous pregnancy. Enrolled participants were sampled for PAPP-A and prospectively followed up for delivery outcome and antenatal complications.

Sofosbuvir Use in the Setting of End-stage Renal Disease: A Single Center Experience.

Patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are dialysis-dependent form a unique group, in which safety, tolerability and efficacy of sofosbuvir (SOF)-based direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) need further evaluation. We performed a retrospective analysis of 14 patients with CHC and ESRD on dialysis who received 15 courses of SOF-based therapy. We evaluated dose escalation to standard-dose SOF in this proof-of-principle experience.

Real-world experience with interferon-free, direct acting antiviral therapies in Asian Americans with chronic hepatitis C and advanced liver disease.

Real-life data on interferon (IFN)-free direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapies for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is limited for Asian Americans.To evaluate sustained virologic response (SVR) and adverse events (AE) in Asian Americans treated with sofosbuvir (SOF)-based, IFN-free DAA therapies.This is a retrospective study of 110 consecutive Asian Americans with HCV genotypes 1 to 3 or 6 treated with IFN-free SOF-based regimens for 8 to 24 weeks between February 2014 and March 2016 at a university center in Northern California.

Increased Prevalence of Metabolic Risk Factors in Asian Americans With Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: We used metabolic risk factors to estimate the prevalence and clinical significance of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Asian Americans with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of 824 consecutive Asian HCC patients at Stanford University Medical Center from 1998 to 2015. Patients were subdivided as: Chinese, other East Asian (Japanese and Korean), South East Asian (Vietnamese, Thai, and Laotian), Maritime South East Asian (MSEA: Malaysian, Indonesian, Filipino, and Singaporean), and South West Asian (Indian, Pakistani, and Middle Eastern).

Advances in cirrhosis: Optimizing the management of hepatic encephalopathy.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a major complication of cirrhosis resulting in significant socioeconomic burden, morbidity, and mortality. HE can be further subdivided into covert HE (CHE) and overt HE (OHE). CHE is a subclinical, less severe manifestation of HE and requires psychometric testing for diagnosis.

Fixed-dose combination of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 1.

Introduction: The recent October 2014 approval of the fixed dose combination (FDC) of the NS5B polymerase inhibitor sofosbuvir (SOF) and the NS5A inhibitor ledipasvir (LDV) for the treatment of treatment-naive and -experienced HCV genotype 1a/1b (HCV-1) has marked a new era of IFN and ribavirin free treatment for chronic hepatitis C. SOF/LDV combination is approved for 12 weeks in treatment-naive patients with and without cirrhosis. For treatment-experienced patients, it is approved for 12 weeks in patients without cirrhosis but for 24 weeks in patients with cirrhosis.