Accuracy of spleen stiffness measurement for the diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease: a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background: The diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension is crucial for prognosis and treatment guidance in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD). Spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) might improve the non-invasive diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension, but previous studies have reported heterogeneous SSM cutoffs. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of SSM and SSM-based algorithms in this setting.

Association between a polymorphic variant in the CDKN2B-AS1/ANRIL gene and pancreatic cancer risk.

Genes carrying high-penetrance germline mutations may also be associated with cancer susceptibility through common low-penetrance genetic variants. To increase the knowledge on genetic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) aetiology, the common genetic variability of PDAC familial genes was analysed in our study. We conducted a multiphase study analysing 7745 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 29 genes reported to harbour a high-penetrance PDAC-associated mutation in at least one published study.

Circulating microbiome in patients with portal hypertension.

Portal hypertension (PH) in liver cirrhosis leads to increased gut permeability and the translocation of bacteria across the gut-liver axis. Microbial DNA has recently been detected in different blood compartments; however, this phenomenon has not been thoroughly analyzed in PH. This study aimed to explore circulating bacterial DNA signatures, inflammatory cytokines, and gut permeability markers in different blood compartments (peripheral and hepatic veins) of patients with cirrhosis and PH.

Endogenous motion of liver correlates to the severity of portal hypertension.

Background: Degree of portal hypertension (PH) is the most important prognostic factor for the decompensation of liver cirrhosis and death, therefore adequate care for patients with liver cirrhosis requires timely detection and evaluation of the presence of clinically significant PH (CSPH) and severe PH (SPH). As the most accurate method for the assessment of PH is an invasive direct measurement of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), the search for non-invasive methods to diagnose these conditions is actively ongoing.

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility of parameters of endogenously induced displacements and strain of liver to assess degree of PH.

Plasma Nogo-A and placental growth factor levels are associated with portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Background: Clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) and severe portal hypertension (SPH) increase the risk for decompensation and life-threatening complications in liver cirrhosis. Pathologic angiogenesis might contribute to the formation of these conditions. Placental growth factor (PlGF) and Nogo-A protein are biomarkers of pathological angiogenesis, but data on their role in liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension is scarce.

Reliability of Transient Elastography-Based Liver Stiffness for Diagnosing Portal Hypertension in Patients with Alcoholic Liver Disease: A Diagnostic Meta-Analysis with Specific Cut-Off Values.

Background:  Transient elastography-based liver stiffness value (TE-LSV) has been studied for the diagnosis of portal hypertension. Liver stiffness is influenced by the disease etiology. We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to determine the performance of TE-LSV for diagnosing portal hypertension in patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD).

Comparison of three cut-offs to diagnose clinically significant portal hypertension by liver stiffness in chronic viral liver diseases: a meta-analysis.

Background: Transient elastography-based liver stiffness value (TE-LSV) has been investigated for assessing clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). The aetiology of CSPH is an important factor determining TE-LSV. There is insufficient evidence for selecting cut-off values.

Noninvasive Evaluation of Portal Hypertension Using a Supervised Learning Technique.

Portal hypertension (PHT) is a key event in the evolution of different chronic liver diseases and leads to the morbidity and mortality of patients. The traditional reliable PHT evaluation method is a hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement, which is invasive and not always available or acceptable to patients. The HVPG measurement is relatively expensive and depends on the experience of the physician.

Liver and spleen transient elastography predicts portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease: a prospective cohort study.

Background: To assess correlation between liver or spleen stiffness measurement by transient elastography (TE) and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) in patients with chronic liver disease as well find optimal and rule in/rule out cut-offs for prognosis of clinically significant (CSPH) and severe (SPH) portal hypertension.

Methods: In this prospective study patients with different chronic liver diseases were included. TE was performed at the same day prior to HVPG measurement.