Validity of FibroScan values for predicting hepatic fibrosis stage in patients with chronic HCV infection.

Objective: The aim of this study was to validate the FibroScan system compared with liver histology and serum markers for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis. We also tried to determine the cut-off levels and assess the feasibility of using FibroScan values to predict the fibrosis stage.

Methods: In 44 patients with HCV infection, liver stiffness was evaluated by FibroScan, serum fibrosis markers and a liver biopsy.

Early decline of the HCV core antigen can predict SVR in patients with HCV treated by Pegylated interferon plus ribavirin combination therapy.

Objective: Pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) combination therapy is now a popular treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C; however, the reported sustained virologic response (SVR) rate remains at nearly 50% in genotype 1b infected patients. Therefore, it is of clinical benefit to be able to predict the effect of combination therapy on individual patients earlier in the treatment. We estimated the predictive serum HCV core antigen levels for SVR in the early therapeutic stage of combination therapy.

Nutritional investigation of non-obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: the significance of dietary cholesterol.

Objective: The onset and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) seem to be affected by nutritive intake; however, detailed examinations have not been performed in non-obese NAFLD patients. The purpose of this study was to identify potential nutritive factors that affect NAFLD and its related nutritional problems.

Material And Methods: We investigated the distribution of abdominal fat, dietary intake, and biochemical data in patients with NAFLD and compared non-obese with obese patients.

The significance of differences in fatty acid metabolism between obese and non-obese patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered to be associated with metabolic syndrome; however, a number of NAFLD patients are not obese. To explore any differences in lipid metabolism between obese and non-obese patients, we determined the expression of fatty acid metabolism-related genes. Expression levels of target genes were quantified by real-time PCR using liver biopsy samples from NAFLD patients and normal controls.

Atypical manifestations of pancreatitis with autoimmune phenomenon in an adolescent female.

We report a case of an adolescent girl with atypical manifestations of pancreatitis with autoimmune phenomenon presenting with epigastralgia and back pain. While no abnormalities were detected on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, apart from the absence of peripancreatic spread, laboratory and serological findings, such as hypergammaglobulinemia, a high titer of immunoglobulin G, a high titer of immunoglobulin G4, slight positivity for antinuclear antibodies, and positivity for autoantibodies to lactoferrin, were suggestive of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography imaging (MRCP) visualized only the main pancreatic duct (MPD) in the pancreas head region.