The potential liver donor with tuberculosis: A fresh look at international recommendations based on a survey of practice in Indian liver transplant centres.

Background The western recommendations for the use of organs from liver donors with tuberculosis (TB) come from an environment where the burden of disease is low and cadaveric organ donation rates are high-in complete contrast to the Indian scenario, where these recommendations may be too restrictive. Methods A questionnaire relating to current practice on the use of organs from liver donors with TB was sent to all liver transplant centres in India. Results Responses were obtained from 94% of centres.

Current and New Drugs for COVID-19 Treatment and Its Effects on the Liver.

Corona virus disease (COVID)-19 is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (commonly referred to as SARS-CoV-2). In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Though the target organ for the virus is primarily the lungs, with the recent understanding of the pathobiology of this disease and the immune dysregulation associated with it, it is now clear that COVID-19 affects multiple organ systems.

Decentralized care with generic direct-acting antivirals in the management of chronic hepatitis C in a public health care setting.

Background & Aims: The prevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus antibody in Punjab, India is 3.6%, with 728,000 people estimated to have viremic chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The Mukh-Mantri Punjab Hepatitis C Relief Fund, launched on 18th June 2016, provides no-cost generic direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) with sofosbuvir + ledipasvir ± ribavirin or sofosbuvir + daclatasvir ± ribavirin with the goal of eliminating CHC from Punjab.

Vitamin D supplementation in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial.

Background And Aim: Deficiency of vitamin D may be related to the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation in patients with NAFLD.

Methods: A total of 81 patients with NAFLD with normal or raised ( = 47) serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) having vitamin D deficiency were randomized prospectively.

Direct-acting antiviral Therapy Is Safe and Effective in Pediatric Chronic Hepatitis C: The Public Health Perspective.

Objectives: We assessed the efficacy of decentralized public health services and safety of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in the treatment of pediatric chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in the Mukh-Mantri Punjab Hepatitis C Relief Fund, a public-health initiative for prevention and control of CHC in Punjab, India.

Methods: Consecutive children with CHC [age ≥12 to <18 years; both treatment-naïve (TN) and treatment-experienced (TE)] were enrolled. Genotyping was not recommended for non-cirrhotic patients and were treated with sofosbuvir (SOF)+ daclatasvir (DCV) for 12 weeks, while genotyping was recommended for patients with cirrhosis.

Monocyte human leukocyte antigen - Antigen D related, neutrophil oxidative burst and cytokine analysis in patients of decompensated cirrhosis with and without acute-on chronic liver failure.

Background And Aim: Due to a dysregulated immune response, patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) have increased risk of infection and multi organ failure in comparison to compensated cirrhosis. The comparative data on the presence of 'immune paresis' in patients with ACLF and decompensated cirrhosis without ACLF is not available. Aim of the present study was to compare the immunological parameters in patients with decompensated cirrhosis with and without ACLF.

Can Alcoholic Liver Disease and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Co-Exist?

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by definition would require exclusion of significant alcohol intake. Present study was aimed to assess the prevalence of various components of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (AC) and to study the affect of its presence on the severity of liver disease, testing the hypothesis if alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and NAFLD could co-exist.

Methods: In a retrospective analysis of 16 months data, 81 patients with AC were analysed for the prevalence of MS.

Tackling the Hepatitis C Disease Burden in Punjab, India.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a globally prevalent pathogen and is a major cause of healthcare burden in India. HCV poses a significant problem in the state of Punjab, India owing to the higher prevalence of risk factors like unsafe medical practices (including unsafe injections and dental procedures) and intravenous drug use. The reported prevalence of HCV in this part of the country was 5.

Dual treatment with sofosbuvir plus ribavirin is as effective as triple therapy with pegylated interferon plus sofosbuvir plus ribavirin in predominant genotype 3 patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Background And Aim: Sofosbuvir (SOF) was the first directly acting antiviral made available for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in India. We describe our "real life" experience of using SOF with ribavirin (RBV) with or without pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) in predominant genotype 3 patients with CHC.

Methods: A total of 158 patients (men 99 [62.

Viral hepatitis: Indian scenario.

Viral hepatitis is a cause for major health care burden in India and is now equated as a threat comparable to the "big three" communicable diseases - HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. Hepatitis A virus and Hepatitis E virus are predominantly enterically transmitted pathogens and are responsible to cause both sporadic infections and epidemics of acute viral hepatitis. Hepatitis B virus and Hepatitis C virus are predominantly spread via parenteral route and are notorious to cause chronic hepatitis which can lead to grave complications including cirrhosis of liver and hepatocellular carcinoma.