Risk of Incident Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes in Patients With Direct Acting Antiviral-Induced Cure of Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Background: Data regarding the risk of incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) and prediabetes among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) achieving direct-acting antivirals (DAAs)-induced sustained virologic response (SVR) remains limited.

Methods: A total of 1079 patients, including 589 with normoglycemia and 490 with prediabetes, who underwent biannual fasting glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) assessment for a median post-SVR follow-up of 5.5 years, were enrolled.

Sarcopenia and myosteatosis are associated with low survival in patients receiving lenvatinib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: To investigate the association of skeletal muscle mass and quality with survival outcomes in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with lenvatinib (LEN).

Methods: In this retrospective study, LEN-treated patients with HCC were enrolled. Sarcopenia and myosteatosis were evaluated on the basis of baseline skeletal muscle index and mean muscle attenuation, respectively, on computed tomography at the L3 level.

High SAFE scores predict hepatocellular carcinoma in viral and non-viral hepatitis and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease.

Background/aims: There are no hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance recommendations for non-viral chronic liver diseases (CLD), such as metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). We explored the Steatosis-Associated Fibrosis Estimator (SAFE) score to predict HCC in MASLD and other CLD etiologies.

Methods: Patients with various CLDs were included from medical centers in Taiwan.

Machine Learning Models for Predicting Significant Liver Fibrosis in Patients with Severe Obesity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Purpose: Although noninvasive tests can be used to predict liver fibrosis, their accuracy is limited for patients with severe obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We developed machine learning (ML) models to predict significant liver fibrosis in patients with severe obesity through noninvasive tests.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study included 194 patients with severe obesity who underwent wedge liver biopsy and metabolic bariatric surgery at Taipei Medical University Hospital between September 2016 and December 2020.

The association between proton-pump inhibitor use and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy.

Background And Aim: The association between long-term proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) use and malignancies had long been discussed, but it still lacks consensus. Our study investigated the association between PPI use and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence following curative surgery.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 6037 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy.

Four weeks of off-treatment follow-up is sufficient to determine virologic responses at off-treatment week 12 in patients with hepatitis C virus infection receiving fixed-dose pangenotypic direct-acting antivirals.

Early confirmation of sustained virologic response (SVR) or viral relapse after direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is essential based on public health perspectives, particularly for patients with high risk of nonadherence to posttreatment follow-ups. A total of 1011 patients who achieved end-of-treatment virologic response, including 526 receiving fixed-dose pangenotypic DAAs, and 485 receiving other types of DAAs, who had available off-treatment weeks 4 and 12 serum HCV RNA data to confirm SVR at off-treatment week 12 (SVR) or viral relapse were included. The positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of SVR to predict patients with SVR or viral relapse were reported.

Microbiome signatures associated with clinical stages of gastric Cancer: whole metagenome shotgun sequencing study.

Background: Gastric cancer is one of the global health concerns. A series of studies on the stomach have confirmed the role of the microbiome in shaping gastrointestinal diseases. Delineation of microbiome signatures to distinguish chronic gastritis from gastric cancer will provide a non-invasive preventative and treatment strategy.

Dynamic change of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in patients with hepatitis C virus infection after achieving sustained virologic response with direct-acting antivirals.

Background: Information on the dynamics of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) among hepatitis C virus patients achieving sustained virologic response (SVR) with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) is limited.

Methods: We enrolled 1512 eligible participants in this prospective study. MASLD was defined by a controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) of ≥248 dB/m utilizing vibration-controlled transient elastography in conjunction with presence of  ≥1 cardiometabolic risk factor.

Potential Hepatic Lipid Markers Associated with Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and Fibrosis in Morbid Obesity Patients.

This study investigated differences in lipidomic profile features in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) between mild and significant liver fibrosis cases among patients with morbid obesity. Wedge liver biopsy was performed during sleeve gastrectomy and significant liver fibrosis was defined as a fibrosis score ≥ 2. We selected patients with NASH with non/mild fibrosis (stage F0-F1; = 30) and NASH with significant fibrosis (stage F2-F4; = 30).

A rare cause of hematochezia: colonic extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALToma): A case report and literature review.

Rationale: Colonic extranodal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma as a cause of hematochezia is rare. Here, we report a case of colonic extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALToma) with presentation of freshy bloody stool and successfully treated by endoscopic mucosal resection.

Patient Concerns: This case was a 69-year-old woman with history of hypertension, reflux esophagitis, and peptic ulcer.

Entecavir versus tenofovir on prognosis of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma after curative hepatectomy.

Background: There is still controversy about whether tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and entecavir (ETV) have different effects on the outcomes of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Aims: The aim of this study was to compare the prognoses between ETV and TDF treatment among patients with HBV-related HCC after hepatectomy.

Methods: An analysis was done on data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry, which was linked to Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, for the years 2011-2016.

Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection previously treated with NS5A direct-acting antivirals: a real-world multicenter cohort in Taiwan.

Background: Real-world data are scarce about the effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (SOF/VEL/VOX) for retreating East Asian patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who previously received NS5A direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). We conducted a multicenter study to assess the performance of SOF/VEL/VOX in patients who were not responsive to prior NS5A inhibitors in Taiwan.

Methods: Between September 2021 and May 2022, 107 patients who failed NS5A inhibitor-containing DAAs with SOF/VEL/VOX salvage therapy for 12 weeks were included at 16 academic centers.

Functional Plasmon-Activated Water Increases Abundance in Gut Microbiota to Ameliorate Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction, as indicated by epithelial hyperpermeability and high levels of mucosal-associated bacteria. Changes in gut microbiota may be correlated with IBD pathogenesis. Additionally, microbe-based treatments could mitigate clinical IBD symptoms.

Hepatitis C Virus Reinfection in People With HIV in Taiwan After Achieving Sustained Virologic Response With Antiviral Treatment: The RECUR Study.

Background: Data on hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection in East Asian people with HIV after treatment-induced sustained virologic response (SVR) are limited.

Methods: HIV/HCV-coinfected patients in Taiwan who achieved SVR with interferon (IFN) or direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) between 2005 and 2021 underwent HCV RNA measurements at SVR and then biannually. HCV reinfection was defined as the detection of different HCV strains beyond SVR.

Butyrate supplementation regulates expression of chromosome segregation 1‑like protein to reverse the genetic distortion caused by p53 mutations in colorectal cancer.

The chromosome segregation 1‑like (CSE1L) protein, which regulates cellular mitosis and apoptosis, was previously found to be overexpressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells harboring mutations. Therefore, regulating CSE1L expression may confer chemotherapeutic effects against CRC. The gut microflora can regulate gene expression in colonic cells.

Hepatitis C virus reinfection in patients on haemodialysis after achieving sustained virologic response with antiviral treatment.

Background: Data are limited regarding the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection after treatment-induced sustained virologic response (SVR) in patients on haemodialysis.

Aims: To assess the risk of HCV reinfection among patients on haemodialysis with treatment-induced SVR.

Methods: Patients on haemodialysis patients who achieved SVR with interferon (IFN) or direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-based treatment received follow-up at SVR and then biannually with HCV RNA measurements.

Lightweight deep neural networks for cholelithiasis and cholecystitis detection by point-of-care ultrasound.

Background And Objective: Emergency physicians (EPs) frequently deal with abdominal pain, including that is caused by either gallstones or acute cholecystitis. Easy access and low cost justify point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use as a first-line test to detect these diseases; yet, the detection performance of POCUS by EPs is unreliable, causing misdiagnoses with serious impacts. This study aimed to develop a machine learning system to detect and localize gallstones and to detect acute cholecystitis by ultrasound (US) still images taken by physicians or technicians for preliminary diagnoses.

Deep learning for abdominal ultrasound: A computer-aided diagnostic system for the severity of fatty liver.

Background: The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is increasing over time worldwide, with similar trends to those of diabetes and obesity. A liver biopsy, the gold standard of diagnosis, is not favored due to its invasiveness. Meanwhile, noninvasive evaluation methods of fatty liver are still either very expensive or demonstrate poor diagnostic performances, thus, limiting their applications.

Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir plus ribavirin for Child-Pugh B and Child-Pugh C hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis.

Background/aims: Real-world studies assessing the effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) plus ribavirin (RBV) for Child-Pugh B/C hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis are limited.

Methods: We included 107 patients with Child-Pugh B/C HCV-related cirrhosis receiving SOF/VEL plus RBV for 12 weeks in Taiwan. The sustained virologic response rates at off-treatment week 12 (SVR12) for the evaluable population (EP), modified EP, and per-protocol population (PP) were assessed.

Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and compensated liver disease: real-world data in Taiwan.

Background: Data regarding the real-world effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (SOF/VEL) for East Asian patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and compensated liver disease are limited. We evaluated the performance of SOF/VEL for 12 weeks for HCV-infected patients with compensated liver disease in a large real-world cohort in Taiwan.

Methods: Between July 2019 and March 2020, 1880 HCV-infected patients with compensated liver disease who received SOF/VEL 400/100 mg once daily for 12 weeks were included at 15 academic centers in Taiwan.