Namodenoson at the Crossroad of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Namodenoson (CF102) is a small, orally available, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer drug candidate currently in phase 2B trial for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH; formerly known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)) and in phase 3 pivotal clinical trial for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In both MASH and HCC, the mechanism-of-action of namodenoson involves targeting the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR), resulting in deregulation of downstream signaling pathways and leading to inhibition of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8) and stimulation of positive cytokines (G-CSF and adiponectin). Subsequently, inhibition of liver inflammation, steatosis, and fibrosis were documented in MASH experimental models, and inhibition of HCC growth was observed in vitro, in vivo, and in clinical studies.

The association between aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelets (PLT) ratio (APRI) and the development of intrahepatic cholestasis in pregnancy and other related complications.

Objective: To assess the association between aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet count ratio index (APRI score), during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy and the development of intrahepatic cholestasis in pregnancy (ICP).

Methods: Case-control study was conducted. The study included patients diagnosed with ICP by elevated bile acids (n = 118) and a control group of women with symptoms such as elevated liver enzymes or pruritus with normal level of bile acids (n = 127) who attended a large tertiary teaching medical center between the years 2014 and 2021.

Circulating isomiRs May Be Superior Biomarkers Compared to Their Corresponding miRNAs: A Pilot Biomarker Study of Using isomiR-Ome to Detect Coronary Calcium-Based Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with NAFLD.

Circulating miRNAs are increasingly being considered as biomarkers in various medical contexts, but the value of analyzing isomiRs (isoforms of canonical miRNA sequences) has not frequently been assessed. Here we hypothesize that an in-depth analysis of the full circulating miRNA landscape could identify specific isomiRs that are stronger biomarkers, compared to their corresponding miRNA, for identifying increased CV risk in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-a clinical unmet need. Plasma miRNAs were sequenced with next-generation sequencing (NGS).

MELD-Na score may underestimate disease severity and risk of death in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Portal hypertension often precedes the development of advanced fibrosis in patients with Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and may accelerate disease progression to cirrhosis. We aimed to evaluate whether prioritization tools accurately predict survival in patients with MASLD and clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). We retrospectively identified patients diagnosed with esophageal or gastric varices (EGV).

Comorbidities and Malignancy among NAFLD Patients Compared to the General Population, A Nation-Based Study.

(1) Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease. Aims: We aimed to investigate the frequency of comorbidities and malignancies among NAFLD patients compared to the general population. (2) Methods: A retrospective study included adult patients with a NAFLD diagnosis.

Treatment of chronic hepatitis D with peginterferon lambda-the phase 2 LIMT-1 clinical trial.

Background And Aims: HDV infection leads to the most aggressive form of human viral hepatitis for which there is no FDA-approved therapy. PEG IFN-lambda-1a (Lambda) has previously demonstrated a good tolerability profile in HBV and HCV patients compared to PEG IFN-alfa. The goal of Phase 2 LIMT-1 trial was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Lambda monotherapy in patients with HDV.

Combined heart-liver transplantation practices survey in North America: Evaluation and organ listing practices.

We conducted a web-based survey to characterize liver transplant (LT) evaluation and listing practices for patients being evaluated for combined heart-liver transplantation (CHLT), with a specific emphasis on patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), around transplant centers in North America. Very few protocols for liver evaluation and listing in patients undergoing combined heart-liver transplantation are published, and no guidelines currently exist on this topic. A subject of intense debate in the transplant community is the decision of which patients with CHD and liver disease benefit from CHLT compared with heart transplantation.

Reversal of Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension After Immunosuppressive Treatment in a Patient With Sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic disease which features non-necrotizing granulomas in lungs and other organs. Hepatic involvement in sarcoidosis varies between a mild asymptomatic disease and a progressive inflammatory granulomatous disease with or without cirrhosis. In this case presentation, we present a case of hepatic sarcoidosis complicated by clinically significant portal hypertension including splenomegaly and gastroesophageal varices successfully treated with immunosuppression to achieve portal hypertension reversal.

Shear wave elastography: How well does it perform in chronic hepatitis D virus infection?

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection is associated with accelerated progression of liver disease to cirrhosis. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a non-invasive evaluation method of liver fibrosis. Its performance in accurately characterizing HDV fibrosis compared to other noninvasive markers remains unknown.

Liver cirrhosis in elderly patients: clinical characteristics, complications, and survival-analyses from a large retrospective study.

Background: Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a common disease diagnosed in all ages. With the increasing population age, LC is noticeable more in the clinics.

Aim: To distinguish the clinical characteristics, complications, and survival of patients with liver cirrhosis.

Review article: hepatitis B-current and emerging therapies.

Background: The hepatitis B virus (HBV) affects an estimated 290 million individuals worldwide and is responsible for approximately 900 000 deaths annually, mostly from complications of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although current treatment is effective at preventing complications of chronic hepatitis B, it is not curative, and often must be administered long term. There is a need for safe, effective, finite duration curative therapy.

Chronic hepatitis D-What is changing?

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection is a chronic viral disease of the liver that is still largely considered to be incurable due to lack of effective treatment options. Without treatment, the risk for the development of advanced liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma is significantly high. Currently, new therapeutic options are emerging out of ongoing phase 3 clinical trials, promising a new hope of cure for this devastating liver infection.

The Association of Alanine Aminotransferase Levels With Myocardial Perfusion Imaging and Cardiovascular Morbidity.

Introduction: Studies suggest that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with an independent risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We utilized a large cohort of patients undergoing myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to determine the association between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) as a surrogate marker for presumed NAFLD, and the presence of myocardial ischemia and mortality.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed SPECT-MPI results and medical records of individuals evaluated between 1997 and 2008.

Bulevirtide for HBV and HDV infections.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and its satellite virus hepatitis D (HDV) are common worldwide hepatotrophic infections responsible for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The more common HBV infection has several therapeutic regimens currently available for suppression of viral replication. However, a regimen leading to an effective sustained functional cure is still not available.

Indications and Findings of Upper Endoscopies in Males and Females, Are They the Same or Different?

Sex and gender can affect the prevalence and prognosis of diseases. Our aim was to assess similarities and differences for males and females who underwent an upper endoscopy, with regards to indications and results. We reviewed all upper endoscopy reports from 2012 to 2016.

Response guided therapy for reducing duration of direct acting antivirals in chronic hepatitis C infected patients: a Pilot study.

The advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has transformed the landscape of hepatitis C virus (HCV) management. We aimed to prospectively (real-time) evaluate the feasibility of using a response-guided therapy approach, based on mathematical modeling of early viral kinetics, to reduce the duration of DAAs therapy. Patients were treated with DAAs according to the physicians' preference.

Modeling based response guided therapy in subjects with recent hepatitis C infection.

Background & Aims: Mathematical modeling of viral kinetics has been shown to identify patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection who could be cured with a shorter duration of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment. However, modeling therapy duration has yet to be evaluated in recently infected individuals. The aim of this study was to retrospectively examine whether modeling can predict outcomes of six-week sofosbuvir (SOF) and weight-based ribavirin (R) therapy in individuals with recent HCV infection.

Modeling-Based Response-Guided Glecaprevir-Pibrentasvir Therapy for Chronic Hepatitis C to Identify Patients for Ultrashort Treatment Duration.

We recently showed in a proof-of-concept study that real-time modeling-based response-guided therapy can shorten hepatitis C virus treatment duration with sofosbuvir-velpatasvir, elbasvir-grazoprevir, and sofosbuvir-ledipasvir without compromising efficacy, confirming our retrospective modeling reports in >200 patients. However, retrospective modeling of pibrentasvir-glecaprevir (P/G) treatment has yet to be evaluated. In the current study, modeling hepatitis C virus kinetics in 44 cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients predicts that P/G treatment might have been reduced to 4, 6, and 7 weeks in 16%, 34%, and 14% of patients, respectively.

Body composition changes in adolescents after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

Background: Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a commonly used bariatric procedure in severely obese adolescents. Weight loss after SG is associated with marked changes in body composition, but factors associated with such changes have not yet been described in adolescents.

Objective: To identify factors associated with changes in body weight and composition in adolescents 1 year after SG.