Genetic Variants Determine Treatment Response in Autoimmune Hepatitis.

Background: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a rare entity; in addition, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may impact its course and outcome. We investigated liver-related SNPs regarding its activity, as well as in relation to its stage and treatment response in a Central European AIH cohort.

Methods: A total of 113 AIH patients (i.

Feasibility of Continuous Monitoring of Endoscopy Performance and Adverse Events: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: We integrated a standardized questionnaire focusing on adverse events and performance measures in gastrointestinal endoscopy as a mandatory component of the electronical medical record.

Methods: This retrospective study was conducted using prospectively collected data on quality parameters and adverse events (AEPM) for all diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures at our center between 2018 and 2020.

Results: A total of 7532 consecutive endoscopic procedures were performed in 5035 patients.

New method for real-time visualization and quantitative characterization of early colorectal cancer in endoscopy: a pilot study.

Endoscopic optical diagnosis is crucial to the therapeutic strategy for early gastrointestinal cancer. It accurately (> 85 %) predicts pT category based on microsurface (SP) and vascular patterns (VP). However, interobserver variability is a major problem.

Liver-related Mortality is Increased in Lean Subjects with Non- alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Compared to Overweight and Obese Subjects.

Background And Aims: Although non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is linked to obesity, a proportion of lean subjects also have NAFLD with potentially distinct clinical features. We studied the outcome of lean NAFLD subjects.

Methods: 299 consecutive patients (215 male, 84 female, 49.

PNPLA3 is the dominant SNP linked to liver disease severity at time of first referral to a tertiary center.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes including PNPLA3, TM6SF2, HSD17B13 and SERPINA1 have been identified as risk modifiers of progression in chronic liver disease (CLD). However, it is unclear whether genotyping for these risk variants is useful in clinical routine.

Methods: Liver disease severity was assessed by liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and by presence of clinical manifestations of advanced-chronic liver disease (ACLD) in 779 consecutive CLD patients at the time of referral to a tertiary center.

Systematic Review on Optical Diagnosis of Early Gastrointestinal Neoplasia.

Background: Meticulous endoscopic characterization of gastrointestinal neoplasias (GN) is crucial to the clinical outcome. Hereby the indication and type of resection (endoscopically, en-bloc or piece-meal, or surgical resection) are determined. By means of established image-enhanced (IEE) and magnification endoscopy (ME) GN can be characterized in terms of malignancy and invasion depth.

Similar clinical outcome of AMA immunoblot-M2-negative compared to immunoblot-positive subjects over six years of follow-up.

: The detection of anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) is considered a hallmark in diagnosing primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). The most important AMA-subtype is AMA-M2 directed against the E2-subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase. It is common clinical interpretation that lack of M2 due to immunoblotting (IB) indicates absence of specific auto-reactivity.

Serum Ferritin Correlates With Liver Fat in Male Adolescents With Obesity.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) contributes essentially to the burden of obesity and can start in childhood. NAFLD can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The early phase of NAFLD is crucial because during this time the disease is fully reversible.

Mesenchymal iron deposition is associated with adverse long-term outcome in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background & Aims: Approximately one-third of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) show signs of mild-to-moderate iron overload. The impact of histological iron deposition on the clinical course of patients with NAFLD has not been established.

Methods & Results: For this retrospective study, 299 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and a mean follow-up of 8.

Low rate of new-onset primary biliary cholangitis in a cohort of anti-mitochondrial antibody-positive subjects over six years of follow-up.

Background And Aims: Anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) are closely linked to primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). The prevalence of AMA in the general population is low, and AMA positivity may precede PBC. We aimed to determine the natural history of subjects with positive AMA.

Lean Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Have a Severe Histological Phenotype Similar to Obese Patients.

A small proportion of lean patients develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to report the histological picture of lean NAFLD in comparison to overweight and obese NAFLD patients. Biopsy and clinical data from 466 patients diagnosed with NAFLD were stratified to groups according to body mass index (BMI): lean (BMI ≤ 25.

Clinical and metabolic characterization of obese subjects without non-alcoholic fatty liver: A targeted metabolomics approach.

Introduction: As a small proportion of obese individuals do not develop metabolic complications and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), this study aimed to provide a comprehensive clinical, metabolic and genetic description of obese subjects with healthy livers.

Methods: A total of 183 subjects were stratified, according to BMI, presence of metabolic syndrome, biochemical liver tests and hepatic steatosis on ultrasound, into: (i) lean controls (n = 69); (ii) obese healthy (n = 50); and (iii)obese NAFLD (n = 62) groups. Detailed clinical, genetic and metabolic evaluations were then performed.

Metabolomic profiling identifies potential pathways involved in the interaction of iron homeostasis with glucose metabolism.

Objective: Elevated serum ferritin has been linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and adverse health outcomes in subjects with the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). As the mechanisms underlying the negative impact of excess iron have so far remained elusive, we aimed to identify potential links between iron homeostasis and metabolic pathways.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, data were obtained from 163 patients, allocated to one of three groups: (1) lean, healthy controls (n = 53), (2) MetS without hyperferritinemia (n = 54) and (3) MetS with hyperferritinemia (n = 56).

Reliability and reproducibility of the German version of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons reading charts.

Purpose: To create a validated, standardized, logarithmic European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) reading chart in German and to use this reading chart as a template for comparable reading charts in other languages.

Setting: Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, and Department of Ophthalmology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.

Design: Prospective multicenter validation study.