Genotype Distribution and Characteristics of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine: The RESPOND-C Study.

Since 2013, highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has become available, with cure rates exceeding 95%. For the choice of optimal CHC treatment, an assessment of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT) and liver fibrosis stage is necessary. Information about the distribution of these parameters among CHC patients in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (the Baltic states) and especially in Ukraine is scarce.

Effect of home-based prehabilitation on postoperative complications after surgery for gastric cancer: randomized clinical trial.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated that prehabilitation improves patients' physical fitness but its impact on postoperative morbidity remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the effect of personalized, multimodal, semisupervised, home-based prehabilitation on postoperative complications after surgery for gastric cancer.

Methods: This RCT was conducted at two centres in Lithuania.

Effects of COVID-19 on the liver: The experience of a single center.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was perhaps the most severe global health crisis in living memory. Alongside respiratory symptoms, elevated liver enzymes, abnormal liver function, and even acute liver failure were reported in patients suffering from severe acute respiratory disease coronavirus 2 pneumonia. However, the precise triggers of these forms of liver damage and how they affect the course and outcomes of COVID-19 itself remain unclear.

Quantitative Assessment of Liver Impairment in Chronic Viral Hepatitis with [Tc]Tc-Mebrofenin: A Noninvasive Attempt to Stage Viral Hepatitis-Associated Liver Fibrosis.

-Chronic viral hepatitis B and C infections are one of the leading causes of chronic liver impairment, resulting in liver fibrosis and liver cirrhosis. An early diagnosis with accurate liver fibrosis staging leads to a proper diagnosis, thus tailoring correct treatment. Both invasive and noninvasive techniques are used in the diagnosis and staging of chronic liver impairment.

Gut microbiota contribution to hepatocellular carcinoma manifestation in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

Recently, the gut microbiota has been recognized as an obvious active player in addition to liver steatosis/steatohepatitis in the pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), even in the absence of cirrhosis. Evidence from clinical and experimental studies shows the association of specific changes in the gut microbiome and the direct contribution to maintaining liver inflammation and/or cancerogenesis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease-induced HCC. The composition of the gut microbiota differs significantly in obese and lean individuals, especially in the abundance of pro-inflammatory lipopolysaccharide-producing phyla, and, after establishing steatohepatitis, it undergoes minor changes during the progression of the disease toward advanced fibrosis.

Rare complication of nadroparin injections: Skin necrosis and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia syndrome.

We described a rare case of nadroparin-induced skin necrosis with thrombocytopenia. LMWH therapy is used in thrombosis prophylaxis, it is important to recognize that skin necrosis can be a part of HIT early in its course and change heparin or LMWH to non-heparin anticoagulants such as direct thrombin III inhibitors or anti-Xa anticoagulants.

Management of Flood syndrome: What can we do better?

Approximately 20% of cirrhotic patients with ascites develop umbilical herniation. These patients usually suffer from multisystemic complications of cirrhosis, have a significantly higher risk of infection, and require accurate surveillance- especially in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The rupture of an umbilical hernia, is an uncommon, life-threatening complication of large-volume ascites and end-stage liver disease resulting in spontaneous paracentesis, also known as Flood syndrome.

Paraneoplastic Phenomena of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulopathy in Hepatic Angiosarcoma - Rare, Challenging and Fatal. Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: Hepatic angiosarcoma is an uncommon, malignant, primary liver tumor, comprising 2% of liver cancers and accounting for < 1% of all sarcomas. Patients usually present with nonspecific symptoms, such as fatigue, weight loss, right upper quadrant pain, anemia, which leads to late diagnosis of an advanced stage tumor. The median life expectancy after the diagnosis of hepatic angiosarcoma is about 6 months, with only 3% of patients surviving more than 2 years.

Multi-organ IgG4-related disease continues to mislead clinicians: A case report and literature review.

Background: Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a multisystemic mass forming immune-mediated disease that affects almost every organ and is a diagnostic challenge for every clinician. There is a lack of adequate epidemiological data worldwide, and evidence-based treatment recommendations are not yet established. We report the first case of IgG4-RD from Lithuania and the Baltic Sea region presented with thyroiditis, orbital myositis, orbitopathy, uveitis, scleritis, sialadenitis, autoimmune pancreatitis and prostatitis.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma simulating Crohn's disease: A case report.

Background: Differential diagnosis between extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue and inflammatory bowel disease is mainly based on histopathologic evaluation of intestinal biopsies, although there is no single definitive diagnostic investigation and that circumstance can lead to misdiagnosis in particular cases. Herein we present a rare, ulcerative form of marginal zone lymphoma which mimics the Crohn's disease (CD) of upper digestive tract.

Case Summary: A 50-year-old man was presented with recurrent episodes of malaise and melena also weight loss.

Changes in the Velocity of Blood in the Portal Vein in Mild Acute Pancreatitis-A Preliminary Clinical Study.

: Portal vein thrombosis is associated with a decrease in the main blood velocity in this vessel. While most studies examine etiological factors of portal vein thrombosis after its occurrence, we aimed to evaluate portal vessels and assess whether mild acute pancreatitis affects blood flow in the portal vein and increases the risk of thrombosis. : This prospective single centered follow-up study enrolled 66 adult participants.

Systemic inflammation contributes to impairment of quality of life in chronic pancreatitis.

Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a fibrotic disorder of the pancreas leading to clinical sequelae like pain and an excess of comorbidity including cardiovascular disease and cancers. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between systemic inflammation and quality of life in patients with CP. Patients were prospectively recruited and underwent a quality of life assessment (EORTC QLQ-C30 and PAN 28).

Risk assessment of choledocholithiasis prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy and its management options.

Background: Accurate risk evaluation of choledocholithiasis prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy is essential to determine optimal management strategy.

Objective: Our study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of separate predictors and Vilnius University Hospital Index (VUHI = A/30 + 0.4 × B; A = total bilirubin concentration (µmol/l), B = common bile duct (CBD) diameter (mm) measured by ultrasound) diagnosing choledocholithiasis and to assess different management strategies (cholecystectomy with intraoperative cholangiography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)).

Characteristics and outcomes of gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding: a single-centre experience in Lithuania.

Introduction: Despite the optimal use of combined endoscopic haemostasis and pharmacologic control of acid secretion in the stomach, mortality in patients with peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB) has remained constant. Recent data has shown that the majority of patients with PUB die of non-bleeding-related causes.

Aim: To provide an overview of our experience of PUB management, with emphasis on the effect of age, gender, comorbidities, and drug use on the characteristics and outcomes of gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding.

The comparison of umbilical cord arterial blood lactate and pH values for predicting short-term neonatal outcomes.

Objective: Current clinical practice of assessing neonatal condition is based on evaluation of umbilical cord arterial blood pH value rather than lactate. However, evidence shows that lactate is direct and more predictive measurement than pH or at least of equal importance. This study is to assess and compare umbilical cord arterial lactate and pH values for predicting short-term neonatal outcomes.

Expression Levels of the Uridine-Cytidine Kinase Like-1 Protein As a Novel Prognostic Factor for Hepatitis C Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinomas.

The expression levels of the two novel oncoproteins uridine-cytidine kinase like-1 (UCKL-1) and mitochondrial ribosomal protein S18-2 (MRPS18-2) were assessed in samples of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using immunohistochemistry. Tissue microarray (TMA) paraffin blocks were prepared from 42 HCC tumor samples with the corresponding peri-tumor tissues and from 11 tissues of a liver with HCV-induced cirrhosis. We found that the UCKL-1 signal in the liver tissues of the peri-tumor zone in the HCC samples was stronger than that in cirrhosis (50 ± 49.

Concordance of the new ESPEN criteria with low phase angle in defining early stages of malnutrition in cardiac surgery.

Background & Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of malnutrition (MN) in cardiac surgery patients by implementing the new ESPEN diagnostic criteria and to determine whether these criteria are concordant with the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) provided phase angle (PA) in predicting early stages of malnutrition.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted in a tertiary hospital. The nutritional state of the cardiac surgery patients was evaluated one day prior to cardiac surgery using the malnutrition screening tools NRS-2002, MUST and SF-MNA, and bioelectrical impedance analysis.

genotype is associated with cirrhosis or transition to cirrhosis in treatment-naive patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 infection: the international observational Gen-C study.

Background And Purpose: Contradictory data exist on the association between host interleukin-28B () rs12979860 genotype and liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). This large, international, observational study (NCT01675427/MV25600) investigated relationships between rs12979860 genotype and liver fibrosis stage in CHC patients.

Methods: A total of 3003 adult, treatment-naive CHC patients were enrolled into the study.

Efficacy of deep biopsy for subepithelial lesions in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Introduction: Accurate diagnosis of subepithelial lesions (SELs) in the gastrointestinal tract depends on a variety of methods: endoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound and different types of biopsy. Making an error-free diagnosis is vital for the subsequent application of an appropriate treatment.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of deep biopsy via the endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) technique for SELs in the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Chronic pancreatitis: Do serum biomarkers provide an association with an inflammageing phenotype?

Background: Chronic pancreatitis is an inflammatory disorder of the pancreas that is associated with accelerated mortality for patients suffering from this disease. The association between chronic inflammation and accelerated biological ageing has been well described and is often referred to as "inflammageing". In this review we seek to determine how systemic inflammation in chronic pancreatitis may contribute to an accelerated ageing phenotype.

Malnutrition assessed by phase angle determines outcomes in low-risk cardiac surgery patients.

Background & Aims: Phase angle (PA), which is obtained from bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), is a non-invasive method for measuring altered electrical properties of biological tissues. It has been recognised as an objective prognostic marker of disease severity and frailty. The aim of this study is to determine whether PA is a marker of malnutrition and postoperative morbidity in low operative risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Preoperative risk factors of malnutrition for cardiac surgery patients.

Background: Malnutrition (MN) is prevalent in cardiac surgery, but there are no specific preoperative risk factors of MN. The aim of this study is to assess the clinically relevant risk factors of MN for cardiac surgery patients.

Materials And Methods: The nutritional state of the patients was evaluated one day prior to surgery using a bioelectrical impedance analysis phase angle (PA).

Strategies to manage hepatitis C virus infection disease burden - volume 3.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic was forecasted through 2030 for 15 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and the relative impact of two scenarios was considered: increased treatment efficacy while holding the annual number of treated patients constant and increased treatment efficacy and an increased annual number of treated patients. Increasing levels of diagnosis and treatment, in combination with improved treatment efficacy, were critical for achieving substantial reductions in disease burden. A 90% reduction in total HCV infections within 15 years is feasible in most countries studied, but it required a coordinated effort to introduce harm reduction programmes to reduce new infections, screening to identify those already infected and treatment with high cure rate therapies.

The present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus infections with today's treatment paradigm - volume 3.

The total number, morbidity and mortality attributed to viraemic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections change over time making it difficult to compare reported estimates from different years. Models were developed for 15 countries to quantify and characterize the viraemic population and forecast the changes in the infected population and the corresponding disease burden from 2014 to 2030. With the exception of Iceland, Iran, Latvia and Pakistan, the total number of viraemic HCV infections is expected to decline from 2014 to 2030, but the associated morbidity and mortality are expected to increase in all countries except for Japan and South Korea.

Historical epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in select countries - volume 3.

Detailed, country-specific epidemiological data are needed to characterize the burden of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection around the world. With new treatment options available, policy makers and public health officials must reconsider national strategies for infection control. In this study of 15 countries, published and unpublished data on HCV prevalence, viraemia, genotype, age and gender distribution, liver transplants and diagnosis and treatment rates were gathered from the literature and validated by expert consensus in each country.