AKI in patients with acute on chronic liver failure is different from acute decompensation of cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: The current definitions of acute kidney injury (AKI) including HRS have been derived from patients with decompensated cirrhosis. No studies have carefully addressed AKI in patients with acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF). We evaluated the prevalence, spectrum, natural history and mortality of AKI at admission and new-onset AKI in hospitalized patients with ACLF and compared the results with patients with acute decompensation of cirrhosis (ADC).

Role of circulating tumor cells and cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Circulating tumor cells (CTC) and cancer stem cells (CSC) have been proposed as tools for detection and characterization of disease and individualization of therapy in patients with many solid tumors. Several automated and semi-automated techniques for identification and isolation of these cells from blood have been proposed and reviewed mostly focusing on their feasibility. In this mini review we summarize the recent relevant literature on this topic and discuss the clinical usability of measuring CTC and CSC in peripheral blood in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Liver dialysis in acute-on-chronic liver failure: current and future perspectives.

Patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) are known to have a very high mortality rate as the majority of these patients succumb to multiorgan failure. Liver transplant remains the only option for these patients; however, there are problems with its availability, cost and also the complications and side effects associated with immunosuppression. Unlike advanced decompensated liver disease, there is a potential for hepatic regeneration and recovery in patients with ACLF.

Acute viral hepatitis e is associated with the development of myocarditis.

Myocarditis, an inflammatory disease of heart muscle, is an important cause of dilated cardiomyopathy worldwide. Viral infection is an important cause of myocarditis. This condition presents with various symptoms, ranging from minimally symptomatic cases to fatal arrhythmia and cardiogenic shock, and may develop chronic myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy in some patients.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in portal cavernoma cholangiopathy - results from different studies and proposal for uniform terminology.

Portal cavernoma cholangiopathy (PCC) refers to a constellation of secondary changes in the biliary tree in patients with chronic portal vein (PV) thrombosis and portal cavernoma formation. These findings of PCC are seen in the extra-hepatic bile duct(s), with or without involvement of the 1st or 2nd degree intra-hepatic bile ducts. Of all patients with chronic PV thrombosis, cholangiographic features of PCC are found in 80%-100%.

Common bile duct duplication: the more the murkier.

Congenital duplication of the common bile duct is an extremely rare anomaly of the biliary tract, which putatively represents failure of regression of the embryological double biliary system. Depending on the morphology of the duplicated bile duct, the anomaly can be classified into five distinct subtypes as per the modified classification (proposed by Choi et al). Among the five subtypes of bile duct duplication, type V duplication is considered to be the least common with only two previous cases of type Va variant reported in medical literature prior to the current report.

An Interesting Case of CMV Retinitis in a Case of ALL on Maintenance Therapy.

Forty-five years old male, a known case of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on maintenance therapy presented with bilateral painless progressive diminution of vision. Evaluation revealed cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis with low CD4 counts. CMV retinitis is usually seen in HIV disease or in post allogenic stem cell transplant recipients.

Identification and full-length molecular characterization of rare hepatitis C virus genotype 5a from India.

This report presents a molecular characterization of the complete genome of a rare hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT5a) from India. Sequence homology of full genome revealed that the strain belonged to HCV GT5a. To trace the origin of this virus and to understand its evolutionary pattern, a phylogenetic reconstruction was carried out on full HCV genome sequences using Bayesian coalescent methods.

Key elements of the RNAi pathway are regulated by hepatitis B virus replication and HBx acts as a viral suppressor of RNA silencing.

The host-mediated RNAi pathways restrict replication of viruses in plant, invertebrate and vertebrate systems. However, comparatively little is known about the interplay between RNAi and various viral infections in mammalian hosts. We show in the present study that the siRNA-mediated silencing of Drosha, Dicer and Ago2 [argonaute RISC (RNA-induced silencing complex) catalytic component 2] transcripts in Huh7 cells resulted in elevated levels of HBV (hepatitis B virus)-specific RNAs and, conversely, we observed a decrease in mRNA and protein levels of same RNAi components in HepG2 cells infected with HBV.

Endoscopic ultrasound description of liver segmentation and anatomy.

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) can demonstrate the detailed anatomy of the liver from the transgastric and transduodenal routes. Most of the liver segments can be imaged with EUS, except the right posterior segments. The intrahepatic vascular landmarks include the major hepatic veins, portal vein radicals, hepatic arterial branches, and the inferior vena cava, and the venosum and teres ligaments are other important intrahepatic landmarks.

Hard clinical outcomes in patients with NAFLD.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), once regarded as an innocuous condition, is now considered to be the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Evidence suggests a strong association between NAFLD and other potentially life-threatening diseases. A significant proportion of these patients develops progressive liver injury leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

Postinfantile giant cell hepatitis: an etiological and prognostic perspective.

Giant cell hepatitis is common manifestation in pediatric liver diseases, but quite uncommon in adults, only about 100 cases reported in the English literature in the last two decades. Data for the present review were identified by a structured PubMed/MEDLINE search from 1963 to December 2012, using keywords postinfantile giant cell hepatitis (PIGCH), adult giant cell hepatitis, and syncytial giant cell hepatitis in adults and liver. We report a case of postinfantile giant cell hepatitis along with the review related to the etiology and respective outcome, as the literature in the last 20 years suggests.

Early primary prophylaxis with beta-blockers does not prevent the growth of small esophageal varices in cirrhosis: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The efficacy of portal pressure reduction by beta-blockers and the utility of serial hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurements for the management of small (≤5 mm) esophageal varices in patients of cirrhosis are not clear.

Aims: The study had the following aims: to study (1) the effect of propranolol on the growth of small varices and (2) whether single or serial HVPG measurements result in a better outcome compared to no measurement in patients with small varices.

Methods: Consecutive cirrhosis patients with small varices, without any history of variceal bleed, were randomized to receive propranolol or placebo and to undergo no HVPG, only baseline HVPG, or serial HVPG measurements.

Analysis of Notch and TGF-β Signaling Expression in Different Stages of Disease Progression During Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

Objectives: CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) seem to have a key role in persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Notch and transforming growth factor (TGF-β) signaling independently help in the differentiation and regulation of CD4+T cells, including T-helper (T(H)) 1, T(H)2, and Tregs. Whether, the two pathways have modulatory role on different stages of HBV infection and severity of liver disease is not clear.

Liver stiffness measurements in patients with different stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: diagnostic performance and clinicopathological correlation.

Background: The present study evaluated performance characteristics of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by FibroScan in patients with different stages of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Patients And Methods: A total of 307 subjects (120 NAFLD, 85 NAFLD related cirrhosis, and 102 healthy controls) were studied.

Results: In NAFLD patients, LSM had significant correlation with fibrosis (r = 0.

Can endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration offer clinical benefit for tumors of the ampulla of vater? -an initial study.

Objective: No previous studies have described endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) only for intra-ampullary lesions of the papilla of Vater. We aimed to examine whether EUS-FNA can be used to diagnose such lesions.

Methods: This study included a subset of 10 consecutive patients in whom EUS-FNA targeted the ampulla of Vater.

Serum hepatitis B surface antigen levels correlate with high serum HBV DNA levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: The hallmark of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity for at least 6 months. Recently, serum levels of HBsAg have been compared with serum HBV DNA as a surrogate marker to monitor CHB patients. However, data correlating these two markers are scarce.

5HT3 antagonists for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting in breast surgery: a meta-analysis.

Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are distressing adverse events following breast cancer surgery with an incidence of up to 80%. 5HT 3 antagonists are commonly employed as drugs of first choice for PONV although there is no clear evidence favoring one pharmacological approach over another.

Aims: The objective of this meta-analysis is to compare the efficacy of 5HT 3 antagonists against all non-5HT 3 antagonism-based pharmacological approaches as a preemptive strategy for PONV in women undergoing breast surgery.