TREM-2 plays a protective role in cholestasis by acting as a negative regulator of inflammation.

Background & Aims: Inflammation, particularly that mediated by bacterial components translocating from the gut to the liver and binding to toll-like receptors (TLRs), is central to cholestatic liver injury. The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM-2) inhibits TLR-mediated signaling and exerts a protective role in hepatocellular injury and carcinogenesis. This study aims to evaluate the role of TREM-2 in cholestasis.

5-Lipooxygenase Derivatives as Serum Biomarkers of a Successful Dietary Intervention in Patients with NonAlcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

It was previously shown that a bodyweight reduction among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) was connected to the lower concentration of arachidonic and linoleic acid derivatives in their blood. We hypothesized that the concentration of these lipids was correlated with the extent of their body mass reduction and, thus, liver steatosis. We analyzed 68 individuals who completed the dietary intervention.

Gut Permeability Might be Improved by Dietary Fiber in Individuals with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Undergoing Weight Reduction.

(1) Introduction: Zonulin (ZO) has been proposed as a marker of intestinal permeability. Only a few studies have analyzed to date how diet influences the serum concentration of ZO among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We performed a six-month dietetic intervention to evaluate the association between fiber intake and ZO concentration in 32 individuals with NAFLD.

ApaI polymorphism of vitamin D receptor affects health-related quality of life in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Background: Polymorphisms of vitamin D receptor (VDR) contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple autoimmune conditions.

Methods: We investigated the incidence of VDR polymorphisms (rs1544410-BsmI; rs7975232-ApaI; rs731236-TaqI) in a group of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC, n = 275) and in healthy controls (n = 376). Additionally, correlations of the VDR polymorphisms with clinical and biochemical factors of the disease were analysed.

Impaired Hepatic Adaptation to Chronic Cholestasis induced by Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.

Pathogenesis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) may involve impaired bile acid (BA) homeostasis. We analyzed expressions of factors mediating enterohepatic circulation of BA using ileal and colonic (ascending and sigmoid) biopsies obtained from patients with PSC with and without ulcerative colitis (UC) and explanted PSC livers. Two-fold increase of BA-activated farnesoid X receptor (FXR) protein levels were seen in ascending and sigmoid colon of PSC patients with correspondingly decreased apical sodium-dependent BA transporter (ASBT) gene expression.

Serum Autotaxin is a Marker of the Severity of Liver Injury and Overall Survival in Patients with Cholestatic Liver Diseases.

Autotaxin (ATX) is involved in the synthesis of lysophosphatidic acid. Both have recently been linked to cholestatic pruritus and liver injury. We aimed to investigate whether ATX is an indicator of cholestatic liver injury, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and prognosis based on a group of 233 patients, 118 with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and 115 with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

Nutritional Strategies for the Individualized Treatment of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Based on the Nutrient-Induced Insulin Output Ratio (NIOR).

Nutrients play a fundamental role as regulators of the activity of enzymes involved in liver metabolism. In the general population, the action of nutrients may be affected by gene polymorphisms. Therefore, individualization of a diet for individuals with fatty liver seems to be a fundamental step in nutritional strategies.

Assessment of health related quality of life in polish patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Background: Most patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) have impaired health related quality of life (HRQoL), as assessed by PBC-specific HRQoL (PBC-40) and generic (SF-36) questionnaires. Data on the applicability of PBC-27, a shorter version of PBC-40, have been limited.

Aims: To assess HRQoL in Polish PBC patients, applying PBC-40, PBC-27 and SF-36 and to associate clinical or laboratory parameters with HRQoL factors.

Modifiable Factors and Genetic Predisposition Associated with Gallbladder Cancer. A Concise Review.

Gallbladder cancer (GbCa) is the most frequent malignancy of the biliary tract. It is also the 6th most common gastrointestinal tumor. It is associated with very high lethality, mainly due to the lack of symptoms up to a very late and thus incurable state.

Expression of hepatic Fibroblast Growth Factor 19 is enhanced in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and correlates with severity of the disease.

Cholestasis induces adaptive mechanisms protecting the liver against bile acids (BA) toxicity including modulation of BA synthesis. Whether fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) or farnesoid X receptor (FXR) dependent signaling are involved in the regulation of BA homeostasis in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) remains unknown. Here we analyzed hepatic expression of FGF19 and other genes relevant to the adaptive response to cholestasis in tissues from non-cirrhotic (n = 24) and cirrhotic (n = 21) patients along with control tissues (n = 21).

Prospective evaluation of PBC-specific health-related quality of life questionnaires in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Background & Aims: Primary biliary cirrhosis and Primary sclerosing cholangitis are autoimmune cholestatic liver diseases sharing a lot in common, including a significant impairment of patients' health-related quality of life HRQoL HRQoL in PBC is assessed with disease-specific PBC-40 and PBC-27 questionnaires. A PSC-specific questionnaire has not been developed. Neither PBC-40 nor PBC-27s applicability for PSC has been evaluated.

Relationship between pretransplantation liver status and health-related quality of life after grafting: a single-center prospective study.

Background: Severity of liver disease evaluated with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD)/Child-Pugh-Turcotte (CPT) score is of importance in liver transplantation (LTx) assessment. The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36) is a widely used generic questionnaire of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study was a prospective analysis of the effect of pretransplantation liver status on HRQoL after the procedure.

Factors affecting health-related quality of life and physical activity after liver transplantation for autoimmune and nonautoimmune liver diseases: a prospective, single centre study.

Background/aim: With the improvement of the outcomes after liver transplantation (LTx), health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and physical activity are becoming significant outcome parameters. We prospectively assessed these parameters in patients with autoimmune and nonautoimmune liver disorders undergoing LTx.

Materials And Methods: Patients (n = 107) were subdivided into 3 groups depending on the time after LTx: group-A (n = 21): 6-12 months; group-B (n = 48): 13-36 months; and group-C (n = 38): >37 months.

In patients with liver cirrhosis, proinflammatory interleukins correlate with health-related quality of life irrespective of minimal hepatic encephalopathy.

Background: Liver cirrhosis is associated with latent systemic inflammatory response syndrome as evidenced by elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines. It has been proposed that inflammatory mediators play a role in the pathogenesis of minimal and overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE); hence, they may also have an effect on health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and IL-18 and the occurrence of minimal HE and HRQL.