308 results match your criteria: "Williams Institute[Affiliation]"

Soluble Herpes Virus Entry Mediator and Type II/III Interferons Are Upregulated in Primary Biliary Cholangitis.

Int J Mol Sci

January 2025

The Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London & Foundation for Liver Research, London SE5 9NT, UK.

Bacterial translocation-induced inflammation and immune dysfunction are recognised factors contributing to the pathogenesis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, the specific involvement of interferons (IFNs) and soluble checkpoints (sol-CRs) in shaping the immune landscape in PBC patients remains unexplored. Furthermore, the influence of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDC) on these immune mediators is unknown.

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Limitations of current techniques in clinical antimicrobial resistance diagnosis: examples and future prospects.

NPJ Antimicrob Resist

June 2024

Science Research and Innovation, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QG, UK.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat to public health. Without proactive intervention, common infections may become untreatable, restricting the types of clinical intervention that can be undertaken and reversing improvements in mortality rates. Effective antimicrobial stewardship represents one approach to restrict the spread of antimicrobial resistance but relies on rapid and accurate diagnostics that minimise the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

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Background: Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) encompasses a spectrum of histological conditions ranging from simple steatosis to fibrosing steatohepatitis, and is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). While oxidised apolipoproteins A and B have been linked to obesity and CVD, the association between other oxidised apolipoproteins and MASLD is yet to be established. To fill this gap, we characterised the circulating serum peptidome of patients with MASLD.

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In Southern U.S. states with high HIV incidence and low HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake, enhanced efforts to increase interest in and willingness to use PrEP are needed.

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Steatotic liver disease (SLD) and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) are characterised by a substantial rewiring of lipid fluxes caused by systemic metabolic unbalances and/or disrupted intracellular metabolic pathways. SLD is a direct consequence of the interaction between genetic predisposition and a chronic positive energy balance affecting whole-body energy homeostasis and the function of metabolically-competent organs. In this review, we discuss how the impairment of the cross-talk between peripheral organs and the liver stalls glucose and lipid metabolism, leading to unbalances in hepatic lipid fluxes that promote hepatic fat accumulation.

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Purpose: Research has demonstrated that sexual minority populations are more likely to experience poverty than sexual majority populations and that many of these disparities are driven by specific sexual minority subgroups, including cisgender bisexual women. Yet, little is known about the factors associated with economic insecurity that explain the intragroup differences in economic outcomes among sexual minorities, particularly among those of the same gender (i.e.

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Metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-related liver disease (MetALD): Position statement by an expert panel on alcohol-related liver disease.

J Hepatol

November 2024

CHRU de Lille, Hôpital Claude Huriez, Rue M. Polonovski CS 70001, 59 037 Lille Cedex, France. Electronic address:

In this position statement, we explore the intricate relationship between alcohol intake and metabolic dysfunction in the context of the 2023 nomenclature update for steatotic liver disease (SLD). Recent and lifetime alcohol use should be accurately assessed in all patients with SLD to facilitate classification of alcohol use in grams of alcohol per week. Alcohol biomarkers (i.

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Background: Alcohol use is the third leading risk factor of death and disability in the UK and costs the NHS £3.5 billion per year. Despite the high prevalence and healthcare burden of Alcohol-related Liver Disease (ArLD), there has been minimal research addressing prevention, morbidity and mortality.

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Assessment of Health Disparities and Sexual Orientation Response Choices Used in Two US National Population-Based Health Surveys, 2020‒2021.

Am J Public Health

December 2024

Nicole F. Kahn is with the Division of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle; Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute; and Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Carolyn T. Halpern is with the Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health; and Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dana R. Burshell is with the Carolina Population Center. Stephanie M. Hernandez is with the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA; Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health; and Carolina Population Center. Kerith J. Conron is with the Williams Institute, School of Law, University of California Los Angeles, and Carolina Population Center.

Article Synopsis
  • * Results showed that the Add Health survey identified more than double the number of sexual minorities compared to the NHIS survey, highlighting a significant difference in response rates.
  • * Individuals who identified as sexual minorities in the Add Health survey but as heterosexual in the NHIS survey exhibited mental health outcomes similar to those consistently classified as sexual minorities, suggesting current surveys may underestimate sexual minority populations and associated health disparities.
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Oral-gut microbiome interactions in advanced cirrhosis: characterisation of pathogenic enterotypes and salivatypes, virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance.

J Hepatol

October 2024

Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how the gut and oral microbiomes are affected in patients with varying severities of cirrhosis, focusing on the presence of harmful bacteria and resistance genes.
  • It involves analysis of samples from multiple groups: healthy controls, stable cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, acute-on-chronic liver failure patients, and those with severe infections but no cirrhosis.
  • Results show increased overlap of oral and gut microbiomes and greater amounts of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance genes as cirrhosis severity increases, suggesting a shift towards more harmful bacteria and a loss of beneficial ones.
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Background: The thymus, responsible for T cell-mediated adaptive immune system, has a structural and functional complexity that is not yet fully understood. Until now, thymic anatomy has been studied using histological thin sections or confocal microscopy 3D reconstruction, necessarily for limited volumes.

Methods: We used Phase Contrast X-Ray Computed Tomography to address the lack of whole-organ volumetric information on the microarchitecture of its structural components.

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Background: Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, has demonstrated potential beneficial effects in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).

Aims: To describe the trial design and baseline characteristics of the 'Effect of Semaglutide in Subjects with Non-cirrhotic Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis' (ESSENCE) trial (NCT04822181).

Methods: ESSENCE is a two-part, phase 3, randomised, multicentre trial evaluating the effect of subcutaneous semaglutide 2.

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Article Synopsis
  • The CDAA-HFD mouse model is utilized to study metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) by simulating disease progression and testing various treatments.
  • The study evaluated several drugs, including semaglutide and lanifibranor, for their effectiveness in reversing fibrosis and improving liver conditions after different time points on the CDAA-HFD diet.
  • Findings indicate that while semaglutide and lanifibranor showed partial benefits when used preventively, elafibranor was the only drug that improved fibrosis significantly, highlighting the importance of timing in pharmacological interventions.
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Article Synopsis
  • * This research analyzed microRNA profiles in plasma samples from various patient groups, finding that specific microRNAs (miR-24 and miR-27a) could differentiate between serious and less severe cases of liver disease.
  • * The study suggests that miR-24 and miR-191, linked to inflammation and liver injury, could serve as important indicators of poor outcomes in liver disease, highlighting the need for more research on these microRNAs as potential biomarkers and treatment targets.
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Liver disease cases are rapidly expanding worldwide, and transplantation remains the only effective cure for end-stage disease. There is an increasing demand for developing potential drug treatments, and regenerative therapies using in-vitro culture platforms. Human decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) is an appealing alternative to conventional animal tissues as it contains human-specific proteins and can serve as scaffolding materials.

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Article Synopsis
  • Gremlin-1 has been linked to liver fibrosis in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) by inhibiting BMP signaling, making it a potential focus for therapy.* -
  • In studies using rat and human models, blocking Gremlin-1 with antibodies did not reduce liver inflammation or fibrosis, despite its increased presence in specific myofibroblast cells.* -
  • Findings indicate that Gremlin-1 does not significantly contribute to liver fibrosis development and is not a viable target for treatment due to its limited role in the disease process.*
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Ammonia-induced stress response in liver disease progression and hepatic encephalopathy.

Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol

November 2024

UCM Digestive Diseases, Virgen del Rocío University Hospital. Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (HUVR/CSIC/US), Department of Medicine, University of Seville, Seville, Spain.

Article Synopsis
  • * Hyperammonaemia is a key feature of hepatic encephalopathy and is linked to poor outcomes in patients with liver conditions like cirrhosis and liver failure.
  • * The review highlights how ammonia impacts liver diseases, the significance of ammonia measurement for diagnosing conditions like hepatic encephalopathy, and the potential for new treatments based on our understanding of ammonia metabolism.
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The global burden of liver cancer is increasing. Timely diagnosis is important for optimising the limited available treatment options. Understanding the metabolic consequences of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may lead to more effective treatment options.

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Background And Aims: Short-term mortality in alcohol-related hepatitis (AH) is high, and no current therapy results in durable benefit. A role for interleukin (IL)-1β has been demonstrated in the pathogenesis of alcohol-induced steatohepatitis. This study explored the safety and efficacy of canakinumab (CAN), a monoclonal antibody targeting IL-1β, in the treatment of patients with AH.

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Background: Apart from direct portal pressure reduction, non-selective beta-blockers (NSBB) modulate inflammatory response, which could be beneficial in patients with acute decompensation (AD). We therefore aimed to evaluate the effect of NSBB on 28-day mortality and markers of systemic inflammation in a propensity score-matched (PSM) cohort of AD patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission.

Methods: Patients were recruited from registry of AD patients requiring ICU admission.

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Article Synopsis
  • Maternal mortality rates in Southeastern US states, particularly Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, are among the highest nationally, prompting a review of legislation aimed at improving maternal health in these areas from 2018 to 2023.
  • The study utilized the Maternal and Child Health Legislative Database to identify 128 pieces of relevant legislation, with thorough eligibility checks leading to the inclusion of 40 bills that address various maternal health issues.
  • Louisiana enacted the most legislation, focusing on diverse topics such as mental health, reproductive health for incarcerated women, and postpartum Medicaid, showcasing efforts to address maternal health disparities through task forces and committees.
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