Clinical and Experimental Hepatology

AIM OF THE STUDY: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis heavily depends on early diagnosis. We aimed to determine the role of serum urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) and wd repeat containing antisense to TP53 (WRAP53) as diagnostic tools of HCC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A case-control study including 90 subjects (30 patients having HCC, 30 patients having liver cirrhosis without HCC and 30 healthy controls) was performed. In all participants, the serum levels of UCA1 and WRAP53 were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction together with serumαa-fetoprotein (AFP)...

In addition to having inflammation in the liver, overweight people also have changes in the composition of their immune systems and subsets of their immune systems. There are several genes involved in liver metabolism that have been implicated in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a liver disease associated with obesity, which is caused by high triglycerides and liver transaminases. NAFLD, a global liver disease, may differ in gene expression depending on where a person lives. In some alleles, the risk factors were independent...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is regarded as the most relevant liver disease of the twenty-first century, affecting at least one third of the general population. NAFLD is associated with increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. The carotid intimal media thickness (CIMT), mean platelet volume (MPV) and endocan level could be markers for generalised atherosclerotic burden and endothelial dysfunction. The aims of the study were to evaluate the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and early atherosclerosis by measuring CIMT, MPV and endocan level, as markers of endothelial dysfunction, in NAFLD patients...

AIM OF THE STUDY: The treatment of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is based on steroids and azathioprine (AZA). AZA is a pro-drug which is converted among others into 6-thioguanine (6-TG) and 6-methylmercaptopurine (6-MMP). The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the AZA active metabolite 6-TG and both the biochemical and histological remission outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of a single chart review...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Akt is involved in upregulating the insulin-signaling pathways essential for maintaining glucose metabolism. Glycosphingolipids are involved in the pathogenesis of glucose intolerance and associated target organ injury. On the other hand, oral administration of b-glucosylceramide (GC) has been shown to alleviate insulin resistance. The present study aimed to determine the effects of oral administration of insulin and GC, separately and in combination, on Akt expression and the subsequent effect on metabolic syndrome characteristics in leptin-deficient mice...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) have no recognizable clinical symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), but the mild cognitive and psychomotor deficits have been shown to negatively affect their daily functioning and quality of life. Treatment with probiotics has shown benefit in some clinical trials. This review aimed to systematically analyze the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of MHE. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search of the electronic databases PubMed, Science Direct, and Cochrane Library was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adult patients with MHE who had been given probiotics intervention...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Owing to the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and dyslipidemia, there is a need for new treatment strategies to manage both conditions concomitantly. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pemafibrate in alleviating dyslipidemia-associated NAFLD, including the evaluation of its effects on liver function and body composition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study sample included 67 patients with dyslipidemia-associated NAFLD (29 males, mean age 65...

AIM OF THE STUDY: To analyse the consistency between 2D shear-wave elastography (2D-SWE) stiffness and fibrosis in liver biopsy in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. The secondary aim of the study was to analyse the consistency between liver stiffness in 2D-SWE and transient elastography (TE) measurements in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study compared the results of hepatic stiffness assessment with 2D-SWE to available past liver biopsy reports in 153 patients with chronic HBV ( n = 51) and HCV ( n = 102) infection...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) have both inhibitory and stimulatory effects on growth of a tumor that depend on the type of cells, the dosage and the tumor microenvironment. We aimed to investigate the impact of the bone morphogenic protein-7 (BMP-7) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs230205 [A/G] on susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression from liver cirrhosis after viral hepatitis infection in Egyptian patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The amplification-refractory mutation system (ARMS)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used to genotype the rs230205 [A/G] SNP in 150 subjects (50 patients with post-hepatitis C or B cirrhosis, 50 HCC patients, and 50 controls)...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) comprises a diverse group of malignancies that occur anywhere along the biliary tree. Gene polymorphisms are risk factors for CCA development. Expression levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF) are correlated with progressive tumor growth and metastasis by increasing tumor cell proliferation and migration. The EGF rs4444903 (G) allele seems to enhance carcinogenesis in several types of cancer. The aim was to study the association between epidermal growth factor EGF (rs4444903) gene polymorphism and risk of CCA in Egyptian patients...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of mortality among patients with liver cirrhosis. According to the current practice guidelines, different ablations are used either as curative or palliative therapies. The current study aimed at determining bacterial infections as causes of fever and the predictive role of procalcitonin (PCT) among patients with HCC who had ablation therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross sectional study was carried out on 100 patients with HCC during the period from November 2019 to December 2021...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Significant fibrosis is an indication for treatment in hepatitis B patients with normal transaminase levels. The present study was aimed at analyzing the factors associated with significant fibrosis in incidentally detected asymptomatic hepatitis B subjects (IDAHS) and developing a model for fibrosis prediction for use in low-resource settings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective analysis of data on IDAHS who had undergone FibroScan...

AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to discuss our experience in management of children with extra-hepatic portal vein thrombosis (EHPVT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 62 children with EHPVT. All patients' records were reviewed. The patients' socio-demographic data, post-natal history, disease presentation and clinical examination were collected. Data from laboratory investigations - complete blood count, liver function tests, renal function tests, abdominal ultrasound/Doppler studies, upper endoscopic findings and treatment regimens - were collected whenever available...

AIM OF THE STUDY: In the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, the need for non-invasive methods, other than invasive methods, is increasing for the detection of fibrosis before and after treatment. In our study, we aimed to determine the changes in histological response with post-treatment biochemical scoring in patients treated with direct-acting antivirals. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between June 1, 2016, and January 1, 2020, 125 patients followed up with a diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C, who presented to Haseki Training and Research Hospital, were enrolled in the study...

AIM OF THE STUDY: There is a paradigm shift in the management of gastric varices with the availability of endoscopic ultrasound and radiologic interventions. The optimal choice of intervention remains a dilemma for most treating physicians. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ScienceDirect for studies comparing endoscopic glue injection, endoscopic thrombin injection (THB), variceal band ligation, EUS-guided coiling, EUS-guided glue injection, EUS-guided coiling with glue (EUS-C+G), balloon occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO), and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) for gastric varices in adults...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Cholestasis/cirrhosis could induce erythrocyte lysis. The incidence of various types of anemia in cirrhosis is approx. 75%. Several studies have mentioned the pivotal role of oxidative stress in this complication. Taurine (TAU) is the human body's most abundant free amino acid. TAU is known as a robust cell membrane stabilizer. Many studies have mentioned that TAU could counteract oxidative stress in various experimental models. The current study was intended to evaluate the effect of TAU on erythrocytes in cirrhotic rats...

The recommendations define the principles of diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection according to the latest knowledge. The main goal of the treatment of HCV infection is to eliminate the virus from the body, which in turn leads to stopping the progression or causes the regression of previously formed changes in the liver. The current version of the guidelines prioritizes pangenotypic regimens and includes guidelines for special patient populations such as children, patients with cirrhosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, patients with renal failure, liver failure and lack of response to previous therapies as well as patients in the peri-transplant period...

AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to investigate the possible association between serum copeptin and complications of liver cirrhosis, including its potential role as a stress biomarker in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 89 cirrhotic ascitic patients (37 with SBP and 52 without SBP) admitted to Sohag University Hospitals, Egypt, between June 2021 and February 2022. Serum copeptin was measured in all patients, and its association with SBP and other complications of liver cirrhosis was investigated...

AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the role of MIF gene polymorphism rs755622 G>C in occurrence and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among a cohort of Egyptian patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on 50 patients with HCC after chronic viral hepatitis and 50 healthy volunteers, recruited between July 2021 and January 2022. All patients with HCC were evaluated for severity of liver disease using a Child-Pugh score, and TNM and BCLC scoring systems...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Associating Liver Partition and Portal vein ligation for Staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) aims to induce rapid hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (FLR) to reduce the risk of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). However, volumetric increase does not correspond to functional increase. This is a novel study which aims to compare the increase in standardized FLR (sFLR) vs. indocyanine green retention at 15 minutes (ICG-R15). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective case series of patients who underwent ALPPS between May 2015 and January 2022...