Clinical and Experimental Hepatology

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...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary cancer of the liver. It is also one of the world's most common cancers and an important leading cause of cancer mortality in many parts of the world. As a result, it is essential to look for efficient markers for early and accurate HCC diagnosis. CXCL9 and pentraxin 3 are involved in the pathway of many cancers. The aim of the study was to assess the value of serum CXCL9 and pentraxin 3 as diagnostic markers of HCC among cirrhotic hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients...

AIM OF THE STUDY: We aimed to investigate the characteristics of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and factors associated with 28-day mortality in patients with ACLF. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study included ACLF patients based on the European Association for the Study of the Liver-Chronic Liver Failure (EASL-CLIF) Consortium criteria, admitted between March 2021 and February 2022. We examined variables associated with 28-day mortality using multivariate Cox regression analysis...

INTRODUCTION: An inflammatory environment is the common pathway for the development of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). The natural killer group 2D receptor (NKG2D), an activating receptor for NK cells, is a potent immune axis in the antitumor and antimicrobial immune response through its binding to NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs). NKG2DLs are normally absent or poorly expressed in most cells; conversely, they are upregulated in stressed cells. We studied the rs2596542 polymorphism located upstream of the MICA gene, which encodes an NKG2DL, in patients with CCA as a marker for early disease detection and a possible therapeutic target...

INTRODUCTION: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a complication of liver failure, with neurological manifestations ranging from minimal HE (MHE) to deep coma (overt HE). AIM OF THE STUDY: To demonstrate the role of functional magnetic resonance imaging (magnetic resonance spectroscopy [MRS] and apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] value) in the assessment and grading of HE in cirrhotic patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted on three groups: group I - 20 healthy controls, group II - 25 cirrhotic patients with MHE, and group III - 25 cirrhotic patients with overt HE...

AIM OF THE STUDY: To determine the outcome of concomitant treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) in children with malignant disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study conducted at a gastroenterology and hepatology outpatient clinic in a children's welfare teaching hospital/medical city complex, Baghdad, from January 2018 to October 2020 and included 30 child and adolescent patients who contracted HCV while receiving treatment for malignant diseases...

AIM OF THE STUDY: Endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) is important for emergency as well as prophylactic management of esophageal varices. Early bleeding after EVL is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Assessing the likelihood of early post-EVL bleeding and its determinants can help deciding therapeutic strategies for high-risk patients. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to identify predictors of early bleeding after EVL. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted from 2000 to November 2021 for studies evaluating the incidence, predictors and outcome of post-EVL bleeding...

INTRODUCTION: Data of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) before and after hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment remain scarce. We aimed to describe the prevalence, evolution and predictive factors of MHE before and after a sustained virological response (SVR). MATERIAL AND METHODS: It was a prospective study that included adults with cirrhosis due to HCV treated by direct-acting agents (DAA). MHE was assessed using the Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score (PHES)...