Entecavir (ETV) is a potent inhibitor of hepatitis B viral replication, but long‐term therapy may be required. We investigated whether adding on pegylated interferon (Peg‐IFN) to ETV therapy enhances ...serological response rates. In this global investigator‐initiated, open‐label, multicenter, randomized trial, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with compensated liver disease started on ETV monotherapy (0.5 mg/day) and were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either Peg‐IFN add‐on therapy (180 µg/week) from week 24 to 48 (n = 85) or to continue ETV monotherapy (n = 90). Response was defined as HBeAg loss with HBV DNA <200 IU/mL at week 48. Responders discontinued ETV at week 72. All patients were followed until week 96. Response was achieved in 16 of 85 (19%) patients allocated to the add‐on arm versus 9 of 90 (10%) in the monotherapy arm (P = 0.095). Adjusted for HBV DNA levels before randomized therapy, Peg‐IFN add‐on was significantly associated with response (odds ratio: 4.8; 95% confidence interval: 1.6‐14.0; P = 0.004). Eleven (13%) of the add‐on‐treated patients achieved disease remission after ETV cessation versus 2 of 90 (2%) of those treated with monotherapy (P = 0.007), which was 79% (11 of 14) versus 25% (2 of 8) of those who discontinued ETV (P = 0.014). At week 96, 22 (26%) patients assigned add‐on versus 12 (13%) assigned monotherapy achieved HBeAg seroconversion (P = 0.036). Peg‐IFN add‐on led to significantly more decline in hepatitis B surface antigen, HBeAg, and HBV DNA (all P < 0.001). Combination therapy was well tolerated. Conclusion: Although the primary endpoint was not reached, 24 weeks of Peg‐IFN add‐on therapy led to a higher proportion of HBeAg response, compared to ETV monotherapy. Add‐on therapy resulted in more viral decline and appeared to prevent relapse after stopping ETV. Hence, Peg‐IFN add‐on therapy may facilitate the discontinuation of nucleos(t)ide analogs. (Hepatology 2015;61:1512–1522)
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Background and study's purpose: It was aimed to compare carotid intima media (CIMT) and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) measurements, which are considered as markers in detecting early ...atherosclerosis, in healthy control and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).
In a total of 60 IBD patients (25 crohn disease and 35 ulcerative colitis) and 60 healthy patients as control group, were included in the study. The measurement of CIMT and EAT were performed by using echocardiography and ultrasonography, respectively. Statistical analysis was employed for the relationship between the parameters.
The thickness of bilateral (right and left) CIMT and EAT were found to be significantly higher in IBD than those of the control group (P <0.05). There was a positive correlation between EAT and bilateral (right and left) CIMT in IBD patients (p<0,05).
IBD is associated with increased thickness of EAT and CIMT. Because chronic inflammation in IBD may increase the risk of atherosclerotic heart disease, only measuring the thickness of EAT and CIMT can be used as an objective, easy, simple, affordable, non-invasive and accessible assessment method in order to screen this risk.
Background/Aims: We aimed to investigate the association of bezoar with endoscopic findings, risk factors for bezoar occurrence, and the success of endoscopic treatment in a tertiary center. ...Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between January 2012 and December 2015. Overall, 8200 endoscopy records were examined and 66 patients with bezoar were included in the study. Results: We enrolled 29 (44%) female and 37 (56%) male patients in this study. The mean age of the patients was 63+ or -9.4 years. The most frequent risk factors were history of gastrointestinal surgery (23%), diabetes mellitus (17%), trichophagia (9%), and anxiety disorder (6%). Gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, erosive gastritis, and reflux esophagitis were present in 27%, 11%, 20%, and 23% of the patients, respectively. While bezoars were most commonly observed in the stomach (70%), the majority of them were phytobezoars (91%). The mean number of interventions for each patient was 1.5 (range, 1-6). Endoscopy was successful in removing bezoars in 86.5% of the patients. Among those referred to surgery, seven patients underwent gastrostomy (10.5%); one (1.5%) patient underwent gastroenterostomy because of concomitant pyloric stenosis; and one (1.5%) patient underwent fistula repair surgery due to the development of duodenal fistula caused by bezoar. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that bezoars are more common among subjects with history of gastrointestinal surgery, diabetes mellitus, or psychiatric disorders; bezoars are closely related to peptic ulcer and reflux esophagitis; and they can be successfully treated with endoscopy. Keywords: Phytobezoar, trichobezoar, reflux esophagitis
Posttransplant lymphoproliferative diseases are a rare but important cause of morbidity and mortality secondary to immunosuppression after solid-organ or bone marrow transplant. Generally, ...posttransplant lymphoproliferative diseases develop in the first 2 years after transplant, when immunosuppressive therapy is the most intense. Change or reduction in immunosup - pressive treatment is an option for treatment of posttransplant lymphoproliferative diseases. We evaluated the treatment of a patient with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease after liver transplant. A 64-year-old man underwent liver transplant from a living donor (the patient's son) in 2011 to treat hepatocellular cancer secondary to chronic hepatitis B. Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil were used for immunosuppression through 9 years after liver transplant. In the abdominal computed tomography performed in response to abdominal pain during follow-up in March 2019, multiple solid lesions were observed. A liver biopsy revealed posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Fluorine-18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging of the patient showed no pathology in favor of primary lymphoproliferative disease. Mycophenolate mofetil and tacrolimus treatment was changed to everolimus. In the follow-up dynamic magnetic resonance imaging examination that was performed at 3 months after treatment change, we observed that the lesion at liver segment 6 had regressed to 30 mm and several lesions with similar features were observed in the right lobe of the liver. Additional liver biopsy results were compatible with complete remission. The patient's clinical symptoms had fully regressed at 18 months after the diagnosis of PTLD, at the time of this writing. Ongoing radiological and clinical follow-up has shown complete remission. Change from calcineurin treatment to treatment with an inhibitor of the mechanistic target of rapamycin may be an essential and new option for treatment of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease after liver transplant.
Tigecycline is a parenteral glycycline antibiotic that is used to treat severe infections caused by susceptible organisms, butitis also associated with hepatotoxicity. We present 2 similar patients ...with hepatic steatosis possibly associated with early tigecycline after transplant. In the first case, a 61-year-old woman underwent liver transplant for acute severe hepatitis; 6 days posttransplant, because of nonroutine resistant fever, the patient received tigecycline combined with daptomycin. Retransplant was applied to the patient on day 12 posttransplant because of acute liver failure secondary to hepatic vein thrombosis. After retransplant, biochemical levels gradually increased, exceeding the upper limit of normal. In liver biopsy, the patient had macrovesicular steatosis in 70% to 80% ofthe parenchyma. In the second case, a 53-yearold woman underwent liver transplant for liver cirrhosis. Tigecycline was added to the treatment because of recurrent fever on day 6 after transplant, with treatment also comprising piperacillin-tazobactam and meropenem. On day 15 of the patient's tigecycline treatment, her liver function tests were elevated. In liver biopsy, the patient had 30% to 40% macrovesicular steatosis and canalicular cholestasis in the parenchyma, especially in zone 3. Reports of hepatic steatosis associated with early tigecycline after transplant are quite new to the literature.
Peginterferon alfa‐2a results in a sustained response (SR) in a minority of patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)–negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB). This study investigated the role of early ...on‐treatment serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels in the prediction of SR in HBeAg‐negative patients receiving peginterferon alfa‐2a. HBsAg (Architect from Abbott) was quantified at the baseline and during treatment (weeks 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48) and follow‐up (weeks 60 and 72) in the sera from 107 patients who participated in an international multicenter trial (peginterferon alfa‐2a, n = 53, versus peginterferon alfa‐2a and ribavirin, n = 54). Overall, 24 patients (22%) achieved SR serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level < 10,000 copies/mL and normal alanine aminotransferase levels at week 72. Baseline characteristics were comparable between sustained responders and nonresponders. From week 8 onward, serum HBsAg levels markedly decreased in sustained responders, whereas only a modest decline was observed in nonresponders. However, HBsAg declines alone were of limited value in the prediction of SR area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) at weeks 4, 8, and 12 = 0.59, 0.56, and 0.69, respectively. Combining the declines in HBsAg and HBV DNA allowed the best prediction of SR (AUC at week 12 = 0.74). None of the 20 patients (20% of the study population) in whom a decrease in serum HBsAg levels was absent and whose HBV DNA levels declined less than 2 log copies/mL exhibited an SR (negative predictive value = 100%). Conclusion: At week 12 of peginterferon alfa‐2a treatment for HBeAg‐negative CHB, a solid stopping rule was established with a combination of declines in serum HBV DNA and HBsAg levels from the baseline. Quantitative serum HBsAg in combination with HBV DNA enables on‐treatment adjustments of peginterferon therapy for HBeAg‐negative CHB. (HEPATOLOGY 2010)
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Patients undergoing liver transplant are at an increased risk of morbidity and mortality due to the development of infections. We aimed to evaluate the risk factors affecting the incidence of ...infectious diseases after liver transplant and to present the epidemiological data.
We investigated patients aged ≥18 years who underwent liver transplant between 2012 and 2020 at our center. We collected infections, causative microorganisms, and antibacterial resistance patterns seen during the first 6 months posttransplant. Risk factors affecting the development of infectious diseases were also analyzed and evaluated.
Of 112 patients included in our study, 76 (67.9%) were men, and the median age was 50 years (range, 20-66 years). Within month 1 and month 6 after transplant, at least 1 episode of infection occurred in 67 (59.8%) and 80 (71.4%) patients, respectively. Bacterial infections were the most common type (n = 78, 95.1%), followed by fungal (n = 2, 2.4%) and viral (n = 2, 2.4%) infections. The rate of multidrug resistance in bacterial infections was high (n = 38, 52.7%) and was also a risk factor for mortality in the first 6 months after transplant (P < .001). Pretransplant values of international normalized ratio, creatinine, bilirubin, and posttransplant intensive care unit stay, as well as the presence of encephalopathy, were shown to increase the risk of infection after transplant.
Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections are a significant risk factor for mortality in liver transplant patients. Many risk factors that contribute to the development of infections aftertransplant have been included in prognostic scoring systems of liver failure. Consequently, the severity of end-stage liver failure is directly related to the risk of posttransplant infections.
Liver transplant recipients have been reported to be a high-risk population for severe disease from COVID-19 infection. In this crosssectional, single-center study, we investigated whether liver ...transplant increased the risk of death and severe disease in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
We collected data and serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G results of 91 liver transplant recipients seen from September 2020 to March 2021. Liver transplant recipients were enrolled during presentation for scheduled routine follow-up visits. All patients who required serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G tests completed a ques-tionnaire on clinical symptoms during the previous 6 months.
Among the 91 patients with SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin M and G results, 7 patients had a known history of symptomatic COVID-19 during the previous 6 months. Of the 84 participants who completed the questionnaire, 21 (25%) had positive anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin M and G results. These 21 patients also received COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction tests, which were negative in all 21 patients. Overall, only 7 patients stated that they experienced flu-like upper respiratory tract infection symptoms or diarrhea.
We documented past SARS-CoV-2 infection in only 25% of our outpatient liver transplant recipients, and most were asymptomatic. We found no significant relationship between symptoms and seropositivity for SARS-CoV-2.
We aimed to evaluate access to diagnosis, treatment and follow-up in patients with viral hepatitis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patients who started treatment for hepatitis B and hepatitis C were ...included in the study and analyzed in two periods: before-pandemic and during-pandemic. Indication for treatment and frequency of laboratory follow-up was obtained from hospital records. A telephone survey was administered to evaluate treatment access and compliance.
Four centers with 258 patients were included in the study. Of these 161 (62.4%) were male, median age was 50 years. The number of patients, admitted to outpatient clinics was 134647 in the before-pandemic period and 106548 in the during-pandemic period. Number of patients who started treatment for hepatitis B were significantly high during-pandemic period compared with before-pandemic (78 (0.07%); 73 (0.05%) respectively; p = 0.04). The number who received treatment for hepatitis C was similar in both periods: 43 (0.04%); 64 (0.05%), respectively (p = 0.25). Prophylactic treatment for hepatitis B, due to immunosuppressive agents was significantly higher in during-pandemic period (p = 0.001). In the laboratory follow-ups at 4th, 12th and 24th weeks of treatment, worse adherence was detected in during-pandemic (for all p < 0.05). Access to treatment and compliance of all patients was over 90% and did not differ in the two periods.
During-pandemic, hepatitis patients' access to diagnosis, treatment initiation and follow-up had worsened in Turkey. The health policy implemented during the pandemic had a positive impact on patients' access to and compliance to treatment.
Full text
Available for:
IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background
In chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, certain individual and viral characteristics such as advanced age, presence of hepatic steatosis (HS), normal ALT levels, initially negative ...HBeAg and HBV DNA, and genotype of the virus are associated with HBsAg seroclearance and seroconversion. Herein, we report the results of our study evaluating the association between hepatosteatosis and HbsAg seroconversion.
Methods
The clinical and biochemical data of patients with CHB and hepatosteatosis (HS) (HBsAg seroconversion, n:52, and non‐HbsAg seroconversion, n:352), and the rate of development of HBsAg seroconversion were evaluated.
Results
We collected data from 404 patients with HBeAg negative CBH (mean age ± SD: 36.2 ± 11 years; 223 55.2% men, 181 44.8% women). The mean age at diagnosis of disease was 36.2 ± 11 years. The mean duration of the disease was 10.6 ± 7 years. Seroconversion developed in 52 patients (12.8%) with serum HBsAg positive (mean ± SD: 12.7 ± 5.8). Elderly age and the duration of disease time were significantly associated with seroconversion (P < .001).
The presence of serum HBsAg seroconversion was significantly associated with hepatosteatosis (OR: 3.06, 95% CI 1.64‐5.71, P < .01). Serum HBsAg seroconversion was more frequent in patients with mild HS than patients with moderate‐severe HS (P = .04). In multivariate regression analysis, the presence of HS was found to be an independent factor predicting the development of HBsAg seroconversion (OR: 2.07 95% GA:1.07‐4.0 P = .03).
Conclusion
The presence of mild HS in HBeAg negative chronic hepatitis B patients contributes to HBsAg seroconversion. Further studies are required to better understand the relationship between steatosis and HBsAg seroconversion.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
PDF
