Background: Derangement of liver blood tests (LBT) is frequent in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to evaluate (a) the prevalence of deranged LBT as well as their ...association with (b) clinical severity at admission and (c) 30-day outcomes among the hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Methods: Consecutive patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in the regional referral center over the 12-month period were included. Clinical severity of COVID-19 at hospital admission and 30-day outcomes (need for intensive care, mechanical ventilation, or death) were analyzed. Results: Derangement of LBT occurred in 2854/3812 (74.9%) of patients, most frequently due to elevation of AST (61.6%), GGT (46.1%) and ALT (33.4%). Elevated AST, ALT, GGT and low albumin were associated with more severe disease at admission. However, in multivariate Cox regression analysis, when adjusted for age, sex, obesity and presence of chronic liver disease, only AST remained associated with the risk of dying (HR 1.5081 and 2.1315, for elevations 1–3 × ULN and >3 × ULN, respectively) independently of comorbidity burden and COVID-19 severity at admission. Patients with more severe liver injury more frequently experienced defined adverse outcomes. Conclusions: Deranged LBTs are common among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and might be used as predictors of adverse clinical outcomes.
Background: Liver involvement in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been recognised. We aimed to investigate the correlation of non-invasive surrogates of liver steatosis, fibrosis and ...inflammation using transient elastography (TE) and FibroScan-AST (FAST) score with (a) clinical severity and (b) 30-day composite outcome of mechanical ventilation (MV) or death among patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. Method: Patients with non-critical COVID-19 at admission were included. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) were assessed by TE. Clinical severity of COVID-19 was assessed by 4C Mortality Score (4CMS) and need for high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen supplementation. Results: 217 patients were included (66.5% males, median age 65 years, 4.6% with history of chronic liver disease). Twenty-four (11.1%) patients met the 30-day composite outcome. Median LSM, CAP and FAST score were 5.2 kPa, 274 dB/m and 0.31, respectively, and neither was associated with clinical severity of COVID-19 at admission. In multivariate analysis FAST > 0.36 (OR 3.19, p = 0.036), 4CMS (OR 1.68, p = 0.002) and HFNC (OR 7.03, p = 0.001) were independent predictors of adverse composite outcome. Conclusion: Whereas LSM and CAP failed to show correlation with COVID-19 severity and outcomes, FAST score was an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality or need for MV.
Objective: To identify pretreatment laboratory parameters associated with treatment response and to describe the relationship between treatment response and liver decompensation in patients with ...primary biliary cholangitis treated with ursodeoxycholic acid. Methods: We defined treatment response as both ALP ≤ 1.67 × ULN and total bilirubin ≤ 2 × ULN. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to adjust for confounding effects of sociodemographic variables. Results: Pretreatment total bilirubin ((TB); OR = 0.3388, 95%CI = 0.1671–0.6077), ALT (OR = 0.5306, 95%CI = 0.3830–0.7080), AST (OR = 0.4065, 95%CI = 0.2690–0.5834), ALP (OR = 0.3440, 95%CI = 0.2356–0.4723), total cholesterol ((TC); OR = 0.7730, 95%CI = 0.6242–0.9271), APRI (OR = 0.3375, 95%CI = 0.1833–0.5774), as well as pretreatment albumin (OR = 1.1612, 95%CI = 1.0706–1.2688) and ALT/ALP (OR = 2.4596, 95%CI = 1.2095–5.5472) were associated with treatment response after six months of treatment. Pretreatment TB (OR = 0.2777, 95%CI = 0.1288–0.5228), ALT (OR = 0.5968, 95%CI = 0.4354–0.7963), AST (OR = 0.4161, 95%CI = 0.2736–0.6076), ALP (OR = 0.4676, 95%CI = 0.3487–0.6048), APRI (OR = 0.2838, 95%CI = 0.1433–0.5141), as well as pretreatment albumin (OR = 1.2359, 95%CI = 1.1257–1.3714) and platelet count (OR = 1.0056, 95%CI = 1.0011–1.0103) were associated with treatment response after 12 months of treatment. Treatment response after 6 months of UDCA therapy is significantly associated with treatment response after 12 months of UDCA therapy (OR = 25.2976, 95% CI = 10.5881–68.4917). Treatment responses after 6 and 12 months of UDCA therapy decrease the risk of an episode of liver decompensation in PBC patients (OR = 12.1156, 95%CI = 3.7192–54.4826 and OR = 21.6000, 95%CI = 6.6319–97.3840, respectively). Conclusions: There are several pretreatment laboratory parameters associated with treatment response in patients with primary biliary cholangitis. Treatment response after six months is significantly associated with treatment response after 12 months of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapy. Treatment responses after 6 and 12 months of UDCA decrease the risk of an episode of liver decompensation.
Dijagnoza bolesti nealkoholne masne jetre (engl. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD) počinje već na temelju kliničkih obilježja bolesnika. Tipičan rizični profil predstavlja bolesnik s ...prekomjernom tjelesnom težinom, pogotovo ako su tome pridruženi šećerna bolest tipa 2, arterijska hipertenzija i/ili hiperlipidemija, uz uvjet isključene rizične konzumacije alkohola. Postojanje masne jetre najčešće se utvrđuje ultrazvukom na kojem je jetra svjetlija (ehogenija) u odnosu na korteks bubrega. Ultrazvukom se ne može prepoznati blaže oblike steatoze kada je < 20 – 30 % hepatocita masno transformirano. Elastografskim metodama može se kvantificirati stupanj steatoze i stadij fibroze. Stadij fibroze je najznačajniji prognostički čimbenik, dok je značaj upalne aktivnosti dvojben, a stupanj steatoze ne utječe bitno na ishod bolesti jetre. Za neinvazivnu procjenu steatoze i fibroze koriste se i biokemijski testovi, od najjednostavnijih dobivenih iz rutinskih laboratorijskih nalaza do složenih koji uključuju cirkulirajuće makromolekule i komponente izvanstaničnoga matriksa. Neinvazivne metode su pouzdane za isključivanje ciroze, no imaju relativno skromnu pozitivnu prediktivnu vrijednost, jer često precjenjuju stadij fibroze i ne daju informaciju o aktivnosti upale. Objektivniju dijagnozu ovih histoloških komponenti i time pouzdanu prognostičku informaciju pruža biopsija jetre. Obradu bolesnika s NAFLD-om treba započeti na primarnoj razini zdravstvene zaštite jednostavnim biokemijskim testom (npr. FIB-4) kojim se isključuje značajna fibroza. U slučaju povišenih vrijednosti potreban je potvrdni test (najbolje elastografija). Ako taj nalaz isključi značajnu fibrozu, bolesnik ostaje u skrbi obiteljskoga liječnika, a u slučaju teške fibroze/ciroze bolesnik se nastavlja liječiti kod specijaliste. Na ovaj način za 80 % se smanjuje upućivanje bolesnika specijalisti, te za pet puta poboljšava otkrivanje značajne fibroze/ciroze.
Ultrazvuk pluća kod bolesnika s COVID-19 Piskač Živković, Nevenka; Zelenika Margeta, Marina; Kovačević, Ivona ...
Medicus (Zagreb, Croatia : 1992),
09/2020, Letnik:
29, Številka:
2 COVID-19
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
COVID-19 je infektivna bolest koja se nakon pojave (prosinac 2019., Wuhan, Kina) tijekom sljedeća 3 mjeseca proširila na sve kontinente i izazvala pandemiju s kojom je čovječanstvo prvi put suočeno. ...S obzirom na to da bolesnici imaju pretežito respiratornu simptomatologiju često s razvojem intersticijske upale pluća te da se radi o visoko kontagioznoj bolesti, nameće se potreba brze, pouzdane i sigurne dijagnostike plućnih komplikacija ove bolesti. U COVID-19 bolesnika ciljani ultrazvuk pluća je superioran u odnosu na klasičnu Rtg snimku srca i pluća te se u dijagnostičkoj pouzdanosti približio MSCT-u toraksa. Razlog tomu je činjenica da su upalni infiltrati lokalizirani prvenstveno bazalno i periferno gdje su dostupni UZV pregledu. Najčešće zahvaćene regije su 5 i 6 obostrano, a u nalazu dominiraju multiple B linije u 2 i više regija u kombinaciji s pojedinačnim B linijama. U ožujku 2020. osnovan je Primarni respiracijsko-intenzivistički centar u KB Dubrava (PRIC KBD) s ciljem zbrinjavanja COVID-19 bolesnika s umjerenom do teškom kliničkom slikom i znacima respiracijske insuficijencije. Za dijagnostiku i praćenje bolesnika, uz Rtg snimku srca i pluća te MSCT toraksa, korišten je ciljani UZV pluća. Osim dobre korelacije s kliničkom slikom i stupnjem respiracijske insuficijencije, ciljani UZV pluća pokazao se korisnim zbog kratke izloženosti aerosolu tijekom pretrage, a bez potrebe za mobilizacijom bolesnika ili korištenjem mobilnog Rtg uređaja. Postao je suverena zamjena za stetoskop uz mogućnost pridržavanja svih mjera za prevenciju širenja aerosola: mobilni uređaj bez kabela, mogućnost dezinfekcije pa čak i korištenje samo jednog uređaja po bolesniku u intenzivističkom centru, čime je postao važna dijagnostička metoda kod COVID-19 pozitivnih bolesnika.
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is continuously stepping into the therapeutic arena, simultaneously evolving in different directions, such as the management of pancreatic and biliary diseases, celiac ...neurolysis, delivering local intratumoral therapy, and EUS-guided endosurgery. EUS-guided vascular procedures are also challenging, considering the variety of vascular pathology, proximity of the vascular structures to the GI tract wall, high resolution, and real-time guidance offering an attractive access route and precise delivery of the intervention. The literature on vascular therapeutic EUS demonstrates techniques for the management of upper GI variceal and nonvariceal bleeding, pseudoaneurysms, and coiling and embolization procedures, as well as the creation of intrahepatic portosystemic shunts. The paucity of studies, diversity of study designs, and the number of animal model studies hamper a systematic approach to the conclusion and decision making important to clinicians and healthcare policy makers. Nevertheless, theoretical benefits and findings up to date concerning technical feasibility, efficacy, and safety of the procedures drive further research and development in this rather young therapeutic arena.
The best indicator of the severity of liver damage and prognosis in chronic viral hepatitis is extension of liver fibrosis. Extension of liver fibrosis can be assessed by liver biopsy and ...non-invasive physical or biological methods. Biopsy is used to define ethiology, severity (stage of fibrosis) and prognosis of liver disease. These informations are also usefull when estimating the risk-benefit and deciding on the modalities of antiviral therapy. Serological tests and elastography may distinguish significant fibrosis (F > or = 2) from baseline fibrosis (AUROC 0.77-0.83 for serology and 0.84 for elastography) and cirrhosis from noncirrhotic stages (AUROC 0.77-0.86 for serology and 0.9-0.94 for elastography). Individual method of choice with best performance to distinguish cirrhosis from noncirrhotic stages of liver is elastography. Combination of serological tests and transient elastography has 93-95% accuracy to predict liver cirrhosis, and in case of concordant values of both tests biopsy could be avoided in 77-80% of patients. In case of discordant values or those in favour of intermediate stages of fibrosis liver biopsy should be performed because in these situations non-invasive tests are less reliable. According to several studies liver stiffness as assessed by transient elastography has high predictive value for the development of decompensated cirrhosis and portal hypertensive complications and may also discriminate the patients with respect to the predicted 5-year survival.
The importance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes for disease progression and response to interferon-alpha-based treatment is well established. While almost all patients in the Mediterranean area ...are infected with HBV genotype D, HBV genotype A is dominant in Northern Europe. However, the distribution of HBV genotypes is unknown for several Central and Eastern European countries. Data are described of 1313 HBsAg-positive patients recruited at 14 referral centers in eight countries. There were only very few cases of HBV genotype B, C, E, F, and H infection while HBV genotypes A and D were found in 42% and 48% of patients, respectively. Eight percent of patients had positive bands for more than one genotype using the hybridization assay. The frequency of genotype A was higher in Poland (77%) and the Czech Republic (67%) as compared to Hungary (47%), Lithuania (41%), Croatia (8%), and Germany (32%). In contrast, HBV genotype D was most frequent in Croatian, Romanian, and Russian patients with 80%, 67%, and 93% of cases, respectively. In conclusion, HBV genotype A versus D showed significantly different distribution patterns in Central and Eastern Europe which deserves consideration for national guidelines and treatment decisions. J. Med. Virol. 80:1707-1711, 2008.
Cilj: Prikazati rezultate primjene kontrastnog ultrazvuka (engl. contrast-enhanced ultrasound – CEUS) u tercijarnom centru radi dijagnostičke karakterizacije jetrenih tumora. Bolesnici i metode: ...Retrospektivno su analizirani rezultati CEUS-a pri definiranju vrste jetrenih tumora u sukcesivno uključenoj kohorti bolesnika (od 1. siječnja 2015. do 31. prosinca 2016. godine). Definitivna dijagnoza vrste tumora postavljena je na temelju standardizirane kliničke obrade, što je uključivalo pregled magnetskom rezonancijom i/ili višeslojnim CT-om, tkivno uzorkovanje (biopsija ili citološka punkcija) u slučajevima kada nalaz nije bio jasan te patohistološku analizu reseciranog materijala operiranih bolesnika. Rezultati: U 90 bolesnika (48 M, 42 Ž, 57 ± 15 godina) analizirana su
132 jetrena tumora (68 benignih i 64 maligna), prosječne veličine 30 (8 – 130) mm. Nalaz CEUS-a imao je visoku točnost (senzitivnost 98,44%, specifičnost 83,82%, površina ispod krivulje ROC 0,91) za razlikovanje benignih tumora od malignih. Zaključak: Rezultati našeg Centra potvrđuju visoku dijagnostičku točnost i neškodljivost CEUS-a u karakterizaciji jetrenih tumora.
Portal hypertension (PH) has traditionally been observed as a consequence of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in advanced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, recent studies have ...provided evidence that PH may develop in earlier stages of NAFLD, suggesting that there are additional pathogenetic mechanisms at work in addition to liver fibrosis. The early development of PH in NAFLD is associated with hepatocellular lipid accumulation and ballooning, leading to the compression of liver sinusoids. External compression and intra-luminal obstacles cause mechanical forces such as strain, shear stress and elevated hydrostatic pressure that in turn activate mechanotransduction pathways, resulting in endothelial dysfunction and the development of fibrosis. The spatial distribution of histological and functional changes in the periportal and perisinusoidal areas of the liver lobule are considered responsible for the pre-sinusoidal component of PH in patients with NAFLD. Thus, current diagnostic methods such as hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement tend to underestimate portal pressure (PP) in NAFLD patients, who might decompensate below the HVPG threshold of 10 mmHg, which is traditionally considered the most relevant indicator of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). This creates further challenges in finding a reliable diagnostic method to stratify the prognostic risk in this population of patients. In theory, the measurement of the portal pressure gradient guided by endoscopic ultrasound might overcome the limitations of HVPG measurement by avoiding the influence of the pre-sinusoidal component, but more investigations are needed to test its clinical utility for this indication. Liver and spleen stiffness measurement in combination with platelet count is currently the best-validated non-invasive approach for diagnosing CSPH and varices needing treatment. Lifestyle change remains the cornerstone of the treatment of PH in NAFLD, together with correcting the components of metabolic syndrome, using nonselective beta blockers, whereas emerging candidate drugs require more robust confirmation from clinical trials.
PDF
