Pharmacological considerations in pharmacotherapy of rheumatology patients with liver disease: a brief narrative review.

The presence of chronic liver diseases such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatosis liver disease, viral hepatitis, and cirrhosis may affect the treatment plan in patients with rheumatologic disorders, with concern about the adverse effects of the rheumatic medications on the course of liver disease. Advanced liver disease can change the elimination and activation of many drugs. In addition, there are concerns about the risk of viral reactivation after using biologics and immunosuppressants in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. This narrative review will assess the considerations that should be made before starting the most frequently used drugs in all common rheumatic diseases and patients with chronic liver diseases including chronic viral hepatitis.

Study of Risk Factors Associated With Recurrent Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis After Liver Transplantation in Shiraz >From 2011 to 2021.

OBJECTIVES: Primary sclerosing cholangitis is an autoimmune illness affecting the intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile ducts that has a varying clinical history and no clear therapy. Recurrence of primary sclerosing cholangitis after transplantation can cause recurring liver failure, decreased survival, and the necessity for retransplant. Here, we explored the incidence of recurrence while also identifying the risk factors of primary sclerosing cholangitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we collected demographic and clinical data from patients with a history of primary sclerosing cholangitis after liver transplant between 2011 and 2021. With SPSS software, we compared results in 2 groups of patients (with and without recurrent sclerosing biliary cholangitis) in terms of demographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: The study included 408 patients. Lower donor age and the occurrence of acute cellularrejection were shown to be key risk factors for recurrence of primary sclerosing cholangitis. Acute cellularrejection showed the best likelihood of predicting primary sclerosing cholangitis recurrence. As the number of acute cellular rejection episodes increased, so did the chance of primary sclerosing cholangitis. Death rate of patients with recurrence of primary sclerosing cholangitis was 40.8% (n = 20 patients) compared with 18.9% (n = 68 patients) in those without recurrence (significant at P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The recurrence of primary sclerosing cholangitis had a detrimental effect on survival after liver transplant. Modifiable risk variables have the potentialto affecttherapies on care and prevention of primary sclerosing cholangitis recurrence. Donor age and acute cellular rejection were risk factors for decreased survival and higher primary sclerosing cholangitis recurrence. The use of mycophenolate (Cellcept) increased recurrence, but tacrolimus reduced mortality.

Recipient-associated risk factors for post-liver transplantation biliary complications: A cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Biliary complications (BCs) are a well-documented post-liver transplantation concern with potential implications for patient survival. This study aims at identifying risk factors associated with the development of BCs in recipients after liver transplantation (LT) and exploring strategies for their management. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1595 adult patients (age > 18 years) who underwent LT surgery between 2019 and 2021. The study assessed the incidence of BCs in this cohort. RESULTS: Of 1595 patients, 178 (11.1%) experienced BCs, while 1417 (88.8%) did not exhibit any signs of such complications. Patients who developed BCs were found to have a significantly lower average age (p < 0.001) and longer cold ischemic times (p < 0.001) compared to those without BCs. Variables such as sex, body mass index (BMI), model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, primary diagnosis, type of anastomosis, hepatectomy technique, type of transplanted liver and mortality did not demonstrate statistically significant differences between the two groups (p > 0.05). Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a cold ischemic time exceeding 12 hours and duct-to-duct anastomosis were positive predictors for BC development (odds ratios of 6.23 [CI 4.29-9.02] and 1.47 [CI 0.94-2.30], respectively). Conversely, increasing age was associated with a protective effect against BC development, with an odds ratio of 0.64 (CI 0.46-0.89). CONCLUSION: Our multi-variate analysis identified cold ischemia time (CIT) as the sole significant predictor of post-liver transplantation biliary complications. Additionally, this study observed that advancing patient age had a protective influence in this context. Notably, no significant disparities were detected between hepatectomy techniques and the etiology of liver disease types in the two study groups.

The association between helicobacter pylori infection and erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease; a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The association between H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori) infection and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a complex and confusing subject. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between helicobacter pylori infection and erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease. METHOD: In a cross-sectional study, all patients referred for endoscopy due to dyspepsia were enrolled. The diagnosis of erosive GERD was made by endoscopy. Patients with normal esophagus were selected as comparison group. Random gastric biopsies were taken from all participants to diagnose H. pylori infection. RESULT: In total, 1916 patients were included in this study, of whom 45.6% had GERD. The mean age (SD) was 42.95 (16.32). Overall, 1442 (75.3%) patients were positive for H. pylori infection. The frequency of H. pylori infection in mild GERD patients was higher than the severe GERD, but this difference was not significant (P = 0.214). Except for sociodemographic status (P < 0.001), other variables including gender, age, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and presence of hiatus hernia in patients had no significant association with the frequency of H. pylori infection. According to Robust Poisson regression models analysis, the association of H. pylori (PR 1.026; 95% CI 0.990-1.064; P = 0.158) and sociodemographic status were not significantly different between the two groups. But smoking, increased BMI, older age, presence of hiatus hernia, and peptic ulcer diseases were significantly associated with GERD compared with the non-GERD group. CONCLUSION: In our results, there was no association between H. pylori infection and erosive GERD. Further studies are recommended.

Post liver transplant complications of Budd-Chiari syndrome.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is a rare, life-threatening disease characterized by hepatic venous outflow obstruction. Liver transplantation (LT) is widely accepted as an effective therapeutic measure for irreversible liver failure due to BCS. There is debate on differences in the post LT course and complications in patients with BCS as compared to non-Budd-Chiari (NBC) patients. METHOD: In this retrospective study, data on all patients who received a liver transplant for BCS at the Shiraz Organ Transplantation Center between January 1996 and September 2017 were reviewed and compared to data of a control group who had received liver transplants over the same period but due to other causes (NBC). RESULTS: Out of 4225 patients who received liver transplants in the study period, 108 had BCS and an age- and gender-matched control group consisted of 108 NBC cases. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores were 19.1 ± 3 and 20 ± 3 for BCS and NBC groups, respectively (p = 0.33). One-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates in the BCS group were as follows: 82%, 78%, 76%, and 76% compared with the NBC rates of 83%, 83%, 83%, and 76%, respectively (p = 0.556). There was no difference between the two groups in complication rates after 6 months. In the later period, vascular thrombosis was more common in BCS. CONCLUSIONS: Whole-organ LT from deceased donors in patients with BCS had comparable outcomes with LT due to other causes of end-stage liver disease. In most instances, these patients should receive lifelong anticoagulation.

Comparison of the efficacy of oral fenugreek seeds hydroalcoholic extract versus placebo in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; a randomized, triple-blind controlled pilot clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate the therapeutic property of hydroalcoholic extract of Fenugreek seeds in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adult patients. METHODS: This randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel trial was conducted from November 2014 to June 2017. Patients aged between 18 and 70 years old with confirmed NAFLD were recruited from the Motahhari clinic, affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Participants either received 1 g hydroalcoholic extract of Fenugreek seeds or placebo daily for 3 months. The primary outcomes were changes in serum alanine transaminase and FibroScan controlled attenuation parameter score. Secondary outcome measures were changes in other laboratory data, liver stiffness measure, liver steatosis percent, and anthropometric variables. Participants were randomly assigned to the groups using blocked randomization method. Participants, investigators, and statistician were blinded to treatments allocation. RESULTS: After screening eighty patients, thirty patients met the inclusion criteria and were divided into two groups (1:1). After 3 months, two and four patients did not complete the trial in Fenugreek and placebo group, respectively. The changes in the anthropometrics, laboratories and FibroScan measurements were not statistically significant between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The evidence to prove the efficacy of the Fenugreek seeds' hydroalcoholic extract in NAFLD was not strong enough; hence, further experiments are still needed to assess the possible efficacy of Fenugreek on the treatment of NAFLD.

The Association Between Prolonged Proton Pump Inhibitors Use and Bone Mineral Density.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: Chronic use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) has become a mainstay of therapy in common gastrointestinal diseases. A causal relationship between chronic PPI use and development of osteoporosis remains unproven. The aim of this study was to determine whether PPI users are more likely to develop alterations in bone density. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In an analytical cross sectional study, patients who used PPIs for more than 2 years because of long-term gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were recruited. PPI users were healthy people except for GERD. The compression group was randomly derived from an age-, sex- and physical activity-matched group from a healthy population in the National Registry of Osteoporosis who had not used PPIs in the previous 2 years. Bone mineral density was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Data regarding BMD and bone mineral content (BMC) of three regions: femoral neck, total hip, and the lumbar spine (L1-L4) were gathered and recorded. The World Health Organization (WHO) classification was used for definition of osteopenia and osteoporosis. RESULTS: A total of 394 participants (133 PPI users and 261 comparison group) were enrolled. The median duration of PPI use was 6.7 (2-31) years. The mean age ± SD of PPI users and comparison group was 48.38 ± 11.98 and 47.86 ± years, respectively (P = 0.681). There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics and age distribution between the two groups. The BMC levels were significantly lower in PPI users in all three regions: lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck (P<0.001). There were no significant differences in the T-scores between the two groups except for femoral neck (P<0.001). Osteoporosis in femoral neck was significantly higher in PPI users than in comparison group. CONCLUSION: This study showed that long-term use of PPIs is associated with lower BMC and higher rate of osteoporosis in the femoral neck. However, more studies with longitudinal evaluation should be performed to clarify this causal relationship. Until then, it is advised not to overuse PPIs because of the possible increase in risk of osteoporosis and the risk of fractures. We also recommend using the BMC levels as a quantitative measure in addition to T scores in analysis and reporting similar studies.

Comparison of pre-S1/S2 variations of hepatitis B virus between asymptomatic carriers and cirrhotic/hepatocellular carcinoma-affected individuals.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Host and viral factors can influence the clinical course of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Mutations in pre-S1/S2 gene regions are among the most important viral factors determining the HBV infection outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of pre-S1/S2 mutations in HBV infection outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 52 samples from 26 asymptomatic carriers (ASCs) and 26 liver cirrhosis/hepatocellular carcinoma (LC/HCC) patients were enrolled. The HBV DNA genome was extracted from the sera, and pre-S1/S2 regions of the samples were amplified by nested-polymerase chain reaction, prior to being subjected to sequencing, sequence investigation and phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: Certain deletions were detected mostly located at the boundary of the pre-S1 and pre-S2 regions. These deletions were detected more frequently in ASC cases than in LC/HCC patients (p < 0.007). The rate of critical point mutations, including L11Q, N37S and K38R, was significantly higher in the ASC group, whereas the A49V substitution rate was significantly higher in the LC/HCC group (p < 0.05). The phylogenetic analysis indicated that all the sequences belonged to genotype D. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, point mutations such as L11Q, N37S, K38R and A49V, as well as certain deletions, may be associated with HBV infection outcome, among an HBV genotype D pure population.

Iranian Registry of Crohn's and Colitis: study profile of first nation-wide inflammatory bowel disease registry in Middle East.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A recent study revealed increasing incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Iran. The Iranian Registry of Crohn's and Colitis (IRCC) was designed recently to answer the needs. We reported the design, methods of data collection, and aims of IRCC in this paper. METHODS: IRCC is a multicenter prospective registry, which is established with collaboration of more than 100 gastroenterologists from different provinces of Iran. Minimum data set for IRCC was defined according to an international consensus on standard set of outcomes for IBD. A pilot feasibility study was performed on 553 IBD patients with a web-based questionnaire. The reliability of questionnaire evaluated by Cronbach's α. RESULTS: All sections of questionnaire had Cronbach's α of more than 0.6. In pilot study, 312 of participants (56.4%) were male and mean age was 38 years (standard deviation=12.8) and 378 patients (68.35%) had ulcerative colitis, 303 subjects (54,7%) had college education and 358 patients (64.74%) were of Fars ethnicity. We found that 68 (12.3%), 44 (7.9%), 13 (2.3%) of participants were smokers, hookah and opium users, respectively. History of appendectomy was reported in 58 of patients (10.48%). The most common medication was 5-aminosalicylate (94.39%). CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, IRCC is the first national IBD registry in the Middle East and could become a reliable infrastructure for national and international research on IBD. IRCC will improve the quality of care of IBD patients and provide national information for policy makers to better plan for controlling IBD in Iran.

Effects of Self-Management Education on Self-Efficacy and Quality of Life in Patients with Ulcerative Colitis: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Self-management (SM) as a dynamic process enables Ulcerative colitis (UC) patients to live with this chronic illness. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of SM education on self-efficacy (SE) and quality of life (QoL) in patients with UC. METHODS: This randomized controlled clinical trial study was conducted on 64 patients with UC from December 2016 to February 2017 at Motahari clinic, Shiraz. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control. The education program included six 90-minute sessions in 3 weeks and one month telephone follow-up. Before, immediately and one month after the intervention, the participants filled out the Strategies Used by People to Promote Health (SUPPH) for SE, and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire-9 (IBDQ-9) for Qol. Then, data were entered into SPSS 18.0 and analyzed using independent samples t-test, Chi-square, repeated measures ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: A significant increase was observed in terms of the overall mean score for SE and its dimensions in the intervention group (P<0.001). These scores were significantly higher than those of the control group (P<0.001), except for positive attitude (P=0.15). The scores for overall Qol and its dimensions significantly increased in the intervention group immediately and one month after the intervention (P<0.001), and the difference between the two groups was significant (P<0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between SE and Qol (r=0.32, P=0.01). CONCLUSION: SM improved the SE and Qol in patients with UC. SM educatoin is recommended in nursing care of patients with UC. Trial Registration Number: IRCT2016092429823N1.

Diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma in primary sclerosing cholangitis.

INTRODUCTION: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the hepatobiliary system characterized by chronic inflammation, progressive fibrosis, stricture formation and destruction of extrahepatic and intrahepatic bile ducts. Areas covered: The increased incidence of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) in PSC has been well documented and can be explained by the continuous inflammation in the biliary tree leading to an enhanced dysplasia-carcinoma sequence. Although PSC patients may progress to liver cirrhosis; CCA most commonly occurs between the ages of 30 and 45 years when cirrhosis has not yet developed. Therefore, CCA in patients with PSC occurs earlier than in patients without PSC. Expert commentary: Despite improvement in diagnostic methods and devices, the dilemma of diagnosing CCA in patients with PSC has not been solved yet and needs further investigation.

Anatomical Variations of the Biliary Tree Found with Endoscopic Retrograde Cholagiopancreatography in a Referral Center in Southern Iran.

BACKGROUND Anatomical variations in the biliary system have been proven to be of clinical importance. Awareness of the pattern of these variations in a specific population may help to prevent and manage biliary injuries during surgical and endoscopic procedures. Knowledge of the biliary anatomy will be also of great help in planning the drainage of adequate percentage of liver parenchyma in endoscopic or radiological procedures. METHODS All consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) from April 2013 to April 2015 at Nemazee Hospital, a referral center in the south of Iran, were included in this cross-sectional study. The patients with previous hepatic or biliary surgery, liver injury or destructive biliary disease were excluded from the study. All ERCPs were reviewed by two expert gastroenterologists in this field. The disagreed images by the two gastroenterologists were excluded. Huang classification was used for categorizing the different structural variants of the biliary tree, and the frequency of each variant was recorded. RESULTS Totally, 362 patients (181 men and 181 women) were included in the study. 163 patients (45%) had type A1 Huang classification (right dominant), which was the most prevalent type among our patients. 55% of them had non-right dominant anatomy. The result of the Chi-square test revealed that there was no statistically significant difference between the men and women regarding the anatomical variations (p = 0.413). CONCLUSION The anatomical variation in the biliary system among Iranian patients is comparable to other regions of the world. Significant proportions of our patients are non-right dominant and may need bilateral biliary drainage.

Cytomegalovirus Peritonitis Without Gut Perforation But With Concomitant Colitis After a Liver Allograft Transplant.

We present a 24-year-old man who developed primary cytomegalovirus peritonitis without gut perforation, but with concomitant colitis 6 weeks after liver transplant from a deceased donor for end-stage liver disease because of primary sclerosing cholangitis. The patient was treated only medically, with no need for surgery, and is well at 12 months. This case represents the need for suspicious for cytomegalovirus peritonitis in the appropriate setting in post liver transplant even in the absence of perforation.

Prevalence of IgG-4-associated cholangiopathy based on serum IgG-4 levels in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and its relationship with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Autoimmune cholangiopathy is part of a fibro-inflammatory immunoglobulin G-4 (IgG-4)-related systemic disease that causes biliary tract strictures. Its clinical presentation is quite similar to that of more common diseases such as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and pancreatobilliary malignancies. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the prevalence of IgG-4-associated cholangiopathy (IAC) in patients diagnosed with PSC and its relationship with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum IgG-4 levels were measured in 73 patients. Laboratory data and imaging and endoscopic results were collected from their medical records. The diagnosis of PSC was based on the results of imaging and laboratory data as well as clinical presentation. RESULTS: Serum IgG-4 levels were elevated in 12 patients (16%); half of these patients had IBD. In the group of patients with normal serum IgG-4 levels, 39 patients (63.9%) had IBD (p=0.364). There were no significant statistical differences between PSC patients with normal and elevated serum IgG-4 levels in terms of age, smoking, presence of IBD, extension and severity of IBD, esophageal and gastric varices, Child and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, and anatomical location of the biliary stricture (p>0.05). The prevalence of ascites was higher in patients with elevated serum IgG-4 levels (p=0.029). CONCLUSION: Compared with previous reports, high serum IgG-4 levels were detected in a higher percentage of patients with a preliminary diagnosis of PSC (12% versus 16%). However, there were no clinical or imaging characteristics that could differentiate PSC patients with normal IgG-4 levels from PSC patients with higher IgG-4 levels.

Combined 24-hours esophageal ph monitoring and multichannel intraluminal impedance for comparison of gastroesophageal reflux in children with typical versus atypical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease / Monitoramento combinado do pH esofágico e impedância intraluminal multicanal 24 horas para comparação de refluxo gastroesofágico em crianças, com sintomas típicos contra atípicos na doença do refluxo gastroesofágico

ABSTRACT Background - Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the most common esophageal disorder in pediatrics. Objective - The aim of this study was to compare reflux parameters of typical and atypical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease using 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring and multichannel intraluminal impedance in pediatric population. Methods - In this prospective study, 43 patients aged less than 18 year with suspected gastroesophageal reflux disease were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups based on the main presenting symptoms (typical versus atypical). Twenty four-hour pH monitoring and multichannel intraluminal impedance were performed in all the patients for comparing these two group regarding association of symptoms and reflux. Number of refluxes, pH related reflux, total reflux time, reflux more than 5 minutes, longest time of the reflux, lowest pH at reflux, reflux index were recorded and compared. Data comparison was done using SPSS. Results - The mean age of the patients was 5.7±3.4 years and 65.1% were male. Out of 43 patients 24 cases had typical symptoms and 19 had atypical symptoms. The mean reflux events detected by multichannel intraluminal impedance was more than mean reflux events detected by pH monitoring (308.4±115.8 vs 69.7±66.6) with P value of 0.037, which is statistically significant. The mean symptom index and symptom association probability were 35.01% ± 20.78% and 86.42% ± 25.79%, respectively in multichannel intraluminal impedance versus 12.73% ± 12.48% and 45.16% ± 42.29% in pH monitoring (P value <0.001). Number of acid reflux was 46.26±47.16 and 30.9±22.09 for atypical and typical symptoms respectively. The mean symptom index was 18.12% ± 13.101% and 8.30% ± 10.301% in atypical and typical symptoms respectively (P=0.034). Bolus clearance was longer in atypical symptoms compared typical symptoms(P<0.05). Conclusion - Symptom index was significantly higher in atypical symptoms compared to typical symptoms. Higher number of acid reflux was found in children with atypical symptoms of reflux. Longer duration of bolus clearance was found in group with atypical symptoms of reflux.

RESUMO Contexto - O refluxo gastroesofágico é a doença esofágica mais comum em Pediatria. Objetivo - O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar parâmetros de refluxo em pacientes com sintomas típicos e atípicos de refluxo gastroesofágico na população pediátrica usando impedância intraluminal multicanal e monitoramento 24 horas do pH esofágico. Métodos - Neste estudo prospectivo, 43 pacientes com idade inferior a 18 anos com suspeita de refluxo gastroesofágico foram observados. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos com base nos principais sintomas de apresentação (típicos versus atípicos). Foram realizados em todos os pacientes, monitoramento de 24 horas do pH e impedância intraluminal multicanal para comparar esses dois grupos em relação a associação de sintomas e refluxo. Número de refluxos, pH relacionados com refluxo, tempo total de refluxo, refluxo maior do que 5 minutos, tempo mais longo de refluxo, pH mais baixo no refluxo, índice de refluxo foram registrados e comparados. Comparação de dados foi feita usando SPSS. Resultados - A idade média dos pacientes foi 5.7±3.4 anos e 65,1% eram do sexo masculino. Dos 43 pacientes, 24 tinham sintomas típicos e 19 atípicos. A média de eventos de refluxo detectados por impedância intraluminal multicanal foi maior do que a detectada pelo monitoramento do pH (308.4±115.8 vs 69.7±66.6) com P=0,037, que é estatisticamente significativo. O índice médio de sintoma e a probabilidade de associação do sintoma foram 35.01% ± 20.78% e 86.42% ± 25.79%, respectivamente em impedância intraluminal multicanal contra 12,73% ± 12,48% e 45% ± 42,29% em monitoramento do pH (P valor < 0,001). O número de refluxos ácidos foi 46,26±47,16 e 30,9±22,09 para sintomas típicos e atípicos, respectivamente. O índice médio de sintoma foi de 18,12% ± 13,101% e 8,30% ± 10,301% em sintomas típicos e atípicos em respectivamente P=0,034). A limpeza do bolus foi maior no grupo de sintomas atípicos quando comparados a sintomas típicos. (P<0,05) Conclusão -O Índice de sintoma foi significativamente maior nos pacientes com sintomas atípicos em comparação com os de sintomas típicos. Maior número de refluxos ácidos foi encontrado em crianças com sintomas atípicos de refluxo. Maior duração da limpeza do bolus foi encontrada no grupo com sintomas atípicos de refluxo.

COMBINED 24-HOURS ESOPHAGEAL PH MONITORING AND MULTICHANNEL INTRALUMINAL IMPEDANCE FOR COMPARISON OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX IN CHILDREN WITH TYPICAL VERSUS ATYPICAL SYMPTOMS OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE.

BACKGROUND: - Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the most common esophageal disorder in pediatrics. OBJECTIVE: - The aim of this study was to compare reflux parameters of typical and atypical symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease using 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring and multichannel intraluminal impedance in pediatric population. METHODS: - In this prospective study, 43 patients aged less than 18 year with suspected gastroesophageal reflux disease were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups based on the main presenting symptoms (typical versus atypical). Twenty four-hour pH monitoring and multichannel intraluminal impedance were performed in all the patients for comparing these two group regarding association of symptoms and reflux. Number of refluxes, pH related reflux, total reflux time, reflux more than 5 minutes, longest time of the reflux, lowest pH at reflux, reflux index were recorded and compared. Data comparison was done using SPSS. RESULTS: - The mean age of the patients was 5.7±3.4 years and 65.1% were male. Out of 43 patients 24 cases had typical symptoms and 19 had atypical symptoms. The mean reflux events detected by multichannel intraluminal impedance was more than mean reflux events detected by pH monitoring (308.4±115.8 vs 69.7±66.6) with P value of 0.037, which is statistically significant. The mean symptom index and symptom association probability were 35.01% ± 20.78% and 86.42% ± 25.79%, respectively in multichannel intraluminal impedance versus 12.73% ± 12.48% and 45.16% ± 42.29% in pH monitoring (P value <0.001). Number of acid reflux was 46.26±47.16 and 30.9±22.09 for atypical and typical symptoms respectively. The mean symptom index was 18.12% ± 13.101% and 8.30% ± 10.301% in atypical and typical symptoms respectively (P=0.034). Bolus clearance was longer in atypical symptoms compared typical symptoms(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: - Symptom index was significantly higher in atypical symptoms compared to typical symptoms. Higher number of acid reflux was found in children with atypical symptoms of reflux. Longer duration of bolus clearance was found in group with atypical symptoms of reflux.

Fecal Calprotectin is an Accurate Tool and Correlated to Seo Index in Prediction of Relapse in Iranian Patients With Ulcerative Colitis.

BACKGROUND: The natural clinical course of Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is characterized by episodes of relapse and remission. Fecal Calprotectin (FC) is a relatively new marker of intestinal inflammation and is an available, non-expensive tool for predicting relapse of quiescent UC. The Seo colitis activity index is a clinical index for assessment of the severity of UC. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of FC and the Seo colitis activity index and their correlation in prediction of UC exacerbation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, 157 patients with clinical and endoscopic diagnosis of UC selected randomly from 1273 registered patients in Fars province's IBD registry center in Shiraz, Iran, were followed from October 2012 to October 2013 for 12 months or shorter, if they had a relapse. Two patients left the study before completion and one patient had relapse because of discontinuation of drugs. The participants' clinical and serum factors were evaluated every three months. Furthermore, stool samples were collected at the beginning of study and every three months and FC concentration (commercially available enzyme linked immunoassay) and the Seo Index were assessed. Then univariate analysis, multiple variable logistic regression, Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis, and Pearson's correlation test (r) were used for statistical analysis of data. RESULTS: According to the results, 74 patients (48.1%) relapsed during the follow-up (33 men and 41 women). Mean ± SD of FC was 862.82 ± 655.97 µg/g and 163.19 ± 215.85 µg/g in relapsing and non-relapsing patients, respectively (P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age, number of previous relapses, FC and the Seo index were significant predictors of relapse. ROC curve analysis of FC level and Seo activity index for prediction of relapse demonstrated area under the curve of 0.882 (P < 0.001) and 0.92 1(P < 0.001), respectively. Besides, FC level of 341 µg/g was identified as the cut-off point with 11.2% and 79.7% relapse rate below and above this point, respectively. Additionally, Pearson correlation coefficient (r) between FC and the Seo index was significant in prediction of relapse (r = 0.63, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: As a simple and noninvasive marker, FC is highly accurate and significantly correlated to the Seo activity index in prediction of relapse in the course of quiescent UC in Iranian patients.

Developing a novel risk-scoring system for predicting relapse in patients with ulcerative colitis: A prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Ulcerative Colitis (UC) follows a natural clinical course of relapses and remissions. The aim of this study was to construct a risk-scoring formula in order to enable predicting relapses in patients with UC. METHODS: From October 2012 to October 2013, 157 patients from Shiraz, southern Iran who were diagnosed with UC and in remission were enrolled. At 3-month intervals, multiple risk factors of hemoglobin, complete blood counts, serum iron and albumin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and faecal calprotectin levels, sex, age, cigarette smoking, positive family history of inflammatory bowel diseases, past history of appendectomy, extra-intestinal accompanying diseases, extent of disease at the beginning of study, number of previous relapses, duration of disease and duration of remission before the study were assessed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were applied to fit the final model. The new risk-scoring system accuracy was assessed using receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: Seventy four patients (48.1%) experienced a relapse. Multivariate analysis revealed that relapses could significantly be predicted by the level of fecal calprotectin (OR=8.1), age (OR=9.2), the Seo activity index (OR=52.7), and the number of previous relapses (OR=4.2). The risk scoring formula was developed using the regression coefficient values of the aforementioned variables. CONCLUSION: Four predictor variables were significant in the final model and were used in our risk-scoring formula. It is recommended that patients who achieve high scores are diligently observed, treated, and followed up.

Systematic review: endocrine abnormalities in patients with liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Cirrhosis is the end stage of many different forms of acute and chronic liver damages. Interactions between liver and endocrine system is significant, because liver is the main organ of metabolism and catabolism of many proteins. AIM: In this study, current literature about endocrine abnormalities among patients with liver cirrhosis was reviewed. METHODS: A PubMed search was performed on English literature from January 1990 onward to find human studies reporting endocrine dysfunction in liver cirrhosis. Relevant articles were included and reviewed by two expert reviewers. Data were summarized ant tabulated in separate categories for each endocrine involvement. RESULTS: Among 944 studies, 36 articles were eligible for review. Growth hormone resistance and low Insulin like growth factor-1 are prevalent in patients with liver cirrhosis with negative impact on prognosis. Thyroid dysfunction is mostly seen in the form of sick euthyroid syndrome. Osteoporosis is also prevalent in cirrhosis but the exact mechanism is not clear. Adrenal insufficiency is a prevalent clinical feature both in compensated and critically ill patients with cirrhosis with negative impact on patients' outcomes. CONCLUSION: Disorders of endocrine system is prevalent in cirrhosis. These patients should be checked and treated for these disorders to achieve a stable clinical situation and prepare for liver transplantation.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) Infection Rate among Seronegative Hemodialysis Patients Screened by Two Methods; HCV Core Antigen and Polymerase Chain Reaction.

BACKGROUND: End-stage renal disease patients on chronic hemodialysis are among high risk groups for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection for whom routine HCV screening is recommended. Anti-HCV antibody (ab) testing may not be reliable to detect all infected cases because of the blunted ab response due to depressed immune state in these patients. Using a more reliable, cost-effective and non-complex HCV screening test may be necessary in this group of patients for case finding and management, and also for prevention of infection spread. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of HCV infection in HCV ab negative hemodialysis patients by Real time PCR and total HCV core antigen (ag) test and comparing the results of the two tests. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From a single hemodialysis center, 181 anti- HCV ab negative patients were screened by total HCV core ag using an ELISA kit. Real time PCR was used for determination of the virus and viral load quantity. RESULTS: Among the 181 anti-HCV ab negative patients, 13 (7.2%) were positive for HCV core ag and 11 (6%) had detectable HCV RNA with a range of 40-336543 IU/ml by PCR. The two tests had a high measurement agreement (Kappa=0.82, P<0.001). Of the 13 patients with positive HCV core ag test results, 3 were negative for HCV RNA. Considering real time PCR for HCV RNA as the gold standard for HCV infection determination in this patient population, HCV core ag assay yielded a sensitivity of 90.9%, specificity of 98.2%, positive predictive value of 76.9% and negative predictive value of 99.4%. DISCUSSION: The rate of HCV infection among HCV ab negative hemodialysis patients was high. HCV core ag testing could be used as a sensitive method for HCV infection screening in this group of patients.