SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Data regarding outcome of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in vaccinated patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) are lacking. We evaluated the outcome of COVID-19 in AIH patients who received at least one dose of Pfizer- BioNTech (BNT162b2), Moderna (mRNA-1273) or AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1-S) vaccine. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on AIH patients with COVID-19. The outcomes of AIH patients who had acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) breakthrough infection after at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine were compared to unvaccinated patients with AIH. COVID-19 outcome was classified according to clinical state during the disease course as: (i) no hospitalization, (ii) hospitalization without oxygen supplementation, (iii) hospitalization with oxygen supplementation by nasal cannula or mask, (iv) intensive care unit (ICU) admission with non-invasive mechanical ventilation, (v) ICU admission with invasive mechanical ventilation or (vi) death, and data was analyzed using ordinal logistic regression. RESULTS: We included 413 (258 unvaccinated and 155 vaccinated) patients (81%, female) with a median age of 52 (range: 17-85) years at COVID-19 diagnosis. The rates of hospitalization were (36.4% vs. 14.2%), need for any supplemental oxygen (29.5% vs. 9%) and mortality (7% vs. 0.6%) in unvaccinated and vaccinated AIH patients with COVID-19. Having received at least one dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine was associated with a significantly lower risk of worse COVID-19 severity, after adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities and presence of cirrhosis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10-0.31). Overall, vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 was associated with a significantly lower risk of mortality from COVID-19 (aOR 0.20, 95% CI 0.11-0.35). CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 vaccination significantly reduced the risk of COVID-19 severity and mortality in patients with AIH.

Changing trends in the etiology of liver transplantation in Turkiye: A multicenter study.

Background and Aim: This study aimed to identify the indications for liver transplantation (LT) based on underlying etiology and to characterize the patients who underwent LT. Materials and Methods: We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional observational study across 11 tertiary centers in Turkiye from 2010 to 2020. The study included 5,080 adult patients. Results: The mean age of patients was 50.3±15.2 years, with a predominance of female patients (70%). Chronic viral hepatitis (46%) was the leading etiological factor, with Hepatitis B virus infection at 35%, followed by cryptogenic cirrhosis (24%), Hepatitis C virus infection (8%), and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) (6%). Post-2015, there was a significant increase in both the number of liver transplants and the proportion of living donor liver transplants (p<0.001). A comparative analysis of patient characteristics before and after 2015 showed a significant decline in viral hepatitis-related LT (p<0.001), whereas fatty liver disease-related LT significantly increased (p<0.001). Conclusion: Chronic viral hepatitis continues to be the primary indication for LT in Turkiye. However, the proportions of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and ALD-related LT have seen an upward trend over the years.

Rare hepatocellular carcinoma presentation: Hepatoportal sclerosis.

Hepatoportal sclerosis (HPS) is an idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (INCPH) characterized by hypersplenism, portal hypertension, and splenomegaly. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer. Non-cirrhotic portal hypertension is an extremely rare cause of HCC. A 36-year-old woman was referred to our hospital with esophageal varices. All serologic tests for etiology were negative. Serum ceruloplasmin and serum Ig A-M-G were normal. In the follow-up, two liver lesions were identified on a triple-phase computer. The lesions had arterial enhancement but no washout in the venous phase. In the magnetic resonance imaging examination, differentiation in favor of HCC was considered at one of the lessions. Radiofrequency ablation therapy was first applied to a patient who had no signs of metastasis. Within 2 months, the patient underwent a living donor liver transplant. In explant pathology, well-differentiated HCC and HPS were considered the cause of non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. The patient has been followed without relapse for 3 years. The development of HCC in INCPH patients is still debatable. Despite the presence of liver cell atypia and pleomorphism in nodular regenerative hyperplasia liver specimens, a causal link between HCC and INCPH is yet to be established.

Tissue quantitative RT-PCR test for diagnostic significance of cytomegalovirus infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and treatment response: Cytomegalovirus infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is an opportunistic pathogen that exacerbates inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There are no clear diagnostic criteria for CMV infection in IBD patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of the diagnosis of CMV infection with CMV-DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the colonic mucosa and the response to antiviral treatment. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 30 patients with IBD (24 men, 6 women; median age: 42 years) who were hospitalized because of IBD exacerbation and whose samples were assessed by tissue CMV-DNA PCR positivity. Most of the IBD patients had ulcerative colitis (90%). The CMV-DNA PCR median value was 8848 copies/mL of tissue (range 90-242,936 copies/mL). Blood CMV-DNA PCR was found to be positive in a small group (33.3%, 10/30) of tissue CMV-DNA PCR-positive cases. immunohistochemistry tests were positive in only 5 of the 23 patients positive for CMV-DNA PCR in the colonic mucosa, and high remission (25/30, 83.3%) was detected with antiviral therapy. Recurrence of CMV colitis infection was observed in 9 of 25 patients who had remission with antiviral therapy. The tissue CMV-DNA PCR test was found to be more useful than blood CMV-DNA PCR and immunohistochemistry tests for diagnosing CMV colitis, and the tissue CMV-DNA PCR test enabled rapid and appropriate treatment.

The efficacy and tolerability of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir treatment in a real-world chronic hepatitis C patients cohort.

Background and Aim: The aims of the present study were to evaluate the real-life efficacy and tolerability of glecaprevir (GLE)/pibrentasvir (PIB) in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Materials and Methods: Between May 2019 and May 2022, 686 patients with CHC, treated with GLE/PIB combination from 21 participating centers in Turkiye, were enrolled in the study. Results: All patients were Caucasian, and their median age was 56 years. At the start of GLE/PIB treatment, the median serum Hepatitis C virus RNA and serum alanine amino transaminase (ALT) levels were 6.74 log10 IU/mL and 47 U/L, respectively. Fifty-three percent of the patients were infected with genotype 1b, followed by genotype 3 (17%). Diabetes was the more common concomitant disease. The sustained virological response (SVR12) was 91.4% with intent-to-treat analysis and 98.5% with per protocol analysis. The SVR12 rates were statistically significant differences between the patients who were i.v. drug users and non-user (88.0% vs. 98.8%, p=0.025). From the baseline to SVR12, the serum ALT levels and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score were significantly improved (p<0.001 and p=0.014, respectively). No severe adverse effect was observed. Conclusion: GLE/PIB is an effective and tolerable treatment in patients with CHC.

Characteristics of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A multicenter study.

Background and Aim: The aim of the present study was to examine the etiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by underlying cause and determine the characteristics and clinical features of patients with HCC. Materials and Methods: The study comprised 1802 HCC patients diagnosed and followed up by Liver Diseases Outpatient Clinics in 14 tertiary centers in Turkey between 2001 and 2020. Results: The mean age was 62.3±10.7 years, and 78% of them were males. Of the patients, 82% had cirrhosis. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was the most common etiology (54%), followed by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection (19%) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (10%). Of the patients, 56% had a single lesion. Macrovascular invasion and extrahepatic spread were present in 15% and 12% of the patients, respectively. The median serum alpha-fetoprotein level was 25.4 ng/mL. In total, 39% of the patients fulfilled the Milan Criteria. When we compared the characteristics of patients diagnosed before and after January 2016, the proportion of NAFLD-related HCC cases increased after 2016, from 6.6% to 13.4%. Conclusion: Chronic HBV and HCV infections remain the main causes of HCC in Turkey. The importance of NAFLD as a cause of HCC is increasing.

Is there any link between atrial arrhythmias and inflammatory bowel disease?

BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular disease, including atherosclerosis and arrhythmia. The aim of this study was to evaluate atrial conduction times (ACTs) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in which systemic chronic inflammation is evident. METHODS: In this cross-sectional, prospective, single-center study, 79 IBD patients (51 ulcerative colitis; 28 Crohn's disease) and 70 healthy controls were included. Atrial electromechanical properties were measured by recording simultaneous surface electrocardiography (ECG) with transthoracic echocardiography (ECHO) and tissue Doppler imaging methods. The relationship between age, disease duration, and ACT was evaluated. RESULTS: There were significantly increased conduction durations of lateral-PA (time interval from the onset of the P-wave on surface ECG to the beginning of the late diastolic wave), septal-PA, tricuspid-PA, and interatrial-electromechanical delay (IA-EMD), right intraatrial EMD, and left intraatrial (LI-EMD) durations in IBD patients (P < 0.001). In IBD patients, there was a positive correlation with age, lateral PA, septal PA, tricuspid PA, IA-EMD, and LI-EMD (P < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between disease duration and only lateral PA and tricuspid PA (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In IBD patients, prolonged ACT consists a potential risk for severe atrial arrhythmias. ECG and ECHO screening can be useful in identifying risk groups in IBD patients and taking precautions for future cardiac complications.

Prevalence and characteristics of bone disease in cirrhotic patients.

Background and Aim: Chronic liver disease is a risk factor for osteoporosis, osteopenia and bone fractures. In this study, prevalence and risk factors of osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency and also their effects on survival were investigated in 218 patients with chronic liver disease. Materials and Methods: Prevalence of osteoporosis and vitamin D levels was calculated. Risk factors for osteoporosis (gender, age, body mass index, etiology), serum bilirubin, albumin, 25-hydroxy (OH) vitamin D, parathyroid hormone levels, bone mineral density (BMD) with DEXA, bone formation (osteocalcin) and bone resorption (type 1 collagen) levels, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) Na and Child-Pugh (CP) score were recorded. The effects of vitamin D levels and BMD on survival were evaluated. Results: One hundred forty-seven (67.4%) patients were female (mean age, 50.4±11.7). Patients were Child A by 40.8%, Child B by 47.1%, and Child C by 12.1%. Mean MELD Na score was 8.4±2.8. Data of the BMD were established in 218 patients and 25-OH D levels in 122 patients. Mean serum 25-OH D level was 14.26±9.44 ng/mL. Osteoporosis was identified in 42 (19.3%) and osteopenia in 115 (52.8%) patients, according to BMD. Osteocalcin levels and collagen type 1 levels were high in 25.6% and 12.5% of patients, respectively. No statistically difference was found, including gender (p=0.69), age (p=0.38), etiology (p=0.16), BMI (p=0.32), CP score (p=0.42), MELD (0.14), albumin (p=0.11), total bilirubin (p=0.99), Ca (0.67), PTH (0.88), osteocalcin (0.92), collagen type 1(p=0.25) between osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic patients. Patients were followed-up for a median of 30.07±11.83 months after BMD measurement. Fifty-four (24.8%) patients died during the follow-up period, none of them are related to bone fracture. There was no statistically difference on survival between osteoporosis group (32.2±2.3 months) and non-osteoporosis group (37.2±1.7 months; p=0.26) or when patients with 25-OH D3 ≤10 ng/mL were compared to patients with 25-OH D3 >20 ng/mL (34.4±2.0 months vs. 39.1±1.6 months, p=0.308). Conclusion: In conclusion, the prevalence of bone disease was found to be higher in cirrhotic patients. Although osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency were found to decrease survival, this effect was not statistically significant. We suggest designing multi-institutional and/or multinational studies with larger and more heterogenous patient groups would enable better testing of this phenomenon.