African genetic ancestry is associated with lower frequency of PNPLA3 G allele in non-alcoholic fatty liver in an admixed population.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: PNPLA3 (rs738409) and TM6SF2 (rs58542926) variants, interindividual and ethnic differences may be risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The PNPLA3 G allele is associated with worse NAFLD evolution in Hispanics and Caucasians. TM6SF2 is associated with hypertriglyceridemia, NAFLD, and cardiovascular disease. We aimed to evaluate the association between genetic ancestry by Ancestry Informative Markers (AIM), PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 polymorphisms in patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD in an admixed population. METHODS: We included adults with biopsy-proven NAFLD and excluded patients with the presence of other chronic liver disease, alcohol intake >100g/week, HIV, drug-induced fatty liver disease, or liver transplantation. We classified NAFLD using the Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network (NASH-CRN) histological scoring system. The PNPLA3 (rs738409 c.444C>G) and TM6SF2 (rs58542926 c.449C>T) genotyping were performed by RT-PCR. Genetic ancestry was determined using 46 insertion-deletion AIM; α<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 248 patients with NAFLD were enrolled [34 with simple steatosis (NAFL); 214 with NASH]. Overall, we detected a greater European ancestry contribution (0.645), followed by African (0.173), Amerindian (0.095), and East Asian (0.087) ancestry contribution, without differences between NAFL and NASH patients. However, we found a higher African genetic ancestry contribution among patients with NAFL who had the PNPLA3 C/C genotype than those with the G allele (0.216 ± 0.205 versus 0.105 ± 0.101, respectively; p=0.047). Ancestry contributions did not differ among TM6SF2 genotypes. CONCLUSION: Among NAFL patients, greater African genetic ancestry was associated to a lower frequency of the PNPLA3 G allele, demonstrating a possible NASH ancestry-related protective factor.

Factors Associated with Insulin Resistance in Patients with Chronic HCV Genotype 1 Infection without Obesity or Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) and its association with clinical parameters in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 without obesity or type 2 diabetes. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-seven HCV-infected patients admitted to the Nutrition and Hepatology Clinic were included. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney test, Fisher's exact test, and Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of IR (homeostasis model assessment [HOMA]-IR ≥ 3.0) was 37.0%. The independent predictors for IR included the following: aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 1.5 times the upper normal limit (odds ratio [PR] = 2.06, 95% CI, 1.16-3.66; PR = 2.32, 95% CI, 1.26-4.49, respectively); gamma glutamyl transferase (γGT) ≥ 85 U/L (PR = 2.09, 95% CI, 1.12-4.12); increased waist circumference (PR = 2.24, 95% CI, 1.25-4.17); increased waist : hip ratio (PR = 2.24, 95% CI, 1.11-5.17); increased body fat percentage (PR = 2.21, 95% CI, 1.01-5.79); overweight (PR = 2.54, 95% CI, 1.40-4.82); and metabolic syndrome (PR = 3.05, 95% CI, 1.69-5.44). High ALT levels and anthropometric parameters remained in the model of multivariate regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed a significantly high prevalence of insulin resistance in nondiabetic, nonobese patients with hepatitis C genotype 1. High ALT levels and anthropometric parameters were significantly associated with IR after multivariate regression analysis. Our data show the importance of monitoring IR, weight, and body composition in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Nutritional management seems to be important in the control of comorbidities related to excess weight and the enhancement of therapeutic responses.

TEN-YEAR OUTCOMES OF TIPS FOR BUDD-CHIARI SYNDROME: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS.

BACKGROUND: Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) results from the obstruction of the hepatic venous flow, usually at the level of the hepatic vein or inferior vena cava. When left untreated, it can progress with several complications, including liver cirrhosis. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) appears to be effective in a subgroup of BCS patients. OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of TIPS effectiveness in BCS treatment, considering the survival rate, reduction in portosystemic pressure, need for liver transplantation, technical failure, and shunt dysfunction for up to 10 years of follow-up. METHODS: We evaluated 17 studies published in PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases, which used TIPS as a treatment for BCS, comprising 618 subjects between 18 and 78 years old. We assessed the bias risk by the NOS, NHI, and JBI scales for cohort stu-dies, before-after studies, and case series, respectively. We conducted the meta-analyses by extracting the number of events and the total patients evaluated to perform the proportion meta-analyses using the R software ("meta" package - version 4.9-6). RESULTS: The pooled results (95%CI) showed a 19% (25.9-12.5%) rate of portosystemic pressure reduction, 6% (1-12%) rate for the need for liver transplants despite the use of TIPS, 2% (1-6%) technical failure rate, 30% (18-46%) shunt dysfunction rate, and 88% (81-93%) for the mean frequency of patients alive between 1 and 10 years after the procedure. We stratified survival rate and found an 86% (74-93%) prevalence of living subjects during less than five years, 92% (83-97%) at five years, and a 77% frequency (68-83%) of patients alive ten years after the TIPS placement. CONCLUSION: TIPS is an effective treatment for BCS, providing a high 10-year frequency of living patients and a significant decrease in portosystemic pressure. The need for liver transplants after TIPS and the technical failure rate is low.

Hepatobiliary disease after bone marrow transplant: A cross-sectional study of 377 patients.

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a standard treatment for several haematologic conditions. Following BMT, patients may develop hepatobiliary complications that impact morbidity and mortality. The differential diagnosis may include drug-induced liver injury (DILI), sepsis-associated liver injury (SALI), sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), viral hepatitis, ischaemic hepatitis, and fulminant hepatitis. AIMS: To evaluate the frequency, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of patients with hepatobiliary alterations associated with BMT in a tertiary referral centre. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study with data collected from the medical records of patients undergoing BMT between January 2017 and June 2022. We diagnosed hepatobiliary complications based on established criteria. RESULTS: We included 377 patients; 55.7% had hepatobiliary complications. Female gender, pre-BMT hepatobiliary alteration, and haploidentical allogeneic transplantation were associated with increased risk with odds ratios (OR) of 1.8 (p = 0.005), 1.72 (p = 0.013) and 3.25 (p = 0.003), respectively. Patients with hepatobiliary complications spent longer in the hospital than those without (27.7 × 19.3 days, respectively; p < 0.001). Among 210 patients with hepatobiliary complications, 28 died compared to 5 of 167 without complications (OR 4.98; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Hepatobiliary complications are frequent in patients undergoing BMT. There is a greater risk of their occurrence in women, people with pre-BMT liver alterations, and in haploidentical transplants. The occurrence of these complications increases the length of stay and is associated with a higher risk of death.

Mid-arm muscle circumference cutoff points in patients with cirrhosis: Low muscle mass related to malnutrition predicts mortality.

OBJECTIVES: Muscle loss is one of the phenotypic criteria of malnutrition, is highly prevalent in patients with cirrhosis, and is associated with adverse outcomes. Mid-arm muscle circumference (MAMC) estimates the skeletal muscle mass and is especially helpful in cases of fluid overload. This study aimed to propose MAMC cutoff points for patients with cirrhosis and demonstrate its association with 1-year mortality. METHODS: This is an analysis of cohort databases from five reference centers in Brazil that included inpatients and outpatients with cirrhosis aged ≥18 y. The nutritional variables obtained were the MAMC (n = 1075) and the subjective global assessment (n = 629). We established the MAMC cutoff points stratified by sex based on the subjective global assessment as a reference standard for malnutrition diagnosis, considering the sensitivity, specificity, and Youden index. An adjusted Cox regression model was used to test the association of MAMC cutoff points and 1-year mortality. RESULTS: We included 1075 patients with cirrhosis, with a mean age of 54.8 ± 11.3 y; 70.4% (n = 757) male. Most patients had alcoholic cirrhosis (47.1%, n = 506) and were classified as Child-Pugh B (44.7%, n = 480). The MAMC cutoff points for moderate and severe depletion were ≤21.5 cm and ≤24.2 cm; ≤20.9 cm and ≤22.9 cm for women and men, respectively. According to these cutoff points, 13.8% (n = 148) and 35.1% (n = 377) of the patients had moderate or severe MAMC depletion, respectively. The 1-year mortality rate was 17.3% (n = 186). In the multivariate analysis adjusted for sex, age, MELD-Na, and Child-Pugh scores, a severe depletion in MAMC was an independent increased risk factor for 1-year mortality (HR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.24-2.35, P < 0.001). Each increase of 1 cm in MAMC values was associated with an 11% reduction in 1-year mortality risk (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.85-0.94, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Low MAMC classified according to the new cutoff points predicts mortality risk in patients with cirrhosis and could be used in clinical practice.

Hepatobiliary disease after bone marrow transplant.

INTRODUCTION: Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is the standard treatment for several hematologic pathologies. Post-BMT patients may develop hepatobiliary complications that impact morbidity and mortality. The differential diagnosis may include drug-induced liver injury (DILI), sepsis-associated liver injury (SALI), sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), viral hepatitis, ischemic and fulminant hepatitis, among others. AREA COVERED: Defining the etiology of hepatobiliary injury is challenging due to the overlapping symptoms. Thus, it is necessary to be aware of and understand the clinical characteristics of these hepatobiliary complications and provide adequate management with possible better outcomes. We reviewed the scientific literature focused on early hepatobiliary complications associated with BMT. We searched the PubMed database using the following descriptors: hepatic complications, drug-induced liver disease, graft-versus-host disease, cholestasis, sepsis, sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, cytomegalovirus, viral hepatitis, bone marrow transplantation, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. EXPERT OPINION: Post-BMT hepatobiliary complications comprise several differential diagnoses and are challenges for the hepatologist's clinical practice. When evaluating these patients, it is necessary to consider the temporality between the use of certain medications, the increase in liver enzymes, and the presence of infection, in addition to applying diagnostic criteria and complementary tests for a specific diagnosis.

Efficacy of silymarin in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - the Siliver trial: a study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most prevalent liver diseases globally. Pharmacological treatments for NAFLD are still limited. Silymarin, a compound extracted from Silybum marianum, is an herbal supplement traditionally used in folk medicine for liver disorders. It has been proposed that silymarin may possess hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. The present trial aims to assess the efficacy of silymarin supplementation in the adjuvant treatment of NAFLD in adult patients. METHOD: This is a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial recruiting adult NAFLD patients in therapy on an outpatient basis. Participants are randomized to an intervention (I) or control (C) group. Both groups receive identical capsules and are followed for 12 weeks. I receives 700mg of silymarin + 8mg vitamin E + 50mg phosphatidylcholine daily, while C receives 700mg maltodextrin + 8mg vitamin E + 50mg phosphatidylcholine daily. Patients undergo a computerized tomography (CT) scan and blood tests at the beginning and end of the study. Monthly face-to-face consultations and weekly telephone contact are carried out for all participants. The primary outcome assessed will be change in NAFLD stage, if any, assessed by the difference in attenuation coefficient between liver and spleen, obtained by upper abdomen CT. DISCUSSION: The results of this study may provide a valuable opinion on whether silymarin can be used as adjuvant therapy for the management or treatment of NAFLD. The data presented on the efficacy and safety of silymarin may provide more foundation for further trials and for a possible use in clinical practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Professor Edgard Santos University Hospital Complex, Salvador BA, Brazil, under protocol 2.635.954. The study is carried out according to guidelines and regulatory standards for research involving humans, as set out in Brazilian legislation. Trial registration - ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT03749070. November 21, 2018.

RISK FACTORS FOR HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA IN PATIENTS WITH NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is growing in worldwide prevalence and thus, is expected to have a higher number of NAFLD-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the following years. This review describes the risk factors associated with HCC in NAFLD-patients. The presence of liver cirrhosis is the preponderant one. Male gender, PNPLA3 variants, diabetes, and obesity also appear to predispose to the development of HCC, even in non-cirrhotic subjects. Thus far, intensive lifestyle modifications, including glycemic control, and obesity treatment, are effective therapies for NAFLD/ non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and, therefore, probably, also for HCC. Some drugs that aimed at decreasing inflammatory activity and fibrosis, as well as obesity, were studied. Other data have suggested the possibility of HCC chemoprevention. So far, however, there is no definitive evidence for the routine utilization of these drugs. We hope, in the future, to be able to profile patients at higher risk of NAFLD-HCC and outline strategies for early diagnosis and prevention.

BETTER LIVING DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANTATION PATIENT SURVIVAL COMPARED TO DECEASED DONOR - A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS.

BACKGROUND: Deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) is the first choice, but living donor transplantation (LDLT) is an alternative to be considered in special situations, such as lack of donated organs and emergencies. So far, there is no consensus on which transplantation method provides better survival and fewer complications, which is still an open point for discussion. METHODS: This meta-analysis compared the 1, 3, and 5-year patient and graft survival rates of LDLT and DDLT. We included studies published from April-2009 to June-2021 and adopted the generic model of the inverse of variance for the random effect of hazard ratios. The adequacy of the studies was determined using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale - NOS (WELLS). RESULTS: For patient survival analysis, we included a total of 32,258 subjects. We found a statistically significant better survival for the LDLT group at 1, 3 and 5 years, respectively: 1.35 HR (95%CI 1.10-1.66, P=0.005), 1.26 HR (95%CI 1.09-1.46, P=0.002) and 1.27 HR (95%CI 1.09-1.48, P=0.002). Our meta-analysis evaluated a total of 21,276 grafts. In the overall analysis, the 1-year survival was improved in favor of the LDLT group (1.36 HR, 95%CI 1.16-1.60, P<0.0001), while the 3-year survival (1.13 HR, 95%CI 0.96-1.33, P<0.13), and 5 (0.99 HR, 95%CI 0.74-1.33, P<0.96), did not differ significantly. CONCLUSION: This metanalysis detected a statistically significant greater 1-, 3- and 5-years patient survival favoring LDLT compared to DDLT as well as a statistically significant difference better 1-year graft survival favoring the LDLT group.

Overweight and abdominal fat are associated with normal bone mineral density in patients with ulcerative colitis.

BACKGROUND: Low bone mineral density (BMD) is common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. However, nutritional risk factors for low BMD in the ulcerative colitis (UC) population are still poorly understood. AIM: To investigate the association of anthropometric indicators and body composition with BMD in patients with UC. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study on adult UC patients of both genders who were followed on an outpatient basis. A control group consisting of healthy volunteers, family members, and close people was also included. The nutritional indicators evaluated were body mass index (BMI), total body mass (TBM), waist circumference (WC), body fat in kg (BFkg), body fat in percentage (BF%), trunk BF (TBF), and also lean mass. Body composition and BMD assessments were performed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: The sociodemographic characteristics of patients with UC (n = 68) were similar to those of healthy volunteers (n = 66) (P > 0.05). Most patients (97.0%) were in remission of the disease, 58.8% were eutrophic, 33.8% were overweight, 39.0% had high WC, and 67.6% had excess BF%. However, mean BMI, WC, BFkg, and TBF of UC patients were lower when compared to those of the control group (P < 0.05). Reduced BMD was present in 41.2% of patients with UC (38.2% with osteopenia and 2.9% with osteoporosis) and 3.0% in the control group (P < 0.001). UC patients with low BMD had lower BMI, TBM, and BFkg values than those with normal BMD (P < 0.05). Male patients were more likely to have low BMD (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-3.26). Those with excess weight (PR = 0.43; 95%CI: 0.19-0.97) and high WC (PR = 0.44; 95%CI: 0.21-0.94) were less likely to have low BMD. CONCLUSION: Patients with UC in remission have a high prevalence of metabolic bone diseases. Body fat appears to protect against the development of low BMD in these patients.

Endoscopic and Histopathological Findings of the Esophagus, Stomach, and Duodenum in Patients with Crohn's Disease from a Reference Center in Bahia, Brazil.

(1) The aim of the present study was to describe the endoscopic and histopathological findings in the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum in patients with Crohn's disease. (2) Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included patients receiving treatment from the inflammatory bowel disease outpatient clinic. Esophagogastroduodenoscopies with biopsies of the stomach and proximal duodenum were performed. Presence of Helicobacter pylori bacteria was assessed by Giemsa staining. (3) Results: We included 58 patients. Erosive esophagitis was identified in 25 patients (43.1%), gastritis was diagnosed in 32 patients (55.2%) and erosive duodenitis was found in eight (13.8%). The most frequent histopathological finding in the H. pylori-positive group was increased inflammatory activity in the gastric body and antrum, with a predominance of mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells. In turn, the most frequent finding in the H. pylori-negative group was chronic inflammation with predominance of mononuclear cells. Focally enhanced gastritis was identified in four patients (6.9%), all of whom were negative for H. pylori. Granulomas were not observed. H. pylori infection was present in 19 patients (32.8%). (4) Conclusions: Nonspecific endoscopic and histological findings were frequent in patients with Crohn's disease. Focally enhanced gastritis was uncommon and observed only in H. pylori-negative patients. The time from the diagnosis, patient age, and therapy in use may have influenced the nondetection of epithelioid granuloma.

Natural killer cell receptor and HLA-C gene polymorphisms among patients with hepatitis C: a comparison between sustained virological responders and non-responders.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) are involved in the activation/inhibition of NK cells through an interaction with HLA class I molecules on target cells. Our study aimed to evaluate the association between KIR gene polymorphisms and the response of patients with CHC to antiviral therapy. METHODS: We compared the frequency of KIR genes, as well as that of compound KIR/HLA-C genotypes, between groups of patients with CHC who presented a sustained virological response (n=66) and who were non-responders to a combination of pegylated or standard interferon and ribavirin (n=101). KIR and HLA-C genotyping were performed using commercial kits. RESULTS: We detected a greater frequency of the KIR2DL5 gene among non-responders to antiviral therapy compared with sustained virological responders (68.3 vs. 40.9%) (P<0.001). We used multiple logistic regression analysis to determine the association between therapy response and the presence of KIR2DL5, after a control for potentially confounding variables (genotype, alcohol, fibrosis, gender, age, ethnic background and route of HCV infection). The results confirmed the strong association between the presence of KIR2DL5 and the non-response to antiviral treatment (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Host genetic factors may be associated with a non-response to antiviral therapy. KIR2DL5 is a candidate gene involved in immunomodulation associated with non-response to antiviral therapy.

Epidemiological profile of alcoholic liver disease hospital admissions in a Latin American country over a 10-year period.

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. AIM: To describe the epidemiological profile and mortality rates of patients with ALD admitted to public hospitals in different regions of Brazil from 2006 to 2015. METHODS: This is a descriptive study that evaluated aggregate data from the five Brazilian geographic regions. RESULTS: A total of 160093 public hospitalizations for ALD were registered. There was a 34.07% increase in the total number of admissions over 10 years, from 12879 in 2006 to 17267 in 2015. The region with the highest proportion (49.01%) of ALD hospitalizations was Southeast (n = 78463). The North region had the lowest absolute number of patients throughout the study period, corresponding to 3.9% of the total (n = 6242). There was a 24.72% increase in the total number of ALD deaths between 2006 and 2015. We found that the age group between 50 and 59 years had the highest proportion of both hospitalizations and deaths: 28.94% (n = 46329) of total hospital admissions and 29.43% (n = 28864) of all deaths. Men were more frequently hospitalized than women and had the highest proportions of deaths in all regions. Mortality coefficient rates increased over the years, and simple linear regression analysis indicated a statistically significant upward trend in this mortality (R² = 0.744). CONCLUSION: Our study provides a landscape of the epidemiological profile of public hospital admissions due to ALD in Brazil. We detected an increase in the total number of admissions and deaths due to ALD over 10 years.

Sweet syndrome as a paraneoplastic manifestation of cholangiocarcinoma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Sweet's syndrome, also known as acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, is a rare skin disorder that may be associated with cancer. CASE SUMMARY: A 58-year-old female presented with a cholestatic syndrome and significant weight loss three months before admission. Five months earlier, she had abruptly developed skin lesions with erythematous papules that evolved to erythematous blisters. Clinical evaluation and laboratory tests confirmed hepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Skin lesions histopathological findings showed neutrophilic dermatosis, massive edema, fibrin, necrosis, and elastosis. These results, in association with the macroscopic aspects of the findings, led to the diagnosis of paraneoplastic Sweet's syndrome due to cholangiocarcinoma. As staging was consistent with an advanced tumor without a cure perspective, we opted to perform percutaneous biliary drainage, and subsequently, palliative care. Eventually, after a few weeks, the patient died. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the diagnosis of the underlying disease-causing Sweet's syndrome must be accurate, and patients need to be followed-up, as neoplasia such as cholangiocarcinoma may be a later manifestation.

Analysis of fat and muscle mass in patients with inflammatory bowel disease during remission and active phase.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is often associated with malnutrition. The aim of this study was to compare the body composition of outpatients with IBD during remission and active phase. In order to evaluate disease activity we used Crohn's Disease Activity Index for Crohn's disease (CD) patients and Lichtiger's Index for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. All patients underwent the analysis of BMI, arm muscle area (AMA) and triceps plus subscapula skinfold thickness (TST+SST) to identify total, muscle and fat mass, respectively. In total 102 patients were evaluated (CD, n 50; UC, n 52) and the majority was young women. Malnutrition according to BMI was found in 14.0 % of patients with CD and 5.7 % of UC patients. Muscle mass depletion was detected in more than half of the CD and UC patients. The BMI, TST+SST and AMA values were lower in the active phase only in CD patients (P < 0.05). Fat mass depletion was associated with active phase in both CD and UC patients. Body composition parameters obtained using BMI, TST+SST and AMA were not correlated with the presence of fistula in CD patients (P>0.05). In conclusion, patients without signs of malnutrition had fat mass depletion especially in the active phase and muscle mass depletion occurred both in CD and UC patients.

Application of the Vienna classification for Crohn's disease to a single center from Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder with diversity on its clinical presentation that may be observed from the varying age of onset of symptoms to the site of occurrence of the illness. There is a need for a replicable and uniform description of the disease allowing a comparison between distinct study populations. The 1998 Vienna classification characterizes patients according to three clinical aspects: age at diagnosis, location and disease behavior. AIM: To describe Crohn's disease in patients from a reference center of Salvador, BA, Brazil according to the Vienna classification. METHODS: Between January and October of 2005, patients (n = 47) having at least one endoscopic and radiological examination of the intestine participated in this study. RESULTS: Most of the participants had the diagnosis of the disease when they were younger than 40 years old (70.2%) while an ileocolic location (38.3%) and the penetrating form (46.8%) were the most prevalent clinical presentation. The restricted location of the ileum (L1) was more frequent in nonstricturing, nonpenetrating disease (B1) while the ileocolic disease (L3) was more associated with the penetrating behavior (B3). CONCLUSION: In this study, differently from the first description of the Vienna classification, the large number of patients presenting a complicated stage of the disease can be attributed to the fact that it was carried out at a reference center, where many patients present with the disease at an advanced stage.

Crohn's disease in one mixed-race population in Brazil.

AIM: To evaluate the classification and severity of Crohn's disease in different racial groups. METHODS: Patients with Crohn's disease from the outpatient clinic of the University Hospital Prof. Edgard Santos were enrolled in the study. This hospital is a reference centre for inflammatory bowel disease. Race was determined using self-identification. The Vienna's classification was applied for all subjects. The severity of Crohn's disease was determined according to the number of surgical procedures, hospital admissions in the last year and treatment with steroids and immunosuppressors. Statistical analysis was calculated using t test for means, chi2 or F for proportions. A P value < 0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients were enrolled. Non-white patients were more frequently diagnosed with Crohn's disease in the age less than 40 years than white patients. The behaviour of disease was similar in both groups with a high frequency of the penetrating form. There was a tendency for non-white patients to have a greater frequency of hospital admissions in the last year compared to white subjects. Non-whites also had a higher rate of colonic and upper gastrointestinal involvement, and were also more frequently on treatment with immunossupressors than white patients although this difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Non-white patients with Crohn's disease had an earlier diagnosis and appeared to have had a more severe disease presentation than white patients.

Feasibility and safety of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation in patients with advanced chronic liver disease.

AIM: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of bone marrow cell (BMC) transplantation in patients with chronic liver disease on the waiting list for liver transplantation. METHODS: Ten patients (eight males) with chronic liver disease were enrolled to receive infusion of autologous bone marrow-derived cells. Seven patients were classified as Child-Pugh B and three as Child-Pugh C. Baseline assessment included complete clinical and laboratory evaluation and abdominal MRI. Approximately 50 mL of bone marrow aspirate was prepared by centrifugation in a ficoll-hypaque gradient. At least of 100 millions of mononuclear-enriched BMCs were infused into the hepatic artery using the routine technique for arterial chemoembolization for liver tumors. Patients were followed up for adverse events up to 4 mo. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 52 years (range 24-70 years). All patients were discharged 48 h after BMC infusion. Two patients complained of mild pain at the bone marrow needle puncture site. No other complications or specific side effects related to the procedure were observed. Bilirubin levels were lower at 1 (2.19 +/- 0.9) and 4 mo (2.10 +/- 1.0) after cell transplantation that baseline levels (2.78 +/- 1.2). Albumin levels 4 mo after BMC infusion (3.73 +/- 0.5) were higher than baseline levels (3.47 +/- 0.5). International normalized ratio (INR) decreased from 1.48 (SD = 0.23) to 1.43 (SD = 0.23) one month after cell transplantation. CONCLUSION: BMC infusion into hepatic artery of patients with advanced chronic liver disease is safe and feasible. In addition, a decrease in mean serum bilirubin and INR levels and an increase in albumin levels are observed. Our data warrant further studies in order to evaluate the effect of BMC transplantation in patients with advanced chronic liver disease.

Fatores de risco para carcinoma hepatocelular em pacientes com doença gordurosa não alcóolica do fígado / Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

ABSTRACT Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is growing in worldwide prevalence and thus, is expected to have a higher number of NAFLD-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the following years. This review describes the risk factors associated with HCC in NAFLD-patients. The presence of liver cirrhosis is the preponderant one. Male gender, PNPLA3 variants, diabetes, and obesity also appear to predispose to the development of HCC, even in non-cirrhotic subjects. Thus far, intensive lifestyle modifications, including glycemic control, and obesity treatment, are effective therapies for NAFLD/ non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and, therefore, probably, also for HCC. Some drugs that aimed at decreasing inflammatory activity and fibrosis, as well as obesity, were studied. Other data have suggested the possibility of HCC chemoprevention. So far, however, there is no definitive evidence for the routine utilization of these drugs. We hope, in the future, to be able to profile patients at higher risk of NAFLD-HCC and outline strategies for early diagnosis and prevention.

RESUMO A doença metabólica e doença hepática gordurosa metabólica estão aumentando a prevalência mundial e, portanto, espera-se um número maior de carcinoma hepatocelular (CHC) relacionado à doença hepática gordurosa não alcóolica (DHGNA) nos próximos anos. Esta revisão descreve os fatores de risco associados ao CHC em pacientes com DHGNA. A presença de cirrose hepática é a preponderante. Sexo masculino, variantes do gene PNPLA3, diabetes e obesidade também parecem predispor ao desenvolvimento de CHC, mesmo em indivíduos não cirróticos. Até agora, modificações significativas no estilo de vida, incluindo controle glicêmico e tratamento da obesidade, são terapias eficazes para DHGNA/ Esteatohepatite não-alcoolica e, portanto, provavelmente, também para CHC. Alguns medicamentos que propunham-se diminuir a atividade inflamatória e fibrose, bem como a obesidade, foram estudados. Outros dados sugeriram a possibilidade de quimioprevenção do CHC. Até o momento, no entanto, não há evidências definitivas para o uso rotineiro desses medicamentos. Esperamos, no futuro, poder traçar o perfil de pacientes com maior risco de DHGNA-CHC e traçar estratégias para diagnóstico precoce e prevenção.