[Syphilitic hepatitis. Report of three cases]. / Hepatitis sifilítica: reporte de una serie de casos.

Liver involvement occurs in 0.2 to 3% of patients with syphilis. We report three patients with liver involvement in syphilis. A 52-year-old male presenting with erythema and malaise. Laboratory showed a gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) of 853 u/l, alkaline phosphatases of 1,010 U/L and VDRL was positive. Treatment with penicillin resolved the skin problem and normalized liver enzymes. A HIV positive 30-year-old male in peritoneal dialysis presenting with itching, malaise and markedly elevated GGT and alkaline phosphatases. VDRL was positive. He was treated with penicillin with remission of symptoms and enzyme normalization. A 43-year-old male presenting with erythema, malaise, arthralgias and elevated GGT and alkaline phosphatases. VDRL was positive and treatment with penicillin reverted symptoms and laboratory abnormalities.

[Experience of continuing online education in gastroenterology for non specialist medical doctors]. / Experiencia de educación continua en línea en gastroenterología para médicos no especialistas.

BACKGROUND: Continuing education is essential for health professions and online courses can be a good way for professional development. AIM: To describe the experience with online courses for continuing education in hepatology and gastroenterology and to analyze their educational impact. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A three years' experience in courses on liver diseases and digestive tract is described. Their curricular design, methodology, and the educational impact was analyzed using the four levels of the Kirkpatrick's model. RESULTS: On average, there were 321 students per course (2015-2017). 94% were Chilean and 6% from abroad (20 countries). In the educational impact analysis, in level 1 "reaction": 93% said that the course fulfilled their expectations and 92% would recommend it. In level 2 "learning": 42% approved the courses. Level 3 "behavior" was not evaluated and level 4 "organizational change" highlighted that the traditional face-to-face continuing education model of Chilean Gastroenterology Society (SChG) changed to full distance model in these three courses, with 1284 students from South America, Asia and Europe, in a 3-years-period. Additionally, these programs were included in the Medical Society of Santiago (SMS) continuing education agenda. CONCLUSIONS: The alliance between the SMS and the SChG generated on line courses that meet the educational needs of physicians and medical students, with excellent results and student perception.

Hepatitis sifilítica: reporte de una serie de casos / Syphilitic hepatitis: report of three cases

Liver involvement occurs in 0.2 to 3% of patients with syphilis. We report three patients with liver involvement in syphilis. A 52-year-old male presenting with erythema and malaise. Laboratory showed a gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) of 853 u/l, alkaline phosphatases of 1,010 U/L and VDRL was positive. Treatment with penicillin resolved the skin problem and normalized liver enzymes. A HIV positive 30-year-old male in peritoneal dialysis presenting with itching, malaise and markedly elevated GGT and alkaline phosphatases. VDRL was positive. He was treated with penicillin with remission of symptoms and enzyme normalization. A 43-year-old male presenting with erythema, malaise, arthralgias and elevated GGT and alkaline phosphatases. VDRL was positive and treatment with penicillin reverted symptoms and laboratory abnormalities.

Experiencia de educación continua en línea en gastroenterología para médicos no especialistas / Experience of continuing online education in gastroenterology for non specialist medical doctors

Background: Continuing education is essential for health professions and online courses can be a good way for professional development. Aim: To describe the experience with online courses for continuing education in hepatology and gastroenterology and to analyze their educational impact. Material and Methods: A three years' experience in courses on liver diseases and digestive tract is described. Their curricular design, methodology, and the educational impact was analyzed using the four levels of the Kirkpatrick's model. Results: On average, there were 321 students per course (2015-2017). 94% were Chilean and 6% from abroad (20 countries). In the educational impact analysis, in level 1 "reaction": 93% said that the course fulfilled their expectations and 92% would recommend it. In level 2 "learning": 42% approved the courses. Level 3 "behavior" was not evaluated and level 4 "organizational change" highlighted that the traditional face-to-face continuing education model of Chilean Gastroenterology Society (SChG) changed to full distance model in these three courses, with 1284 students from South America, Asia and Europe, in a 3-years-period. Additionally, these programs were included in the Medical Society of Santiago (SMS) continuing education agenda. Conclusions: The alliance between the SMS and the SChG generated on line courses that meet the educational needs of physicians and medical students, with excellent results and student perception.

Is a leaky gut involved in the pathogenesis of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy?

Increased gastrointestinal permeability has been demonstrated in several liver diseases. It may facilitate the absorption of gut-derived endotoxin-stimulating Kupffer cells to release proinflammatory cytokines or other potentially hepatotoxic compounds. We examined gastrointestinal permeability, plasma levels of anti-lipopolysacharides (anti-LPS), and four proinflammatory cytokines in 20 patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) compared with 22 normal pregnant and 29 non-pregnant women. Urinary excretion of sucrose and the urinary lactulose/mannitol (L/M) ratio after a standard oral load were used to assess gastrointestinal permeability. Anti-LPS (IgA, IgM, and IgG) were measured in peripheral blood by Human EndoCAb test kit; TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-10 by Quantikine HS human immunoassays. Sucrose urinary excretion was similar in the three groups, indicating normal gastric permeability. The urinary L/M ratio was significantly higher in ICP than in the other groups [median (interquartile range): 0.018% (0.011-0.023) in ICP, 0.012% (0.009-0.016) in normal pregnancies, and 0.009% (0.008-0.012) in non-pregnant women, P < .01]. No significant differences were found in anti-LPS or cytokines plasma levels except slightly higher levels of IL-6 in ICP patients than in non-pregnant women (P < .05). Four of five women with abnormal urinary L/M ratio during ICP continued to show abnormalities in tests up to 2 years after delivery. In conclusion, an increased intestinal permeability was detected in ICP patients during and after pregnancy. A "leaky gut" may participate in the pathogenesis of ICP by enhancing the absorption of bacterial endotoxin and the enterohepatic circulation of cholestatic metabolites of sex hormones and bile salts.

Pólipos vesiculares: segundo taller de consenso de la Asociación Chilena de Hepatología / Gallbladder polyps: second consensus workshop of the chilean hepatology association

During workshop, hepatologists analyzed and gave recomendations about gallbladder polyps. They arrived to the following agreements: gallbladder polyps of less than 10 mm should be followed with ultrasonography at 3, 6 and 12 months if there is no enlargement. If there is enlargement, a cholecystectomy should be performed. Polyps larger than 10 mm should be subjected to cholecystectomy