Tumour stemness and poor clinical outcomes in haemochromatosis patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIMS: Patients with haemochromatosis (HFE) are known to have an increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Available data are conflicting on whether such patients have poorer prognosis, and there is lack of data regarding the biology of HFE-HCC. We compared the course of HFE-HCC with a matched non-HFE-HCC control group and examined tumour characteristics using immunohistochemistry. METHODS: In this tertiary care-based retrospective analysis, 12 patients with HFE and 34 patients with alcohol/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis who underwent initially successful curative HCC therapy with ablation or resection were identified from our registry. Time to tumour progression was compared. Resected liver tissue from a separate cohort of 11 matched patients with HFE-HCC and without HFE-HCC was assessed for the expression of progenitor and epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 24.39 and 24.28 months for patients with HFE-HCC and those without HFE-HCC, respectively (p>0.05). The mean time to progression was shorter in the HFE group compared with the non-HFE group (12.87 months vs 17.78 months; HR 3.322, p<0.05). Patients with HFE-HCC also progressed to more advanced disease by the end of follow-up (p<0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis of matched HFE-HCC and non-HFE-HCC explants demonstrated increased expression of the cancer stem cell markers EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) and EpCAM/SALL4 (spalt-like transcription factor 4) coexpression in HFE-HCC specimens (p<0.05). There was a high frequency of combined tumour subtypes within the HFE cohort. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the clinical course of patients with HFE-HCC is more aggressive and provides the first data indicating that their tumours have increased expression of progenitor markers. These findings suggest patients with HFE-HCC may need to be considered for transplant at an earlier stage.

Endoscopy training through the COVID-19 pandemic: maintaining procedural volumes and key performance standards.

Objective: Endoscopy departments have experienced considerable challenges in the provision of endoscopy services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several studies have reported a reduction of procedures performed by trainee endoscopists during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on colonoscopy training and quality in an academic centre throughout successive waves of the pandemic. Methods: This was a single-centre, retrospective, observational study comparing colonoscopies performed at a tertiary endoscopy centre in Ireland at different stages of the pandemic with those performed during a similar time frame prepandemic. Data were collected using electronic patient records. Primary outcomes were procedure volumes, adenoma detection rate and mean adenoma per procedure. Results: In the prepandemic period, 798 colonoscopies were performed. During the same period in 2020, 172 colonoscopies were performed. In 2021, during the third wave of the pandemic, 538 colonoscopies were performed. Percentages of colonoscopies performed by trainees were 46.0% (n=367) in 2019, 25.6% (n=44) in 2020 and 45.2% (n=243) in 2021. Adenoma detection rate was 21.3% in 2019, 38.6% in 2020 and 23.9% in 2021. Mean adenoma per procedure was 0.45 in 2019, 0.86 in 2020 and 0.49 in 2021. Caecal intubation rate was 90.74% in 2019, 90.9% in 2020 and 95.88% in 2021. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic initially had a negative impact on overall colonoscopy volumes and training. Despite a reduction in procedural volume, key performance standards were maintained by trainees. Maintenance of hands-on training is essential to allow trainees achieve and retain competency in endoscopy.

A decade of rising alcoholic liver disease hospital admissions and deaths in Irish hospitals, 2007-2016: a retrospective cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a major cause of both liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Ireland. AIMS: The aim of the study was to identify the epidemiological profile, temporal trends, development of complications and mortality arising from inpatient care episodes linked to ALD in Ireland from 2007 to 2016. METHODS: This was a national retrospective study that analysed data on patient discharges from hospitals across Ireland. The Hospital Inpatient Enquiry System was used to gather this data. The main outcome measures were the number of hospital discharges for patients with ALD or HCC, also expressed per 100 000 population, the mortality rate associated with ALD and the prevalence of complications associated with ALD. RESULTS: A total of 33 794 hospital discharges were examined. There was a 38% increase in hospital discharges and 300% increase in HCC coding for patients with ALD between 2006 and 2016. There were 73 hospital discharges with ALD per 100 000 population in 2016. That year, 40 482 bed days were required for inpatient management equating to 120 beds per day. Deaths from ALD rose by 29% over the 10-year period. Cirrhosis was diagnosed in 57% and 24% had ascites. Mortality was 9.8% rising to 16% with variceal bleeding and 42% with acute kidney injury. Only 31% were under the care of a gastroenterologist or hepatologist. CONCLUSION: Ireland is seeing a rise in ALD-related hospital admissions and deaths, including HCC which increased three-fold. ALD is a preventable disease, and public health interventions are of proven benefit and required to reverse this trend.