Prevalence And Risk Factors Of Sarcopenia In Patients With Cirrhosis: An Observational Study.

Objective: To identify the prevalence and predictors of sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients. METHODS: This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Karachi, from January 30 to July 31, 2021, and comprised cirrhotic patients of either gender between aged 18-60 years. Clinical and laboratory data was recorded for each patient. Body weight was adjusted for ascites. Sarcopenia was determined based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia-2019 guideline via hand grip strength and chair standing. Independent predictors for sarcopenia were identified. Data was analysed using SPSS 26. RESULTS: Out of 434 cirrhotic patients assessed, 386(89%) were enrolled. Of them, 237(61.4%) were males, 149(38.6%) were females, 327(84.7%) were aged >45 years and 201(52.1%) had moderate professional activity. Sarcopenia was detected in 314(81.3%) patients; 185(59%) males and 129(41%) females. Age, chair exercise and hand grip scores as well as haemoglobin, albumin and potassium levels were significantly associated with sarcopenia (p<0.05). Conclusion: Sarcopenia was found to be very common in patients with cirrhosis. Increasing age, concomitant comorbidities, and presence of liver decompensation increased the risk of sarcopenia.

Depression trends in Hepatitis-C PCR positive and PCR negative patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of depression in Hepatitis-C patients and its association clearance of HCV. METHODS: It is cross sectional study that was conducted between 1st July to 31st December, 2020, at National Institute of Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases (NILGID),, Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS).. Both male and female patients aged 18 to 60 years presenting with Hepatitis-C PCR positive or had received DAA for three months and became PCR negative were included in this cross sectional study. Depression was analyzed by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Mean and standard deviations were calculated and analyzed. RESULTS: Total 210 patients were included in this study, with mean age 36.06 ± 10.11 years. Depression was present in 118 (56.2%) patients. Among patients with HCV PCR positive depression present in 63 (30.0%) patients while in HCV PCR negative 55 (26.0%) patients. Similarly, depression in HCV PCR positive male patients, aged ≤40 years 80 (38.1%) and in HCV PCR negative 56 (26.7%) patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with chronic Hepatitis-C commonly suffer from depression. However, our study found no significant difference with change in PCR status at 12 weeks.

Effects of Life style factors on the symptoms of gastro esophageal reflux disease: A cross sectional study in a Pakistani population.

BACKGROUND &OBJECTIVE: Gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) broadly includes the whole spectrum of reflux disease symptoms like heartburn or acid regurgitation to endoscopic, reflux esophagitis or Barrett's esophagus. Our aim therefore was to study the association between Gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms and various lifestyle factors. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in the outpatient department of Darul Sehat Hospital, Zubaida Medical Center and Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan from January 2018 to October 2018. The selected candidates were asked to fill a validated GERD questionnaire and they were also asked about their lifestyle factors. Odds ratio and their 95% confidence interval were estimated using binary logistic regression with GERD symptoms as the study outcome. RESULTS: A total of 2000 respondents completed the questionnaire. 69.3% gastroesophageal reflux disease cases were found in participants above 35 years of age while 56.9% subjects were male. The most common lifestyle factors associated with GERD were less exercise time (90.9%) (OR, 6.47; 95% CI, 4.91-8.53), 78.3% participants had habit of eating midnight snacks (OR, 5.08; 95% CI, 4.03-6.40), 87.3% participants reported less interval between dinner and sleep (OR, 6.98; 95% CI, 5.36-9.08). The most important factor relieving GERD symptoms was raising the head of bed during sleep (79.4%) while 43.3% subjects with the habit of post dinner walk reported fewer symptoms of GERD. CONCLUSION: Lifestyle factors particularly less physical activity, late evening meals, inadequate sleep, smoking and post dinner lying were found to be associated with GERD symptoms.

Zinc level assessment in patients having Viral Cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: Zinc is a vital trace element and its deficiency in cirrhosis might potentiate the development of hepatic encephalopathy. The objective of this study was to assess the zinc levels in serum of patients having viral cirrhosis and compare it with normal healthy controls. METHODS: This study was conducted in Department of Gastroenterology, Liaquat National hospital and medical college, Karachi, Pakistan; from January 2014 to December 2014. Total of 45 patients with the mean age of 52.44±8.7 years were included. The three groups of patients were made including Child Pugh Class Score B (Group-1), Child Pugh Class C (Group-2) and healthy controls (Group-3) having 15 patients in each group. Zinc levels in serum were evaluated by the help of atomic absorption spectrometry (Normal range50-150 µg/dl). RESULTS: Total of 45 subjects was enrolled in this study. Overall prevalence of zinc deficiency was noted in 13(28.9%) patients. Mean value of zinc levels in group 1,2 and 3 were 68.09±20.85, 50.69±15.86 and 92.91±17.18µg/dL respectively. Highly statistical difference was observed in the mean zinc level between three groups p=0.0001. An inverse correlation was observed between Child Pugh Score and the zinc level in serum r=-0.498. CONCLUSION: Patients suffering from advanced cirrhosis appeared to have lower serum zinc levels. In patients suffering from viral cirrhosis having hepatic encephalopathy, zinc supplementation might improve clinical outcome.

Initial results of efficacy and safety of Sofosbuvir among Pakistani Population: A real life trial - Hepatitis Eradication Accuracy Trial of Sofosbuvir (HEATS).

OBJECTIVE: The uridine nucleotide analogue sofosbuvir is a selective inhibitor of hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B polymerase approved for the treatment of chronic HCV infection with genotypes 1 - 4. The objective of the study was to evaluate the interim results of efficacy and safety of regimens containing Sofosbuvir (Zoval) among Pakistani population with the rapid virologic response (RVR2/4 weeks) with HCV infections. METHODS: This is a multicenter open label prospective observational study. Patients suffering from chronic Hepatitis C infection received Sofosbuvir (Zoval) 400 mg plus ribavirin (with or without peg interferon) for 12/24 weeks. The interim results of this study were rapid virological response on week 4. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21 for descriptive statistics. RESULTS: A total of 573 patients with HCV infection were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 46.07 ± 11.41 years. Out of 573 patients 535 (93.3%) were treatment naive, 26 (4.5%) were relapser, 7 (1.2%) were non-responders and 5 (1.0%) were partial responders. A rapid virologic response was reported in 563(98.2%) of patients with HCV infection after four weeks of treatment. The treatment was generally well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Sofosbuvir (Zoval) is effective and well tolerated in combination with ribavirin in HCV infected patients.

Metabolic puzzle: Exploring liver fibrosis differences in Asian metabolic-associated fatty liver disease subtypes.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a liver condition marked by excessive fat buildup in the absence of heavy alcohol use. It is primarily linked with metabolic issues like insulin resistance, obesity, and abnormal lipid levels, and is often observed with other conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, whether the subtypes of MAFLD based on the metabolic disorder differentially impact liver fibrosis is not well explicated, especially in the Asian population. AIM: To compare the severity of liver fibrosis among different MAFLD subtypes. METHODS: A total of 322 adult patients of either gender with fatty liver on ultrasound were enrolled between January to December 2021. MAFLD was defined as per the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver guidelines. Fibrosis-4 index (Fib-4) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NFS) were employed to evaluate liver fibrosis. RESULTS: The mean age was 44.84 ± 11 years. Seventy-two percent of the patients were female. Two hundred and seventy-three patients were classified as having MAFLD, of which 110 (40.3%) carried a single, 129 (47.3%) had two, and 34 (12.5%) had all three metabolic conditions. The cumulative number of metabolic conditions was related to elevated body mass index, triglyceride (TG) levels, and glycated hemoglobin, lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, higher liver inflammation (by aspartate aminotransferase and γ-glutamyl transferase), and higher likelihood of fibrosis (by NFS and Fib-4 scores) (P < 0.05 for all). The proportion of advanced fibrosis also increased with an increase in the number of metabolic conditions (4.1%, 25.5%, 35.6%, and 44.1% by NFS and 6.1%, 10.9%, 17%, and 26.5% by Fib-4 for no MAFLD and MAFLD with 1, 2, and 3 conditions, respectively). Among MAFLD patients, those with diabetes alone were the eldest and had the highest mean value of NFS score and Fib-4 score (P < 0.05), while MAFLD patients diagnosed with lean metabolic dysfunction exhibited the highest levels of TG and alanine aminotransferase but the lowest HDL levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study suggests that the severity of liver fibrosis in MAFLD patients is influenced by the number and type of metabolic conditions present. Early identification and management of MAFLD, particularly in patients with multiple metabolic conditions, are crucial to prevent liver-related complications.

The safety and efficacy of Houtou Jianweiling tablet in patients with chronic non-atrophic gastritis: a double-blind, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial.

Background: Common symptoms of Chronic Non-atrophic Gastritis (CNAG) include nausea, stomach distension, and abdominal pain. The Houtou Jianweiling Tablet (HTJWT) is a chinese patent medicine (CN1368229A) and it has been used clinically for more than 20 years with proven clinical efficacy in treating CNAG, prompted us to establish the clinical efficacy and safety of HTJWT on patients with mild to moderate CNAG symptoms in Pakistani population. Methods: This phase II, double-blind, randomized, parallel-controlled trial was conducted in a single center between November 2022 and February 2023 in Pakistan. In a ratio of 1:1, total 240 CNAG patients with erosion identified by pathological biopsy and gastroscopy were randomly assigned to control (Omeprazole) group (n = 120) and the treatment (HTJWT) group (n = 120). Patients in the treatment group received orally four HTJWT (0.38g/tablet), three times a day and one placebo of Omeprazole enteric-coated tablet prior to breakfast, daily. On the other hand, patients in the control group received one Omeprazole enteric-coated tablet (20 mg/tablet) prior to breakfast and four placebo of HTJWT, thrice a day. The patients consumed the investigated drugs (i.e., treatment and control) treatment regimen was followed for a duration of 28 days. The safety of the patients were evaluated through adverse events, serious adverse events and laboratory tests such as blood biochemistry, urine analysis, liver and renal function tests. Vital signs like; blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature, respiratory rate for all the patients were recorded. The cardiac status of the patients were assessed through electrocardiogram (ECG). The primary efficacy indicators were the improvement rate of gastric distention and gastralgia as the main clinical symptoms. Secondary indicators were visual analogue score (VAS); improvement rate of secondary clinical symptoms and signs; improvement rate of total clinical signs and symptoms; the disappearance/remission rate of Gastric pain and, remission/disappearance time of gastric distension; and the negative conversion rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). The outcomes among each group were compared using the chi-square test. Results: Patients in both groups had good drug compliance (80%-120%), and there was no statistically significant difference in the patients' baseline characteristics. The clinical improvement rate was found to be 91.1% in the treatment group and 91.0% in the control group with negligible variation among the two groups (p = 0.9824; 95% confidence interval: -0.0781-0.0798). Similarly, hardly no difference was found in the negative conversion rate of H. pylori between the treatment group and the control group (i.e., 70.1% and 71.8% respectively, p = 0.8125). There were no significant differences in respiratory rate, vital signs, blood pressure, laboratory results for blood biochemistry, urine analysis, liver and renal function tests between the two groups. The ECG assessment carried out for the treatment and control group revealed no considerable difference. Margin variation in the disappearance time of gastric pain (p = 0.1860) and remission rate (p = 0.5784) between the two groups were observed. The control group exhibited a faster remission period for gastrointestinal discomfort indications as compared to treatment group (p = 0.0430). Only one patient in the control group experienced mild to moderate adverse events, namely,; epigastric pain and dyspepsia. The results were consistent with the intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis that included patients who were 100% compliant to the assigned therapy. Conclusion: The lower limit of confidence interval (CI, 95%) for the differences in the effective rate between the treatment and the control groups was found to be -0.0781 which is greater than -0.15, hence the treatment group is non-inferior to the control group. The therapeutic dosage used in the trial and treatment period did not cause any significant adverse event, and there were no obvious changes in the ECG profile, vital signs and biochemistry of the patients. Based on the clinical efficacy evaluation and reported adverse events, it can be concluded that the HTJWT is a safe and effective traditional chinese medicine for the treatment of patients suffering from chronic non-atrophic gastritis with mild to moderate symptoms. Clinical Trial Registration: [www.clinicaltrials.gov], identifier [NCT04672018].

Frequency And Risk Factors Of Microscopic Colitis As A Cause Of Chronic Watery Diarrhoea.

BACKGROUND: Microscopic colitis (MC) is one of the most underdiagnosed conditions leading to chronic watery diarrhoea in patients worldwide. This is the first study of this kind in Pakistan and we aimed to calculate the frequency as well as study the risk factors behind the disease. METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. A total of 58 participants with chronic watery diarrhoea who had normal colonoscopy were recruited for the study and biopsies were obtained for diagnosing MC. RESULTS: 2 participants out of 58 (3.4%) had biopsy proven microscopic colitis; one patient had a lymphocytic colitis variant and the other had a collagenous colitis variant. The average score based on the MC scoring system was 7.53 in the entire study group. The patient with lymphocytic colitis had a score of 06 while the patient with collagenous colitis had a score of 8. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of microscopic colitis was found to be 3.4% of all cases of chronic watery diarrhoea. A link between MC and autoimmune diseases was also observed. However, we had a limited sample size and encouraged future studies to employ a larger sample size to get a multifaceted look at the disease process.

Fulminant Hepatic Failure in Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficient Patients Caused by Hepatitis E Infection: A Single Disease With Different Spectrums.

One of the major causes of acute viral hepatitis in Pakistan is the hepatitis E virus. Virus-induced liver inflammation within sight of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) insufficiency might be related with intricacies, for example, extremely low hemoglobin, red blood cell (RBC) destruction, renal function collapse, a decline in brain function due to severe liver disease and even demise. Despite the two diseases being widespread, their effect on understanding patient ailment has not been studied in depth. Hemolytic anemia occurs as a complication of acute hepatitis. Nevertheless, the occurrence can ascend to a large percentage of patients harboring glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) insufficiency. Although being frequent in endemic countries, there is a lack of literature in understanding the synergistic effect of hepatitis E disease and G6PD inadequacy leading to fulminant hepatic failure and increased mortality in the absence of a liver transplant facility. Here we report a case of two brothers, both having G6PD deficiency. A 19-year-old male, the elder of the two brothers, came with three days of complaints of persistent vomiting and deep jaundice. On investigation, he was found to have acute hepatitis E. During his hospital stay, he became drowsy, comatose, and subsequently expired. The second patient, his younger brother, was a 15-year-old male who presented with similar history about one week after his demise. He was also managed conservatively and was subsequently discharged from the hospital.

Impact of Body Mass Index on Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Cross-sectional Study in a Pakistani Population.

BACKGROUND:  The prevalence of obesity is on the rise globally. Pakistan ranks ninth out of 188 countries in terms of obesity. Literature regarding any potential role of obesity in gastrointestinal manifestations is limited. Besides, scarce information is available on possible connection between obesity and gastrointestinal pathology. This research, therefore, explores the impact of body mass index (BMI) on gastrointestinal symptoms and endoscopic discoveries. METHODS:  A cross-sectional study was conducted at Darul Sehat Hospital, Zubaida Medical Centre, and Liaquat National Hospital & Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan from 1st July 2017 to 30th November 2018. Patients scheduled to undergo endoscopy were surveyed before the procedure in which they were asked about demographics, comorbid, and gastrointestinal manifestations. The association between BMI and endoscopic findings and related gastrointestinal symptoms was assessed using Pearson chi square test and binary logistic regression. The significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS:  A total of 2148 subjects were included in the study out of which 20.2% were overweight (BMI 23-24.9) and 20.9% subjects were obese (BMI >25). Both the gastrointestinal symptoms and endoscopic findings were found to be significantly associated with the BMI (p<0.05 for both). Moreover, binary logistic regression revealed obesity to be a significant contributor of abnormal endoscopic findings (adjusted odds ratio, AOR, 2.93; 95% confidence interval, CI, 2.35-3.65). CONCLUSION:  Based on the study results, obesity was identified as a risk factor associated with gastrointestinal symptoms like gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other related gastrointestinal conditions such as erosive gastritis, duodenal ulcers, reflux esophagitis, and large hiatal hernia.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stenting in Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy.

Portal Hypertensive Gastropathy (PHG) is a rare cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with Chronic Liver Disease (CLD). This is the case report of a 46-year-old female known case of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) CLD, who presented with melena and coffee ground vomitings for 6 months. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) showed PHG while an ultrasound revealed chronic liver disease. The patient had a history of repeated blood transfusions over the last 6 months. She was given propanolol but no benefit occurred. She was referred for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stenting (TIPSS) to an interventional radiologist, which was followed by a reduction in PHG and the need for transfusion.

Bouveret's syndrome: successful endoscopic treatment of gastric outlet obstruction caused by an impacted gallstone.

Bouveret's syndrome is defined as gastric outlet obstruction caused by duodenal impaction of a large gallstone which passes into the duodenal bulb through a cholecystogastric or cholecystoduodenal fistula. This is a report of a 62 years old female who presented with complaint of persistent vomiting and upper abdominal pain for the last 5 days. Ultrasound abdomen was suggestive of pneumobilia. CT scan of upper abdomen showed cholecystoduodenal fistula and complete obstruction of third part of duodenum by a large stone, which was reported as Bouveret's syndrome. She underwent emergency gastroscopy. The stone was retrieved by Dormia basket, crushed with lithotripter and extracted endoscopically.Complete intestinal obstruction was relieved endoscopically.

Midazolam for sedation during diagnostic or therapeutic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in cirrhotic patients.

AIM: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of clinically overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in cirrhotic patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) who received midazolam for sedation. METHODS: This was an interventional study carried out at Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi. Consecutive patients presenting to the service of a single consultant gastroenterologist for diagnostic or therapeutic UGE between January 2009 and January 2011, who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were prospectively recruited for the study. The administration of intravenous midazolam was carried out in an incremental manner, whereas pulse and oxygen saturation was monitored during every procedure. During the recovery period, the degree of alertness was measured at 2, 4, and 6 h by the resident using the observer's assessment of alertness and sedation score and time to full recovery was determined. RESULTS: A total of 191 consecutive patients who underwent diagnostic or therapeutic UGE fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited. The mean age was 51.30 ± 10.7 years, with an age range of 12-75 years. The majority of the patients were men (n=108, 56.5%), with 83 women (43.5%). A total of eight patients (4.2%) remained drowsy and developed clinically overt HE after the procedure on assessment at 2 and 4 h. However, all of these patients regained full consciousness at 6 h spontaneously. Among those eight patients who developed clinically overt HE, seven (87.5%) were Child-Pugh class C and one patient (12.5%) was Child-Pugh class B. Overt HE was significantly related to Child-Pugh class (P=0.005) and the dose of midazolam (P=0.02). CONCLUSION: We concluded that intravenous midazolam can be used safely in cirrhotic patients of Child-Pugh class A and B undergoing UGE for conscious sedation, but caution should be exercised for patients with advanced liver disease.

Frequency of common factors for post endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of factors leading to post endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Gastroenterology, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, from November 2007 to October 2008. METHODOLOGY: Fifty (50) patients of diagnosed cases of post-ERCP pancreatitis were included in this study. The collected data included age, gender, previous post-ERCP pancreatitis, recurrent pancreatitis, recurrent abdominal pain, number of attempts of common bile duct (CBD) cannulation, difficult CBD cannulation, precut sphincterotomy, biliary sphincterotomy, pancreatic duct contrast injections, primary diagnosis, device used, therapeutic procedure undertaken and the pancreatic enzymes level. Results were described as frequency percentages. RESULTS: Out of 50 patients, 32 (64%) were females. The average age of the patients was 52.23 ± 13.4 years. Frequency of common factors regarding post-ERCP pancreatitis were age ² 60, (n = 38, 76%) patients, female gender (n = 32, 64%), precut sphincterotomy (n = 34, 68%), pancreatic duct contrast injections (n = 27, 54%), biliary sphincterotomy (n = 25, 50%). Higher number of attempts of CBD cannulation and difficult CBD cannulation were recognized as factors for post ERCP pancreatitis. Other factors like previous history, post-ERCP pancreatitis, recurrent pancreatitis, and recurrent abdominal pain were not found in this study. CONCLUSION: Age, female gender, precut papillotomy, pancreatic duct contrast injections and biliary sphincterotomy were common factors for post-ERCP pancreatitis. Risk stratification will allow endoscopists to better identify patients who are at risk and permit detailed informed consent in high-risk groups or to adapt the measures to prevent the complications and reduce the risk related with the procedure.

Glue embolism: a rare cause of pulmonary embolism.

N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate is widely used to sclerose bleeding gastric varices. We report the case of a 65-year-old lady, known case of cirrhosis secondary to hepatitis C infection, who presented to the emergency department with coffee ground vomiting and melena for four days. Gastroscopy showed non-bleeding small esophageal varices, mild portal hypertensive gastropathy and a large gastric fundal varix. Injection sclerotherapy was completed successfully and haemostasis was secured. During the procedure, she was hemodynamically stable with an oxygen saturation of 98%. Immediately after the procedure, she went into cardiopulmonary arrest; cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was started, but she could not be revived. A provisional diagnosis of pulmonary embolism was made. X-ray chest showed linear hyperdense shadows in both pulmonary arteries and in some of their branches, which were not seen on pre-procedural chest X-ray. The patient died of massive pulmonary embolism as confirmed on X-ray chest.