Gastric submucosal abscess caused by Edwardsiella tarda infection: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Edwardsiella tarda is a motile, facultatively anaerobic gram-negative bacillus that is isolated from a wide spectrum of animals in aquatic environments but rarely causes infection in humans. Here, we describe the case of a gastric submucosal abscess caused by E. tarda infection. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 74-year-old man with a history of hypertension and chronic alcohol consumption who was admitted to our hospital for abdominal pain, appetite loss and vomiting. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed choledocholithiasis in the common bile duct, a gastric wall abscess and an intra-abdominal abscess. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage with antibiotics successfully cured the patient. CONCLUSION: The combination of CT, endoscopy and EUS-guided drainage with antibiotic therapy might be effective for diagnosis and treatment of a gastric submucosal abscess caused by E. tarda infection.

Risk factors for loss of skeletal muscle mass in patients with cirrhosis.

AIM: The present study aimed to assess the correlation between loss of skeletal muscle mass (LSMM) and the clinical characteristics of patients with liver cirrhosis. METHODS: This multicenter, prospective study was undertaken at five locations in Japan and involved a 12-month observation period. After baseline assessment, the change in the skeletal muscle index per year (ΔSMI/y) was evaluated in the enrolled patients; LSMM was defined as ΔSMI/y < 0. We evaluated the relationships between LSMM and baseline clinical characteristics in patients with liver cirrhosis. RESULTS: A total of 166 patients with cirrhosis were enrolled and, of these, 123 patients (74.1%) showed LSMM. Multivariate analysis confirmed that hepatic encephalopathy, Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2 binding protein (WFA+ -M2BP) (≥1.86), age (≥60 years), and grip strength (<18 kg for women and <26 kg for men) were independent predictors of skeletal muscle decline (P = 0.042, odds ratio [OR] 8.997, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.083-74.71; P = 0.023, OR 3.970, 95% CI 1.468-6.177; P = 0.037, OR 2.526, 95% CI 1.056-6.045; and P = 0.002, OR 3.970, 95% CI 1.691-9.322, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Advanced age, low grip strength, hepatic encephalopathy, and high WFA+ -M2BP might be risk factors for LSMM in liver cirrhosis patients.

Efficacy and Tolerability of Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir in HCV Genotype 1-infected Elderly Japanese Patients.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: We assessed the characteristics of virological response to a combination treatment of ombitasvir, paritaprevir, and ritonavir in hepatitis C virus genotype 1-infected elderly Japanese patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This multicenter prospective study was conducted at six locations in Japan. Seventy patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1b infection were orally administered ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir once daily for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of elderly patients with sustained virological response (SVR) 12 weeks after the completion of treatment. Adverse events were also recorded to evaluate drug safety and tolerability during the trial period. SVR in elderly patients (age > 65; 94% [47 / 50]) was lower than that in younger patients (100% [20 / 20]). RESULTS: No significant differences in SVR 12 weeks after the completion of treatment were observed between the age groups (P = 0.153). Adverse events were observed in 16 patients (23.3%). Multivariate analysis confirmed that the change or discontinuation of concomitant drugs owing to drug interactions was independent of risk factors for adverse events associated with this drug combination (P = 0.015; odds ratio, 15.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.79 - 148). Ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir combination treatment was highly effective in elderly patients. CONCLUSION: Tolerability should be monitored in older patients for whom concomitant medications are discontinued or changed because of drug interactions.

Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive human Mac-2 binding protein in decompensated cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: An assay for Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive human Mac-2 binding protein (WFA+ -M2BP) has been reported as a useful non-invasive marker for the evaluation of the staging of fibrosis in several chronic liver diseases. However, available data on the effect of WFA+ -M2BP level in decompensated cirrhosis patients were limited. It is important that these investigations can validate the diagnostic utility of WFA+ -M2BP in the full range of patients with liver cirrhosis. METHODS: A multicenter study was conducted at five locations in Japan. A total of 207 patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled in the present study. To determine whether or not the WFA+ -M2BP value was associated with a progression of fibrosis among cirrhosis, this study examined WFA+ -M2BP levels between patients with cirrhosis in the decompensated and compensated groups. RESULTS: The numbers and proportions of compensated and decompensated patients were 113 (54.6%) and 94 (45.4%), respectively. The average WFA+ -M2BP levels were 2.22 ± 1.61 in the compensated group and 6.91 ± 5.04 in the decompensated group. Significantly higher WFA+ -M2BP levels were observed in the decompensated group than those in the compensated group (P < 0.0001). The respective cut-off index values for decompensated cirrhosis were estimated using receiver-operating characteristic curves for WFA+ -M2BP levels. Using a cut-off index value of 3.37 for WFA+ -M2BP, predicting decompensated cirrhosis had a sensitivity of 77.8% and a specificity of 86.7%. CONCLUSIONS: WFA+ -M2BP values were higher in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.