Modulation of the K/BxN arthritis mouse model and the effector functions of human fibroblast-like synoviocytes by liver X receptors.

The role of liver X receptors (LXR) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains controversial. We studied the effect of LXR agonists on fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from RA patients and the K/BxN arthritis model in LXRα and ß double-deficient (Nr1h2/3-/-) mice. Two synthetic LXR agonists, GW3965 and T0901317, were used to activate LXRs and investigate their effects on cell growth, proliferation and matrix metalloproteinases, and chemokine production in cultured FLS from RA patients. The murine model K/BxN serum transfer of inflammatory arthritis in Nr1h2/3-/- animals was used to investigate the role of LXRs on joint inflammation in vivo. LXR agonists inhibited the FLS proliferative capacity in response to TNF, the chemokine-induced migration, the collagenase activity in FLS supernatant and FLS CXCL12 production. In the K/BxN mouse model, Nr1h2/3-/- animals showed aggravated arthritis, histological inflammation, and joint destruction, as well as an increase in synovial metalloproteases and expression of proinflammatory mediators such as IL-1ß and CCL2 in joints compared with wild type animals. Taken together, these data underscore the importance of LXRs in modulating the joint inflammatory response and highlight them as potential therapeutic targets in RA.

The nuclear receptor LXRα controls the functional specialization of splenic macrophages.

Macrophages are professional phagocytic cells that orchestrate innate immune responses and have considerable phenotypic diversity at different anatomical locations. However, the mechanisms that control the heterogeneity of tissue macrophages are not well characterized. Here we found that the nuclear receptor LXRα was essential for the differentiation of macrophages in the marginal zone (MZ) of the spleen. LXR-deficient mice were defective in the generation of MZ and metallophilic macrophages, which resulted in abnormal responses to blood-borne antigens. Myeloid-specific expression of LXRα or adoptive transfer of wild-type monocytes restored the MZ microenvironment in LXRα-deficient mice. Our results demonstrate that signaling via LXRα in myeloid cells is crucial for the generation of splenic MZ macrophages and identify an unprecedented role for a nuclear receptor in the generation of specialized macrophage subsets.

Lack of complete biochemical response in autoimmune hepatitis leads to adverse outcome: First report of the IAIHG retrospective registry.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group retrospective registry (IAIHG-RR) is a web-based platform with subjects enrolled with a clinical diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). As prognostic factor studies with enough power are scarce, this study aimed to ascertain data quality and identify prognostic factors in the IAIHG-RR cohort. METHODS: This retrospective, observational, multicenter study included all patients with a clinical diagnosis of AIH from the IAIHG-RR. The quality assessment consisted of external validation of completeness and consistency for 29 predefined variables. Cox regression was used to identify risk factors for liver-related death and liver transplantation (LT). RESULTS: This analysis included 2559 patients across 7 countries. In 1700 patients, follow-up was available, with a completeness of individual data of 90% (range: 30-100). During a median follow-up period of 10 (range: 0-49) years, there were 229 deaths, of which 116 were liver-related, and 143 patients underwent LT. Non-White ethnicity (HR 4.1 95% CI: 2.3-7.1), cirrhosis (HR 3.5 95% CI: 2.3-5.5), variant syndrome with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) (HR 3.1 95% CI: 1.6-6.2), and lack of complete biochemical response within 6 months (HR 5.7 95% CI: 3.4-9.6) were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: The IAIHG-RR represents the world's largest AIH cohort with moderate-to-good data quality and a relevant number of liver-related events. The registry is a suitable platform for patient selection in future studies. Lack of complete biochemical response to treatment, non-White ethnicity, cirrhosis, and PSC-AIH were associated with liver-related death and LT.

Cholesterol Accumulation in CD11c+ Immune Cells Is a Causal and Targetable Factor in Autoimmune Disease.

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are regulators of cholesterol metabolism that also modulate immune responses. Inactivation of LXR α and ß in mice leads to autoimmunity; however, how the regulation of cholesterol metabolism contributes to autoimmunity is unclear. Here we found that cholesterol loading of CD11c+ cells triggered the development of autoimmunity, whereas preventing excess lipid accumulation by promoting cholesterol efflux was therapeutic. LXRß-deficient mice crossed to the hyperlipidemic ApoE-deficient background or challenged with a high-cholesterol diet developed autoantibodies. Cholesterol accumulation in lymphoid organs promoted T cell priming and stimulated the production of the B cell growth factors Baff and April. Conversely, B cell expansion and the development of autoantibodies in ApoE/LXR-ß-deficient mice was reversed by ApoA-I expression. These findings implicate cholesterol imbalance as a contributor to immune dysfunction and suggest that stimulating HDL-dependent reverse cholesterol transport could be beneficial in the setting of autoimmune disease.

Drug-induced Liver Injury in Latin America: 10-year Experience of the Latin American DILI (LATINDILI) Network.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Latin America is a region of great interest for studying the clinical presentation of idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI). A comprehensive analysis of patients enrolled into the LATINDILI Network over a decade is presented. METHODS: Demographics, clinical presentation, histological findings and outcome of prospectively recruited DILI cases in the LATINDILI Network were analyzed. Suspected culprit drugs were classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification. Causality was assessed using the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) scale. RESULTS: Overall, 468 idiosyncratic DILI cases were analyzed (62% women; mean age, 49 years). Hepatocellular injury predominated (62%); jaundice was present in 60% of patients, and 42% were hospitalized. Of the cases, 4.1% had a fatal outcome, and 24 patients (12%) developed chronic DILI. The most common drug classes were systemic anti-infectives (31%), musculoskeletal agents (12%), antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents (11%), and herbal and dietary supplements (9%). Notably, none of the patients with DILI due to antibacterials or immunosuppressants had a fatal outcome. In fact, Hy's law showed to have drug-specific predictive value, with anti-tuberculosis drugs, nimesulide, and herbal and dietary supplements associated with the worst outcome, whereas DILI caused by amoxicillin-clavulanate, nitrofurantoin, and diclofenac, which fulfilled Hy's law, did not have a fatal outcome. CONCLUSION: Features of DILI in Latin America are comparable to other prospective registries. However, the pattern of drugs responsible for DILI differs. An increasing incidence of herbal and dietary supplements, with high mortality rate, and likewise, nimesulide and nitrofurantoin, was noted. Thus, public health policies should raise awareness of the potential adverse effects of these compounds.

Prior drug allergies are associated with worse outcome in patients with idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury: A machine learning approach for risk stratification.

The impact of prior drug allergies (PDA) on the clinical features and outcomes of patients who develop idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is largely unknown. We aimed to assess the clinical presentation and outcomes of DILI patients based on the presence or absence of PDA and explore the association between culprit drugs responsible for DILI and allergy. We analysed a well-vetted cohort of DILI cases enrolled from the Spanish DILI Registry. Bootstrap-enhanced least absolute shrinkage operator procedure was used in variable selection, and a multivariable logistic model was fitted to predict poor outcomes in DILI. Of 912 cases with a first episode of DILI, 61 (6.7%) had documented PDA. Patients with PDA were older (p = 0.009), had higher aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (p = 0.047), lower platelet count (p = 0.011) and higher liver-related mortality than those without a history of drug allergies (11% vs. 1.6%, p < 0.001). Penicillin was the most common drug associated with PDA in DILI patients (32%). A model including PDA, nR-based type of liver injury, female sex, AST, total bilirubin, and platelet count showed an excellent performance in predicting poor outcome in patients from the Spanish DILI Registry (area under the ROC curve [AUC] 0.887; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.794 - 0.981) and the LATINDILI Network (AUC 0.932; 95% CI 0.884 - 0.981). Patients with suspected DILI should be screened for PDA as they would require a close monitoring for early detection of worsening clinical course.

Characterization of drug-induced liver injury associated with drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms in two prospective DILI registries.

Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) associated with drug reactions with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is poorly characterized among patients of Western countries. We aimed to comprehensively assess the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and causative agents in a prospective, well-vetted cohort of DILI patients with DRESS (DILI-DRESS). We identified 53 DILI-DRESS cases from the Spanish DILI Registry and the Latin American DILI Network. For comparison purposes, we defined a group of DILI patients (n = 881). DILI-DRESS cases were younger (47 vs. 53 years, respectively; p = 0.042) and presented more frequently with cholestatic/mixed damage (p = 0.018). Most DILI-DRESS patients showed moderate liver injury, 13% developed severe damage, and only one patient (with hepatocellular injury due to anti-tuberculosis drugs) progressed to acute liver failure and died. DILI-DRESS cases showed a distinctive causative drug pattern compared to DILI cases. The most frequent drugs were carbamazepine (13%), anti-tuberculosis drugs (13%), amoxicillin-clavulanate (11%), and allopurinol and lamotrigine (7.6% each). Among all cases of DILI due to allopurinol and lamotrigine, 67% presented with a DILI-DRESS phenotype, respectively. Higher total bilirubin (TBL) levels at DILI recognition (odds ratio [OR] 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.45) and absence of eosinophilia (OR 8.77; 95% CI 1.11-69.20) increased the risk for developing a severe-fatal injury in DILI-DRESS patients. DILI-DRESS patients have a more frequent cholestasis/mixed pattern of injury at presentation, with antiepileptics as distinctive causative drug class. Most of the lamotrigine and allopurinol cases present with this phenotype. Higher TBL levels and absence of eosinophilia at DILI recognition are markers of poor outcomes.

Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Liver Injury and Amoxicillin-Clavulanate: Spotlight on Gut Microbiota, Fecal Metabolome and Bile Acid Profile in Patients.

Several hepatic disorders are influenced by gut microbiota, but its role in idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (iDILI), whose main causative agent is amoxicillin-clavulanate, remains unknown. This pioneering study aims to unravel particular patterns of gut microbiota composition and associated metabolites in iDILI and iDILI patients by amoxicillin-clavulanate (iDILI-AC). Thus, serum and fecal samples from 46 patients were divided into three study groups: healthy controls (n = 10), non-iDILI acute hepatitis (n = 12) and iDILI patients (n = 24). To evaluate the amoxicillin-clavulanate effect, iDILI patients were separated into two subgroups: iDILI non-caused by amoxicillin-clavulanate (iDILI-nonAC) (n = 18) and iDILI-AC patients (n = 6). Gut microbiota composition and fecal metabolome plus serum and fecal bile acid (BA) analyses were performed, along with correlation analyses. iDILI patients presented a particular microbiome profile associated with reduced fecal secondary BAs and fecal metabolites linked to lower inflammation, such as dodecanedioic acid and pyridoxamine. Moreover, certain taxa like Barnesiella, Clostridia UCG-014 and Eubacterium spp. correlated with significant metabolites and BAs. Additionally, comparisons between iDILI-nonAC and iDILI-AC groups unraveled unique features associated with iDILI when caused by amoxicillin-clavulanate. In conclusion, specific gut microbiota profiles in iDILI and iDILI-AC patients were associated with particular metabolic and BA status, which could affect disease onset and progression.

Smartphone Ownership, Minors' Well-being, and Parental Mediation Strategies. An Analysis in the Context of Social Media Influencers.

Although smartphone ownership among minors has become an important social phenomenon, its impact on children's and adolescents' well-being, as well as the mechanisms by which this might take place are not yet sufficiently well-established. To date, no research has examined the effect of smartphone ownership on the well-being of minors through the consumption of influencer-generated content, nor has it explored the effectiveness of the main prevention strategies employed by parents in this context. To fill those gaps, 800 Spanish minors (50% female) aged from 8 to 16 years old (M = 12.33, SD = 2.38) participated in a correlational study in which the ownership of electronic devices, the consumption of influencer generated content, the parasocial relationship with the influencer, and the most common parental mediation strategies were considered. The results showed a positive association between electronic device ownership and psychological discomfort, problematic usage, and imitation of dangerous behaviors. This association was mediated by the consumption of influencer-generated content and the parasocial relationship established by the minor with the influencer. Regarding preventive strategies, only active mediation was inversely related to poorer well-being indicators, however this positive effect significantly decreased when a smartphone or a similar electronic device was owned by the minor (vs. no owned). These findings contribute to the understanding of how smartphone ownership can affect the well-being of children, emphasizing the need for thoughtful consideration when deciding whether to provide smartphones to minors.

Differential etiopathogenic features of vulvar squamous cell carcinomas in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe.

Two pathways have been described for vulvar squamous cell carcinomas (VSCC), one associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), and the other HPV-independent. We compared the etiopathogenic features of a series of VSCC from Mozambique, a sub-Saharan country with high prevalence of HPV and HIV, with those of Spain, a European country with low prevalence of HPV and HIV. All VSCC diagnosed at the two institutions from January 2018 to December 2020 were included (n = 35 and n = 41, respectively). HPV DNA detection and genotyping, and immunohistochemistry for p16 and p53 were performed. Tumors showing p16 positive staining and/or HPV DNA positivity were considered HPV-associated. 34/35 tumors (97%) from Mozambique and 8/41 (19%) from Spain were HPV-associated (P < .001). Mean age of the patients from Mozambique and Spain was 45 ± 12 and 72 ± 14, respectively (P < .001). No differences were found in terms of HPV genotypes or multiple HPV infection rates. 1/35 tumors (3%) from Mozambique and 29/41 (70%) from Spain showed abnormal p53 immunostaining (P < .001). In contrast with the predominance of HPV-independent VSCC affecting old women in Europe, most VSCC in sub-Saharan Africa are HPV-associated and arise in young women. This data may have important consequences for primary prevention of VSCC worldwide.

Nomenclature, diagnosis and management of drug-induced autoimmune-like hepatitis (DI-ALH): An expert opinion meeting report.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) can mimic almost all other liver disorders. A phenotype increasingly ascribed to drugs is autoimmune-like hepatitis (ALH). This article summarises the major topics discussed at a joint International Conference held between the Drug-Induced Liver Injury consortium and the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group. DI-ALH is a liver injury with laboratory and/or histological features that may be indistinguishable from those of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Previous studies have revealed that patients with DI-ALH and those with idiopathic AIH have very similar clinical, biochemical, immunological and histological features. Differentiating DI-ALH from AIH is important as patients with DI-ALH rarely require long-term immunosuppression and the condition often resolves spontaneously after withdrawal of the implicated drug, whereas patients with AIH mostly require long-term immunosuppression. Therefore, revision of the diagnosis on long-term follow-up may be necessary in some cases. More than 40 different drugs including nitrofurantoin, methyldopa, hydralazine, minocycline, infliximab, herbal and dietary supplements (such as Khat and Tinospora cordifolia) have been implicated in DI-ALH. Understanding of DI-ALH is limited by the lack of specific markers of the disease that could allow for a precise diagnosis, while there is similarly no single feature which is diagnostic of AIH. We propose a management algorithm for patients with liver injury and an autoimmune phenotype. There is an urgent need to prospectively evaluate patients with DI-ALH systematically to enable definitive characterisation of this condition.

Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma arising on human papillomavirus-independent precursors mimicking high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesion: a distinct and highly recurrent subtype of vulvar cancer.

AIMS: Each category of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC), human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated and HPV-independent, arises on a specific intra-epithelial precursor: high-grade squamous intra-epithelial lesions (HSIL) and differentiated vulvar intra-epithelial neoplasia (dVIN), respectively. However, a subset of HPV-independent VSCC arises on an intra-epithelial precursor closely mimicking HSIL. We aimed to explore the clinicopathological features of the HPV-independent tumours with HSIL-like lesions and compare them with HPV-independent VSCC with dVIN and HPV-associated tumours with HSIL. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively identified 105 cases of surgically treated VSCC with adjacent intra-epithelial precursors. The cases were classified into three groups based on the HPV status and the adjacent precursor identified: (i) HPV-associated VSCC with HSIL (n = 26), (ii) HPV-independent VSCC with dVIN lesions (n = 54) and (iii) HPV-independent VSCC with HSIL-like lesions (n = 25). We analysed the histological and clinical features including the recurrence-free survival and disease-specific survival in the three groups. Patients with HPV-independent VSCC with HSIL-like lesions and with dVIN were older than patients with HPV-associated VSCC (76 and 77 versus 66 years, respectively, P < 0.001). HPV-independent VSCC with HSIL-like lesions recurred more frequently [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.87; P < 0.001] than HPV-independent VSCC with dVIN (HR = 2.27; P = 0.1) and HPV-associated VSCC (HR = 1). In the multivariate analysis, HPV-independent VSCC with HSIL-like lesions remained significant for recurrence. No differences in disease-specific survival were observed between the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: Even though VSCC with HSIL-like lesions are not associated with higher mortality, they are more likely to recur and might benefit from more intensive treatment strategies and closer surveillance after treatment.

A new framework for advancing in drug-induced liver injury research. The Prospective European DILI Registry.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: No multi-national prospective study of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has originated in Europe. The design of a prospective European DILI registry, clinical features and short-term outcomes of the cases and controls is reported. METHODS: Patients with suspected DILI were prospectively enrolled in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal and Iceland, 2016-2021. DILI cases or non-DILI acute liver injury controls following causality assessment were enrolled. RESULTS: Of 446 adjudicated patients, 246 DILI patients and 100 had acute liver injury due to other aetiologies, mostly autoimmune hepatitis (n = 42) and viral hepatitis (n = 34). DILI patients (mean age 56 years), 57% women, 60% with jaundice and 3.6% had pre-existing liver disease. DILI cases and non-DILI acute liver injury controls had similar demographics, clinical features and outcomes. A single agent was implicated in 199 (81%) DILI cases. Amoxicillin-clavulanate, flucloxacillin, atorvastatin, nivolumab/ipilimumab, infliximab and nitrofurantoin were the most commonly implicated drugs. Multiple conventional medications were implicated in 37 (15%) and 18 cases were caused by herbal and dietary supplements. The most common single causative drug classes were antibacterials (40%) and antineoplastic/immunomodulating agents (27%). Overall, 13 (5.3%) had drug-induced autoimmune-like hepatitis due to nitrofurantoin, methyldopa, infliximab, methylprednisolone and minocycline. Only six (2.4%) DILI patients died (50% had liver-related death), and another six received liver transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: In this first multi-national European prospective DILI Registry study, antibacterials were the most commonly implicated medications, whereas antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents accounted for higher proportion of DILI than previously described. This European initiative provides an important opportunity to advance the study on DILI.

Clinical presentation, causative drugs and outcome of patients with autoimmune features in two prospective DILI registries.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) with autoimmune features is a liver condition with laboratory and histological characteristics similar to those of idiopathic autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), which despite being increasingly reported, remains largely undefined. We aimed to describe in-depth the features of this entity in a large series of patients from two prospective DILI registries. METHODS: DILI cases with autoimmune features collected in the Spanish DILI Registry and the Latin American DILI Network were compared with DILI patients without autoimmune features and with an independent cohort of patients with AIH. RESULTS: Out of 1,426 patients with DILI, 33 cases with autoimmune features were identified. Female sex was more frequent in AIH patients than in the other groups (p = .001). DILI cases with autoimmune features had significantly longer time to onset (p < .001) and resolution time (p = .004) than those without autoimmune features. Interestingly, DILI patients with autoimmune features who relapsed exhibited significantly higher total bilirubin and transaminases at onset and absence of peripheral eosinophilia than those who did not relapse. The likelihood of relapse increased over time, from 17% at 6 months to 50% 4 years after biochemical normalization. Statins, nitrofurantoin and minocycline were the drugs most frequently associated with this phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: DILI with autoimmune features shows different clinical features than DILI patients lacking characteristics of autoimmunity. Higher transaminases and total bilirubin values with no eosinophilia at presentation increase the likelihood of relapse in DILI with autoimmune features. As the tendency to relapse increases over time, these patients will require long-term follow-up.

Evaluation of diagnostic and prognostic candidate biomarkers in drug-induced liver injury vs. other forms of acute liver damage.

AIMS: Detection and characterization of idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) currently rely on standard liver tests, which are suboptimal in terms of specificity, sensitivity and prognosis. Therefore, DILI diagnosis can be delayed, with important consequences for the patient. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of osteopontin, cytokeratin-18 (caspase-cleaved: ccK18 and total: K18), α-glutathione-S-transferase and microRNA-122 as new DILI biomarkers. METHODS: Serial blood samples were collected from 32 DILI and 34 non-DILI acute liver injury (ALI) cases and a single sample from 43 population controls without liver injury (HLC) and analysed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or single-molecule arrays. RESULTS: All biomarkers differentiated DILI and ALI from HLC with an area under receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) value of >0.75 but were less efficient in distinguishing DILI from ALI, with ccK18 (0.79) and K18 (0.76) demonstrating highest potential. However, the AUC improved considerably (0.98) for ccK18 when comparing DILI and a subgroup of autoimmune hepatitis cases. Cytokeratin-18, microRNA-122 and α-glutathione-S-transferase correlated well with traditional transaminases, while osteopontin correlated most strongly with the international normalized ratio (INR). CONCLUSIONS: ccK18 appears promising in distinguishing DILI from autoimmune hepatitis but less so from other forms of acute liver injury. Osteopontin demonstrates prognostic potential with higher levels detected in more severe cases regardless of aetiology.

Mortality predictive factors in congenital hepatic hemangioma: a case-control study.

Congenital hepatic hemangiomas (CHHs) are benign vascular tumors whose clinical, histological, and genetic correlation has recently been described in patients with long-term survival, although no mortality risk factors have been identified to date. The aim of this study is to analyze predictors of mortality in patients with CHH. A retrospective single-center case-control study of consecutive CHH patients diagnosed in our institution between 1991 and 2021 was performed, who were classified into two groups according to their survival. Demographic, gestational, imaging, and laboratory data at diagnosis were collected and compared between both groups. A total of 29 patients were included (12 males; 17 females) of whom 5 died as a result of CHH evolution due to cardiac failure and coagulopathy, with a median age of 11 days until death. No differences in demographic or gestational data were reported. There were neither differences when comparing imaging tests, nor in location, number of affected liver segments, or CHH estimated volume. Upon laboratory data at diagnosis, deceased patients had a significant elevation of median liver enzymes [glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (359 u/L vs. 45 u/L; p < 0.01) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (313 u/L vs. 20 u/L; p < 0. 01)], as well as a decreased median platelet count (85,250/µL vs. 337,000/µL; p < 0.01), prothrombin activity (54% vs. 93%; p < 0.01), and fibrinogen (131 mg/dL vs. 284 mg/dL; p < 0.01), with no differences in blood count or biochemistry data. CONCLUSIONS: CHH clinical behavior can be innocuous or life-threatening. Thrombocytopenia, coagulation disorders, and increased liver enzymes at diagnosis seem to be the main predictors of mortality. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Congenital Hepatic Hemangiomas (CHHs) are benign vascular tumors whose clinical behavior can be innocuous or life-threatening. WHAT IS NEW: • Thrombocytopenia, coagulation disorders and increased liver enzymes at diagnosis seem to be the main predictors of mortality in these patients.

Nitrofurantoin-induced liver injury: long-term follow-up in two prospective DILI registries.

Nitrofurantoin is a synthetic antibiotic that is recommended as first-choice treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections. The prescription of this drug has increased dramatically, especially in Latin American countries. We described the demographics, clinical characteristics, biochemical features, and outcome of nitrofurantoin-induced liver injury. We analyzed 23 cases from the Latin American DILI Network (LATINDILI) and the Spanish DILI Registry. Causality was assessed with the RUCAM and RECAM scale. Of the 23 DILI cases included in our series, 96% patients were women, and the mean age of the whole cohort was 61 years. The median time of drug exposure was 175 days (interquartile range [IQR] 96-760), with 11 patients who were prescribed nitrofurantoin for more than six months. Hepatocellular damage was the most frequent pattern of liver injury (83%), and nearly half of the patients had an asymptomatic presentation (52%). Neither death nor liver transplantation was documented in this series. Overall, 65% of the patients (n = 15) presented with positive autoantibody titres. The median time to resolution was 81 days (IQR 57-141), and 15 patients (83%) recovered within six months. Five patients (22%) developed nitrofurantoin-induced autoimmune-like hepatitis (NI-AILH), of whom two were characterized by a persistent increase in transaminases that required immunosuppressive treatment to achieve normalization of liver enzymes. Clinicians who prescribe nitrofurantoin should be aware that patients who had taken nitrofurantoin for a long term may be at risk of developing nitrofurantoin-induced autoimmune-like hepatitis.

Microbiota diversity in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and in drug-induced liver injury.

The gut microbiota could play a significant role in the progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however, its relevance in drug-induced liver injury (DILI) remains unexplored. Since the two hepatic disorders may share damage pathways, we analysed the metagenomic profile of the gut microbiota in NAFLD, with or without significant liver fibrosis, and in DILI, and we identified the main associated bacterial metabolic pathways. In the NAFLD group, we found a decrease in Alistipes, Barnesiella, Eisenbergiella, Flavonifractor, Fusicatenibacter, Gemminger, Intestinimonas, Oscillibacter, Parasutterella, Saccharoferementans and Subdoligranulum abundances compared with those in both the DILI and control groups. Additionally, we detected an increase in Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Sarcina and Turicibacter abundances in NAFLD, with significant liver fibrosis, compared with those in NAFLD with no/mild liver fibrosis. The DILI group exhibited a lower microbial bacterial richness than the control group, and lower abundances of Acetobacteroides, Blautia, Caloramator, Coprococcus, Flavobacterium, Lachnospira, Natronincola, Oscillospira, Pseudobutyrivibrio, Shuttleworthia, Themicanus and Turicibacter compared with those in the NAFLD and control groups. We found seven bacterial metabolic pathways that were impaired only in DILI, most of which were associated with metabolic biosynthesis. In the NAFLD group, most of the differences in the bacterial metabolic pathways found in relation to those in the DILI and control groups were related to fatty acid and lipid biosynthesis. In conclusion, we identified a distinct bacterial profile with specific bacterial metabolic pathways for each type of liver disorder studied. These differences can provide further insight into the physiopathology and development of NAFLD and DILI.

A scoring system for predicting malignancy in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas: a multicenter EUROPEAN validation.

PURPOSE: A preoperative estimate of the risk of malignancy for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) is important. The present study carries out an external validation of the Shin score in a European multicenter cohort. METHODS: An observational multicenter European study from 2010 to 2015. All consecutive patients undergoing surgery for IPMN at 35 hospitals with histological-confirmed IPMN were included. RESULTS: A total of 567 patients were included. The score was significantly associated with the presence of malignancy (p < 0.001). In all, 64% of the patients with benign IPMN had a Shin score < 3 and 57% of those with a diagnosis of malignancy had a score ≥ 3. The relative risk (RR) with a Shin score of 3 was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.07-1.77), with a sensitivity of 57.1% and specificity of 64.4%. CONCLUSION: Patients with a Shin score ≤ 1 should undergo surveillance, while patients with a score ≥ 4 should undergo surgery. Treatment of patients with Shin scores of 2 or 3 should be individualized because these scores cannot accurately predict malignancy of IPMNs. This score should not be the only criterion and should be applied in accordance with agreed clinical guidelines.

Implantation of heat treatment Ti6al4v alloys in femoral bone of Wistar rats.

Two heat treatments were carried out at below (Ti6Al4V800) and above (Ti6Al4V1050) the beta-phase transformation temperature (TTRANSUS = 980 °C), to study the effect of microstructural changes on osseointegration. The alloys were implanted in the femurs of hind legs of Wistar rats for 15, 30, and 60 days. Histology of the femur sections obtained for the first 15 days showed inflammatory tissue surrounding the implants and tissue contraction, which prevented osseointegration in early stages. After 30 days, trabecular bone, reduction of inflammatory tissue around the implants, and osseointegration were observed in Ti6Al4V as received and Ti6Al4V1050 alloys, while osseointegration was detected for the three alloys after 60 days. These results were supported through morphometric studies based on the analysis of Bone Implant Contact (BIC), where there was a larger bone contact after 60 days for the Ti6Al4V1050 alloy; indicating that microstructural features of the Ti6Al4V alloys influence their osseointegration, with the lamellar microstructure (Ti6Al4V1050), being the most responsive. Graphical abstract.