Serum Ferritin and NAFLD in Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a challenge in public health, as the prevalence of obesity and overweight has been increasing. It has been observed that serum ferritin (SF) levels are commonly elevated in NAFLD patients. PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between SF levels and NAFLD, exploring the role of SF as a non-invasive marker of NAFLD. METHODS: Clinical, anthropometric, laboratory, and histological data of patients with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery in a reference center in Brazil were retrospectively evaluated. Data were collected in the preoperative period up to the first year postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 431 patients were analyzed. The prevalence of hyperferritinemia was 18% in the preoperative period and 14% 1 year after the surgery. After multiple regression analysis, elevated SF was not an independent predictor of steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), or liver fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Increased SF levels are common in patients with NAFLD; however, SF was not considered an independent predictor of steatosis, NASH, or fibrosis.

Performance of noninvasive scores for the diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis in morbidly obese with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

OBJECTIVES: Liver fibrosis is one of the most important predictors of mortality related to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The use of noninvasive markers has the advantage of a simple and low-cost evaluation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of six noninvasive scores for the diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis in morbidly obese patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study validation included 323 morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Advance fibrosis was defined as stage 3 and 4 (septal fibrosis or cirrhosis). Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) or negative (NPV) predictive value, and positive (PLR) or negative (NLR) likelihood ratio test of the following noninvasive liver fibrosis scores were evaluated: aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio (AAR); AST to platelet ratio index (APRI); BARD; FIB4, NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) and BAAT, which were compared with the histological findings of the intraoperative liver biopsy. The cutoff points established in the validation studies were used: AAR > 1; APRL > 0.98; BARD ≥ 2; FIB4 > 2.67; NFS > 0.676 and BAAT > 1. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients (8.97%) presented advanced fibrosis. APRI presented the higher specificity (99.61%), PPV (85.71%), PLR (62.5) and accuracy (0.93). FIB4 was the second test in accuracy (0.9) and in PLR (10.53). BAAT presented the highest sensitivity (73.08%) and NPV (94.78%); NFS the lowest sensitivity (12,5%), and BARD the lowest accuracy (0.44). CONCLUSION: APRI and FIB-4 were the tests with best performance to predict advanced fibrosis.

Impact of Diabetes Mellitus and Insulin on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in the Morbidly Obese.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: The prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are increasing. Type 2 diabetes mellitus may aggravate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, increasing the risk of developing cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aims to determine the effect of type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin therapy on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the patients with morbid obesity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical, anthropometric and laboratory data were analyzed together with intraoperative liver biopsies from morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. RESULTS: 219 patients with morbid obesity were evaluated. Systemic arterial hypertension (55.9% vs. 33.8%, p = 0.004) and dyslipidemia (67.1% vs. 39.0%, p < 0.001) were more prevalent in patients with diabetes when compared to patients without diabetes. In multivariate analysis, type 2 diabetes mellitus was an independent risk factor for severe steatosis (RR = 2.04, p = 0.023) and severe fibrosis (RR = 4.57, p = 0.013). Insulin therapy was significantly associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (RR = 1.89, p = 0.001) and fibrosis (RR = 1.75, p = 0.050) when all patients were analysed, but when only patients with diabetes were analysed, insulin therapy was not associated with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or fibrosis. CONCLUSION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus plays an important role in the progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as an independent risk factor for severe fibrosis.

Improvement of exercise capacity and peripheral metaboreflex after bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is the only predictable method to obtain weight loss in severe obesity. Poor physical performance of obese individuals may be mediated by the peripheral metaboreflex, which controls blood flow redistribution to exercising muscles. Weight reduction improves exercise capacity through several possible mechanisms that are insufficiently understood. We hypothesized that the metaboreflex is one among the causes of improvement in exercise capacity after weight loss. This study thus aimed to examine the effect of bariatric surgery on exercise performance and metaboreflex. METHODS: Severely obese patients were assessed before and 3 months after bariatric surgery. Metaboreflex was evaluated by the technique of selective induction by post-exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO+) after isometric handgrip exercise at 30% of maximum voluntary contraction. The exercise capacity was assessed by 6-min walking test. RESULTS: Seventeen patients completed the protocol. Body mass index decreased from 46.4 ± 2 to 36.6 ± 2 kg/m2 (P < 0.001). The distance walked in 6 min increased from 489 ± 14 to 536 ± 14 m (P < 0.001). The peripheral metaboreflex activity, expressed by the area under the curve of vascular resistance, was lower after than before bariatric surgery (42 ± 5 to 20 ± 4 units, P = 0.003). Heart rate, blood pressure, and vascular resistance were also significantly decreased. The correlation between change in distance walked in 6 min and change in peripheral metaboreflex activity was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Weight loss after bariatric surgery increases exercise capacity and reduces peripheral metaboreflex, heart rate, and blood pressure. Further investigation on the role of metaboreflex regarding mechanisms of exercise capacity of individuals with obesity is warranted.

Achado ocasional de carcinoma de vesícula biliar / Ocasional findings of gallbladder's carcinoma

Os autores apresentam uma revisão de 3102 colecistectomias realizadas no período de maio de 1993 à janeiro de 1996 no Serviço de Cirurgia Geral do Complexo Hospitalar da Santa Casa de Porto Alegre, onde encontraram 37 casos (0,012 porcento) de carcinoma de vesícula biliar, sendo que o achado ocasional desta patologia foi de 40,5 porcento neste grupo de pacientes. Concluem reafirmando a dificuldade diagnóstica do carcinoma de vesícula biliar no pré-operatório e alertaram para que seja feito um exame minucioso no transoperatório com a confirmação do diagnóstico firmado pelo laudo anatomopatológico.

Adenomioma da vesícula biliar / Biliary adenomyoma

As neoplasias benignas de vesícula biliar säo patologias infrequentes. Os autores apresentam um caso de adenomioma de vesícula, cujos sintomas eram de dores no hipocôndrio direito, de repetiçäo, relacionadas com a alimentaçäo, simulando colelitíase. Este estudo analisa as características desta patologia, os meios diagnósticos e os mecanismos pelo qual o mesmo obstrue o ducto cístico