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Background and Aims: Monitoring of acute or chronic response to beta-blockers in patients with liver cirrhosis is based on the measurement of the HVPG. Our aim was to evaluate the response to beta-blockers with non-invasive techniques. Patients and Methods: This is a prospective observational study. Consecutive patients with an indication of primary or secondary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding who did not meet exclusion criteria were included. Acute response and chronic response were evaluated. Baseline and after acute and chronic response hepatosplenic measurements of TE and ARFI were obtained. Contrast-enhanced Doppler ultrasound was performed before and after acute and chronic responses. Results: From June 2015 to May 2018, 55 patients (14 with exclusion criteria) were included. We analyzed 41 patients, mean age 57 (SD: 8), 82.9% men, alcohol 43.9%, children A/B/C 78%/17.1%/4.9%, and 87.8% on primary prophylaxis. In all, the acute response was performed and was positive in 68.3% (CI 95: 55-85%). The chronic response was performed in 30 (73.2%) and was positive in 36.7% (CI 95: 18-55%). Basal measurements significantly related to acute response were spleen TE [responders 58.4 (SD: 23.0) KPa vs. non-responders 75 (SD: 0) KPa; p = 0.02] and damping index [non-responders 0.96 (0.8) vs. responders 0.44 (0.4), p = 0.01], and with chronic response, the spleen TE [responders 58.1 (SD: 21.4) KPa vs. non-responders 73.2 (SD: 5.5) KPa; p = 0.02], and damping index [non-chronic responders 0.8 (0.7) vs. chronic responders 0.4 (0.4), p = 0.04]. A spleen TE ≥ 74 KPa had a high sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 60% and a high NPV100% for predicting poor acute response to beta-blockers. The damping index > 0.6 showed moderate sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 69% with a high NPV of 82% for predicting poor acute response to beta-blockers. The combination of both measurements for predicting poor acute response to beta-blockers had an AUC of 0.8 (CI 95: 0.5-0.9). A spleen TE ≥ 74 KPa had a high sensitivity of 87% and specificity of 71% with a high NPV of 71% for predicting poor chronic response to beta-blockers. A damping index > 0.6 had moderate sensitivity of 60%, specificity of 82%, and NPV of 56% for predicting poor chronic response to beta-blockers. The combination of both measurements for predicting poor chronic response to beta-blockers had an AUC of 0.8 (CI 95: 0.7-0.9). Conclusion: Spleen TE and damping index can identify a subgroup of patients with poor acute or chronic response to beta-blockers.
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OBJECTIVE: To propose the hypothesis that non-celiac gluten sensitivity is associated with chronic low-back pain related to spondyloarthritis, and a gluten free diet has a therapeutic benefit in a subgroup of patients. Gut involvement is a well-known association of spondyloarthritis but limited to a few disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. Currently the therapeutic implication of this association is pharmacologic treatment for inflammation with immunosupresive drugs for both diseases. Here is a case series of patients with chronic low-back pain, spondyloarthritis related features, and response to gluten free diet despite celiac disease being ruled out. METHODS: Retrospective case report of 110 patients from a tertiary hospital rheumatology clinic specialized in chronic pain and gluten sensitivity. These are patients with refractory low-back pain and spondyloarthritis features who followed a gluten free diet despite celiac disease being ruled out. Demanding improvement was defined based on the achievement of at least one of the following objectives: asymptomatic status, remission of chronic low-back pain, returning to normal life, returning to work, changing from confinement to bed/wheelchair to being able to walk, returning to self-sufficiency for hygiene and personal care, discontinuation of opioids. RESULTS: Average age at low-back onset pain was 30. Average disease duration was 15 years. 87 (79%) of the patients experienced improvement. 69 (62%) of the patients achieved demanding improvement. Average duration of gluten-free diet in patients with demanding improvement was 60 months. 56 out of 69 patients with demanding improvement ingested gluten. Of these 56 patients, 54 experienced clinical worsening and were considered as having non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Oral aphthae and having a relative with celiac disease were associated with demanding improvement. Out of 28 patients retrospectively classified as having axial spondyloarthritis, 23 had demanding improvement. Out of 16 patients with uveitis, 13 had demanding improvement. Out of 83 patients with fibromyalgia, 48 had demanding improvement. CONCLUSION: These observational data support the proposed hypothesis and offer information regarding possible clinical predictors of response to diet.
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BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), although obese patients with NAFLD do not always develop significant fibrosis. The distribution of body fat could predict the risk of NAFLD progression. AIM: To investigate the role of bioelectrical impedance-estimated visceral fat (VF) in assessing NAFLD severity. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD were prospectively included. All patients underwent anthropometric evaluation, blood tests and bioelectrical impedance analysis. RESULTS: Between 2017 and 2020, 119 patients were included [66.4% male, 56 years (SD 10.7), 62.2% obese, 61.3% with metabolic syndrome]. Sixty of them (50.4%) showed significant fibrosis (≥ F2) in liver biopsy. Age, VF and metabolic syndrome were associated with significant fibrosis (61 years vs 52 years, 16.4 vs 13.1, 73.3% vs 49.2%, respectively; P < 0.001 for all). In the multivariate analysis, VF and age were independently associated with significant fibrosis (VF, OR: 1.11, 95%CI: 1.02-1.22, P = 0.02; age, OR: 1.08, 95%CI: 1.03-1.12, P < 0.01). A model including these variables showed and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.75, which was not inferior to transient elastography or NAFLD fibrosis score AUROCs. We developed a nomogram including age and VF for assessing significant fibrosis in routine practice. CONCLUSION: VF is a surrogate marker of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Bioelectrical impedance analysis is an inexpensive and simple method that can be combined with age to guide patient referral when other resources may be unavailable.