Assessing health-related quality of life in chronic hepatitis C using the Sickness Impact Profile.

In a randomized, controlled trial that demonstrated the efficacy of interferon alfa-2b 3 million units three times a week for 24 weeks in controlling chronic hepatitic C (non-A, non-B), the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) was used to evaluate the impact of disease and treatment on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The SIP was self-administered by 160 patients before treatment, at the end of treatment, and at the study endpoint. Before treatment, patients with chronic hepatitis C scored significantly (P < 0.05) higher (worse) than an historical control group of the general population in mean total SIP score and in all categories except eating. The highest degree of impairment was observed in the work, sleep and rest, and recreation and pastimes categories. After treatment, patients who received interferon alfa-2b had significant (P < or = 0.05) improvement in work, sleep and rest, and recreation and pastimes scores. Numerical improvement was observed in total score, physical and psychosocial dimension scores, and most individual category scores. Mean SIP scores were unchanged or slightly worsened in untreated control patients. In responders (patients with improvement in serum alanine aminotransferase levels), the largest improvement was seen in work scores. The SIP appears to be a reliable and valid instrument for describing the impact of chronic hepatitis C on HRQOL but lacks disease-specificity and the ability to reflect clinically relevant changes. Thus the SIP is not the best instrument to evaluate the HRQOL effects of treatment with interferon alfa-2b in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Endoscopy in gastrointestinal disease. Procedures that offer an alternative to surgery.

Today, endoscopic procedures are available to treat many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that just a few years ago would have required surgery. These procedures have proved to be safe and effective and are well accepted by patients. When considering such a procedure, the primary care physician needs to be aware of its advantages and limitations and the nearest center where it can be obtained. Many new endoscopic surgical procedures are undergoing evaluation, and undoubtedly some will soon be incorporated into the armamentarium of the gastroenterologist. Until more data on their efficacy and safety are available, however, these procedures should remain within the realm of the clinical investigator.

Histological benefits of virological response to peginterferon alfa-2a monotherapy in patients with hepatitis C and advanced fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus and advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis are at risk for disease progression and hepatic decompensation. AIM: To determine the effects on hepatic histology of treatment with peginterferon alfa-2a (90 or 180 mug/week) or interferon alfa-2a (3 million units three times weekly) for 48 weeks in patients with paired biopsies. METHODS: Liver biopsies were obtained at baseline and 6 months after end of treatment. Histological and virological responses were compared. RESULTS: Patients attaining sustained virological response (n = 40) demonstrated the greatest improvements in fibrosis (-1.0, P < 0.0001) and inflammation (-0.65, P < 0.0001). Patients who cleared hepatitis C virus during treatment, but later relapsed (n = 59), experienced less improvement in fibrosis (-0.04, P < 0.0001) and inflammation (-0.14, P = 0.0768). Nonresponders (n = 85) showed no significant improvement in inflammation or fibrosis. Multiple regression analysis showed that the only factors contributing to improvement in fibrosis were sustained virological response (vs. nonresponder, P = 0.0005; vs. relapse, P = 0.7525) and body mass index < or =30 kg/m2 (P = 0.0995). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that virological response to peginterferon alfa-2a improves inflammation and fibrosis in hepatitis C virus patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis. Improving virological response and maintaining ideal body weight are critical for achieving optimal histological outcomes in hepatitis C virus patients.

Chest pain, dysphagia, and high amplitude esophageal peristalsis: a clinical and manometric study.

Recent literature has called attention to an esophageal motor abnormality characterized by high amplitude peristaltic contractions (HAPC). We characterized symptoms, manometric characteristics, and radiographic findings of 19 such patients and compared them to patients with other nonspecific esophageal motor disorders (NEMD). In the HAPC group, mean amplitude was 254 +/- 14 mm Hg, which was significantly higher than that of control subjects (94 +/- 8.9 mm Hg) and of those with other NEMD (116 +/- 10.8 mm Hg). Contractile duration of the HAPC and NEMD groups was 6.9 +/- 0.5 sec and 5.9 +/- 0.4 sec, respectively, both being significantly higher than normal. Results of esophagograms were frequently abnormal in both groups, but there was no specific abnormality separating the two groups. There was a high incidence of chest pain and dysphagia in the HAPC group. These data suggest that HAPC may represent a distinct subgroup of primary esophageal motor disorders.

Granular cell schwannoma of the extrahepatic biliary system.

We report the case of a woman who presented with a typical picture of cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis. A percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram revealed instead a concentric narrowing of the common bile duct and at operation she was found to have a rare, benign tumor of the extrahepatic biliary tree, a granular cell schwannoma.

Chest pain and dysphagia in patients with prolonged peristaltic contractile duration of the esophagus.

Dysphagia and chest pain are well-described symptoms in subjects with achalasia, diffuse esophageal spasm (DES), and high-amplitude peristaltic contractions, a subset of nonspecific motor disorders (NEMD). We observed a high incidence of chest pain and dysphagia in a different NEMD subgroup characterized by prolonged peristaltic contractile duration (PPCD) and normal contractile amplitude. We compared the manometric characteristics of patients with PPCD to healthy controls and compared the clinical profile of PPCD patients to that of patients with achalasia, DES, and high-amplitude peristalsis. In 20 patients with PPCD, mean contractile duration was 7.4 +/- 0.3 sec, significantly greater than healthy controls (3.7 +/- 0.1 sec) (P less than 0.001). PPCD was associated with an 85% incidence of chest pain and 65% incidence of dysphagia. These symptoms were similar to those observed in patients with achalasia, DES, and high-amplitude peristalsis. In PPCD patients, chest pain was more frequently of long duration in comparison to achalasia and DES. PPCD was encountered more frequently than either achalasia or DES in patients referred to our laboratory. This study suggests that in symptomatic NEMD patients, abnormal duration of peristaltic contractions, rather than abnormal amplitude, may be a distinguishing manometric feature.

Hepatic cystadenoma: an unusual presentation.

A 53-yr-old woman with a history of hepatic cystadenoma 25 yr before presented with a simple hepatic cyst, which evolved over 9 yr into a complex cystadenoma with septations and internal bleeding. She was treated with a left hepatectomy. Review of the literature shows that hepatic cystadenomas, although rare, frequently can recur years later and have potential for malignant transformation. Histologic similarities of one variant with ovarian stroma raises interesting possibilities regarding the origin of these lesions. The best treatment results are obtained with radical excision.

Hepatic expression of hepatitis C virus RNA in chronic hepatitis C: a study by in situ reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicates at a low rate and this makes its detection and intrahepatic localization difficult. To evaluate the clinical implications and effect of interferon alfa (IFN-alpha) therapy on hepatic expression of HCV RNA, HCV RNA was detected by in situ reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (IS-RT-PCR) in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded liver sections from 26 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Results were compared with RT-PCR of HCV RNA extracted from liver sections/tissue. Twenty-four paired post-IFN-alpha treatment biopsy specimens were also assessed. Using RT-PCR of the extracted RNA as a positive standard and non-HCV liver sections as the negative standard, the sensitivity and specificity of IS-RT-PCR were 69% and 100%, respectively. HCV RNA was detected in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes (median, 5% hepatocytes positive; range, 0 to 35%) and very occasionally in infiltrating mononuclear cells. There was no correlation between hepatic expression of HCV RNA and the clinical, biochemical parameters, total and activity scores of histology activity index. Presence of HCV RNA in liver as detected by IS-RT-PCR was associated with higher serum HCV RNA levels (4.9 x 10(6) vs. 0.4 x 10(6) genome Eq/mL, P < .01). There was no difference in the pretreatment proportion of HCV RNA-positive hepatocytes among patients with different biochemical responses to IFN-alpha therapy. In the posttreatment samples, HCV RNA was undetectable by IS-RT-PCR in 16 of 24 patients (P < .01), including all 4 patients who had complete and sustained response (SR). We conclude that HCV RNA was detected by IS-RT-PCR in 0 to 35% of hepatocytes in patients with chronic HCV infection, detection of HCV RNA in liver by IS-RT-PCR was associated with higher viremia levels and IFN-alpha therapy reduced hepatocytic expression of HCV RNA.