Efficacy of Infliximab for the Treatment of Oral Manifestation of Crohn's Disease.

Oral manifestations of IBD can be specific or nonspecific, due to intestinal malabsorption or induced by pharmacological treatments. Oral manifestations may precede the diagnosis of IBD or interfere with timely diagnosis and treatment. The paradigm of treatment for oral lesions in patients with IBD is based on treating and controlling the intestinal manifestations of the underlying disease as well as local methods of treatment can be used. Here, we report a case of a patient with the oral manifestation of IBD, who responded to treatment with infliximab. The patient was admitted with complaints of long-term nonhealing ulcers of the lips and oral cavity, odynophagia, and there were no intestinal manifestations at that time. The appearance of the disease in 2008 with lesions of the oral cavity, however, Crohn's disease was diagnosed in 2016. The patient began therapy with azathioprine and prednisolone, and later developed hormone dependence and osteoporosis. In 2020, against the background of immunosuppressive therapy, the patient has an exacerbation, especially increased symptoms from the lesion of the oral cavity. In 2020 was started therapy with vedolizumab, with slight improvement. Due to the ineffectiveness of the latter's therapy, therapy with monoclonal antibodies (infliximab) was started in February 2021. Currently, patient is in clinical, laboratory, and endoscopic remission.

Consensus on management of hepatitis C virus infection in resource-limited Ukraine and Commonwealth of Independent States regions.

Globally, 69.6 million individuals were infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in 2016. Of the six major HCV genotypes (GT), the most predominant one is GT1, worldwide. The prevalence of HCV in Central Asia, which includes most of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has been estimated to be 5.8% of the total global burden. The predominant genotype in the CIS and Ukraine regions has been reported to be GT1, followed by GT3. Inadequate HCV epidemiological data, multiple socio-economic barriers, and the lack of region-specific guidelines have impeded the optimal management of HCV infection in this region. In this regard, a panel of regional experts in the field of hepatology convened to discuss and provide recommendations on the diagnosis, treatment, and pre-, on-, and posttreatment assessment of chronic HCV infection and to ensure the optimal use of cost-effective antiviral regimens in the region. A comprehensive evaluation of the literature along with expert recommendations for the management of GT1-GT6 HCV infection with the antiviral agents available in the region has been provided in this review. This consensus document will help guide clinical decision-making during the management of HCV infection, further optimizing treatment outcomes in these regions.

Liver Peliosis: A Life-Threatening Condition With No Clear Indication for Liver Transplant.

We present a 21-year-old patient, remarkable for huge hepatomegaly with the liver, occupying almost the entire abdominal cavity, and mild portal hypertension due to splenic vein compression. After ultrasonography-guided liver biopsy, performed to establish the diagnosis, the patient had bleeding from the liver. Fortunately, emergency laparotomy was started immediately, and the patient was saved. Macroscopically, the liver appeared to be of purple-red color, flabby to the touch, and able to be easily wrinkled with fingers. When all available clinical data were considered, a diagnosis of liver peliosis was made. The patient was recommended close follow-up at the specialized liver surgery clinic with access to emergency surgical procedures, including liver transplant.

Budd-Chiari Syndrome Diagnosed in a Patient Listed for Liver Transplant and Considered to be Contraindicated for the Operation.

We report the clinical case of 23-year-old patient with liver cirrhosis of unknown genesis, significant resistant ascites, and 2 episodes of bleeding from esophageal varices. Evaluation did not find any cause of liver disease, and the patient was placed on the transplant wait list due to subcompensated liver function (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score of 16, Child-Pugh class B) and poorly controlled severe portal hypertension. After treatment with diuretics, largevolume paracentesis, antibiotics, and vasoconstrictors, hepatorenal syndrome and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis resolved and liver function improved significantly. Because the patient showed consistently good liver function and resistant portal hypertension, liver transplant was delayed with decision to perform transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting instead. During the attempt of shunting, occlusive thrombosis of the iliac veins, inferior vena cavae, and hepatic veins were diagnosed and the procedure was stopped. Therefore, considering preserved liver function and severe portal hypertension, diagnosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome with subsequent development of liver cirrhosis was made. The patient was recommended to undergo evaluation to exclude thrombophilia as a cause of thrombosis.

Detection of Hepatitis E Antibodies in Kazakhstan: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis E virus exposure is associated with sporadic cases of acute hepatitis and outbreaks in many countries worldwide. It is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, in whom the mortality rate is high. There are no previously published data reporting circulation of this virus in Kazakhstan. METHODS: We tested blood samples for IgG anti-hepatitis E virus antibodies in 199 Kazakh participants; of these 119 were workers at the EXPO 2017 building site in Astana, 35 were volunteers who got tested at the Astana City Hall on the World Hepatitis Day 2017, and 45 were volunteers who presented for screening at the Hepatogastroenterology Outpatient Clinic of the Republican Diagnostic Center, University Medical Center. RESULTS: 11 (5.5%) individuals were positive for IgG anti-HEV antibodies, with a higher seroprevalence in males (7; 6.8%) vs females (4; 4.5%). The highest number of positive samples was in the 32-46 years age group. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study suggests that Hepatitis E virus has been circulating in Kazakhstan. Studies are needed to determine whether it continues to be present, which viral genotypes are involved and what are the best methodologies for preventing its spread.

First Case in Kazakhstan of Successful Therapy With 2 Consecutive Direct-Acting Antiviral Regimens in a Patient with Hepatitis C Virus-Induced Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis on a Liver Transplant Wait List.

A 40-year-old man, diagnosed with decompensated liver cirrhosis because of hepatitis C virus, was on the wait list for a liver transplant when he began treatment with the direct-acting antivirals simeprevir 150 mg and sofosbuvir 400 mg. The patient demonstrated end of treatment virologic response at week 12, normal bilirubin, and alanine aminotransferase levels, resolution of ascites, with downgrading to subcompensated liver cirrhosis, and was removed from the liver transplant wait list. However, the patient did not comply with the recommended duration of the antiviral treatment of at least 16 weeks, which resulted in hepatitis C virus relapse at posttreatment week 12. Later, the patient started an alternative regimen that included a combination of ombitasvir 12.5 mg, paritaprevir 75 mg, ritonavir 50 mg, and dasabuvir 250 mg for 24 weeks and achieved a sustained virologic response. However, despite undetectable hepatitis C virus, the patient began to deteriorate again and was again put on the liver transplant wait list. This first described clinical case in Kazakhstan of successful antiviral therapy with 2 consecutive directacting agents demonstrates the importance of virus eradication of pretransplant survival extension and delaying the need for liver transplant.