Indian consensus on gastroesophageal reflux disease in adults: A position statement of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology.

The Indian Society of Gastroenterology developed this evidence-based practice guideline for management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in adults. A modified Delphi process was used to develop this consensus containing 58 statements, which were generated by electronic voting iteration as well as face-to-face meeting and review of the supporting literature primarily from India. These statements include 10 on epidemiology, 8 on clinical presentation, 10 on investigations, 23 on treatment (including medical, endoscopic, and surgical modalities), and 7 on complications of GERD. When the proportion of those who voted either to accept completely or with minor reservation was 80% or higher, the statement was regarded as accepted. The prevalence of GERD in India ranges from 7.6% to 30%, being < 10% in most population studies, and higher in cohort studies. The dietary factors associated with GERD include use of spices and non-vegetarian food. Helicobacter pylori is thought to have a negative relation with GERD; H. pylori negative patients have higher grade of symptoms of GERD and esophagitis. Less than 10% of GERD patients in India have erosive esophagitis. In patients with occasional or mild symptoms, antacids and histamine H2 receptor blockers (H2RAs) may be used, and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) should be used in patients with frequent or severe symptoms. Prokinetics have limited proven role in management of GERD.

MEASUREMENT OF CONTROLLED ATTENUATION PARAMETER: A SURROGATE MARKER OF HEPATIC STEATOSIS IN PATIENTS OF NONALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE ON LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION - A PROSPECTIVE FOLLOW-UP STUDY.

BACKGROUND: Liver biopsy is a gold standard method for hepatic steatosis assessment. However, liver biopsy is an invasive and painful procedure and can cause severe complications therefore it cannot be frequently used in case of follow-up of patients. Non-invasive assessment of steatosis and fibrosis is of growing relevance in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To evaluate hepatic steatosis, transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) measurement is an option now days. OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study is to evaluate role of measurement of controlled attenuation parameter, a surrogate marker of hepatic steatosis in patients of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease on lifestyle modification. METHODS: In this study, initially 37 participants were included who were followed up after 6 months with transient elastography, blood biochemical tests and anthropometric measurements. The results were analyzed by Multivariate linear regression analysis and paired samples t-test (Dependent t-test) with 95% confidence interval. Correlation is calculated by Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Mean CAP value for assessing hepatic steatosis during 1st consultation (278.57±49.13 dB/m) was significantly improved (P=0.03) after 6 months of lifestyle modification (252.91±62.02 dB/m). Only fasting blood sugar (P=0.008), weight (P=0.000), body mass index (BMI) (P=0.000) showed significant positive correlation with CAP. Only BMI (P=0.034) and weight (P=0.035) were the independent predictor of CAP value in NAFLD patients. CONCLUSION: Lifestyle modification improves the hepatic steatosis, and CAP can be used to detect the improvement of hepatic steatosis during follow-up in patients with NAFLD on lifestyle modification. There is no relation between CAP and Fibroscan score in NAFLD patients. Only BMI and weight can predict CAP value independently.

Medição do parâmetro de atenuação controlada: um marcador substituto da esteatose hepática em pacientes com doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica na modificação do estilo de vida - acompanhamento de um estudo prospectivo / Measurement of controlled attenuation parameter: a surrogate marker of hepatic steatosis in patients of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease on lifestyle modification - a prospective follow-up study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Liver biopsy is a gold standard method for hepatic steatosis assessment. However, liver biopsy is an invasive and painful procedure and can cause severe complications therefore it cannot be frequently used in case of follow-up of patients. Non-invasive assessment of steatosis and fibrosis is of growing relevance in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To evaluate hepatic steatosis, transient elastography with controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) measurement is an option now days. OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study is to evaluate role of measurement of controlled attenuation parameter, a surrogate marker of hepatic steatosis in patients of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease on lifestyle modification. METHODS: In this study, initially 37 participants were included who were followed up after 6 months with transient elastography, blood biochemical tests and anthropometric measurements. The results were analyzed by Multivariate linear regression analysis and paired samples t-test (Dependent t-test) with 95% confidence interval. Correlation is calculated by Pearson correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Mean CAP value for assessing hepatic steatosis during 1st consultation (278.57±49.13 dB/m) was significantly improved (P=0.03) after 6 months of lifestyle modification (252.91±62.02 dB/m). Only fasting blood sugar (P=0.008), weight (P=0.000), body mass index (BMI) (P=0.000) showed significant positive correlation with CAP. Only BMI (P=0.034) and weight (P=0.035) were the independent predictor of CAP value in NAFLD patients. CONCLUSION: Lifestyle modification improves the hepatic steatosis, and CAP can be used to detect the improvement of hepatic steatosis during follow-up in patients with NAFLD on lifestyle modification. There is no relation between CAP and Fibroscan score in NAFLD patients. Only BMI and weight can predict CAP value independently.

RESUMO CONTEXTO: A biópsia hepática é o método padrão-ouro para avaliação de esteatose hepática. No entanto, é um procedimento invasivo e doloroso que pode causar complicações graves e, portanto, não pode ser usado com frequência em caso de acompanhamento dos pacientes. A avaliação não invasiva de esteatose e fibrose é de crescente relevância na doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica (DHGNA). Para avaliar a esteatose hepática, a elastografia transitória com parâmetro de atenuação controlada (PAC) é uma opção atual. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi de avaliar o papel da medição do PAC, um marcador substituto da esteatose hepática em pacientes da doença hepática gordurosa não alcoólica, com modificação do estilo de vida. MÉTODOS: Foram incluídos inicialmente neste estudo 37 participantes acompanhados por 6 meses com elastografia transitória, testes bioquímicos no sangue, e medidas antropométricas. Os resultados foram analisados por análise de regressão linear multivariada e emparelhado em amostras-teste t (teste t-dependente) com intervalo de confiança de 95%. A correlação foi calculada pelos coeficientes de correlação de Pearson. RESULTADOS: O valor do PAC para avaliar esteatose hepática durante a primeira consulta (278,57±49,13 dB/m) foi significativamente melhorado (P=0,03) após 6 meses de modificação do estilo de vida (252,91±62,02 dB/m). Somente a glicemia de jejum (P=0,008), o peso (valor de P=0,000), o índice de massa corporal (IMC) (P=0,000) mostraram correlação positiva significativa com PAC. Apenas o IMC (P=0,034) e o peso (P=0,035) foram o preditores independentes de valor de PAC em pacientes com DHGNA. CONCLUSÃO: A modificação do estilo de vida melhora a esteatose hepática, e o PAC pode ser usado para detectar a melhoria da esteatose hepática durante o seguimento em pacientes com DHGNA. Não existe relação entre o PAC e o escore do Fibroscan em pacientes com DHGNA. Só o IMC e o peso podem prever o valor do PAC independentemente.

Effects of lifestyle modification on liver enzyme and Fibroscan in Indian patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is remarkably increasing in developing countries like India, in parallel with the increasing incidence of obesity. Lifestyle modification is a recommended treatment for NAFLD. In most of the previous studies, improvement after lifestyle modification was assessed by liver fibrosis through liver biopsy, but we cannot do a serial liver biopsy in every NAFLD patient. Liver fibrosis can also be assessed by fibroscan non-invasively in NAFLD. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of lifestyle modification on liver enzymes and Fibroscan values in a population with NAFLD. METHODS: Initially, 50 NAFLD patients were included in this prospective follow-up study; however, after 6 months of lifestyle modification, only 39 participants were studied. During both the first and second consultations, Fibroscan was carried out. All participants underwent a careful interview, anthropometry measurements and radiological and biochemical tests during every consultation. RESULTS: After 6 months of lifestyle modification, Fibroscan values improved significantly (8.31 ± 0.11kPa vs 7.87 ± 0.12kPa, p=0.009). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values also showed improvement during the second consultation (97.25 ± 2.62 U/L vs 66.69 ± 3.95 U/L, p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Measured by Fibroscan and liver enzymes, it has been found that lifestyle modification is an effective therapy to downgrade hepatic injury in NAFLD patients. Serial Fibroscan can be used to assess the treatment response in NAFLD patients due to its non-invasive nature.

Clinical and laboratory differentiation of cirrhosis and extrahepatic portal venous obstruction in children.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Differentiation between cirrhosis and extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO) in children presenting with features of portal hypertension is important for cost-effective management and proper resource utilization. We undertook this study to differentiate clinical and laboratory features between these two groups of patients. METHODS: Clinical features and laboratory parameters at presentation of children with portal hypertension and cirrhosis of the liver were analyzed. The variables analyzed were age at presentation, duration of symptoms, incidence and frequency of upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, encephalopathy, jaundice, ascites, splenomegaly, and presence of dilated abdominal veins. The laboratory parameters studied were hemoglobin, prothrombin time, serum bilirubin, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase. Two groups were compared using appropriate statistical methods; and the differentiating features were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the total of 120 cases, cirrhosis was diagnosed in 28.3% and EHPVO in 71.6%. Children with EHPVO, in comparison to cirrhosis, had significantly higher frequency of upper GI bleeding (61.6%vs 14.7%), increased number of previous bleeding episodes (2.7 +/- 0.5 vs 1.2 +/- 0.4), longer duration of symptoms (25.7 +/- 4.6 vs 12.3 +/- 3 months) and a lower frequency of jaundice (2%vs 76.4%). Low hemoglobin (6.4 +/- 2.7 g/dL) and preserved liver functions characterized by normal bilirubin, albumin levels and prothrombin time were observed in EHPVO cases. Cirrhosis patients had higher hemoglobin (8.8 +/- 2.8 g/dL) and abnormal liver function tests. CONCLUSION: Presence of UGI bleeding and the absence of jaundice are 97.5% accurate in predicting diagnosis of EHPVO.