Hepatitis B Delta: assessment of the knowledge and practices of hepato-gastroenterologists practicing in non-academic settings in France.

BACKGROUND: Data on the management of Hepatitis B-Delta (HB-D) by hepatogastroenterologists (HGs) practicing in nonacademic hospitals or private practices are unknown in France. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the knowledge and practices of HGs practicing in nonacademic settings regarding HB-D. METHODS: A Google form document was sent to those HGs from May to September 2021. RESULTS: A total of 130 HGs (mean age, 45 years) have participated in this survey. Among HBsAg-positive patients, Delta infection was sought in only 89% of cases. Liver fibrosis was assessed using FibroScan in 77% of the cases and by liver biopsy in 81% of the cases. A treatment was proposed for patients with >F2 liver fibrosis in 49% of the cases regardless of transaminase levels and for all the patients by 39% of HGs. Responding HGs proposed a treatment using pegylated interferon in 50% of cases, bulevirtide in 45% of cases and a combination of pegylated interferon and bulevirtide in 40.5% of cases. Among the criteria to evaluate the treatment efficacy, a decrease or a normalization of transaminases was retained by 89% of responding HGs, a reduction of liver fibrosis score for 70% of them, an undetectable delta RNA and HBsAg for 55% of them and a 2 log 10 decline in delta viremia for 62% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Hepatitis Delta screening was not systematically performed in HBsAg-positive patients despite the probable awareness and knowledge of the few responders who were able to prescribe treatments of hepatitis delta.

Granulocyte colony stimulating factor in decompensated cirrhosis, acute alcoholic hepatitis, and acute-on-chronic liver failure: A comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: GCSF may improve the prognosis of severe liver disease by promoting liver regeneration and immune restoration. Our Aim was to investigate its controversial efficacy in decompensated cirrhosis, acute alcoholic hepatitis (AAH), or acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) through meta-analysis. METHODS: Meta-analysis of proportions (random effect model) including 19 RCTs (1287 patients from 16 Asian and 3 European studies including 487 ACLF, 231 AAH and 569 cirrhotic patients) evaluating survival at day-28, day-90, 6 months, one year, and/or occurrence of sepsis as major outcomes. RESULTS: In patients with decompensated cirrhosis, G-CSF administration was associated with a reduction in the weight-adjusted risk of mortality of 9% at day-90 (OR=0.33; 95%CI: 0.18-0.58; p = 0.0002), 16% at 6 months (OR=0.31; 95%CI: 0.15-0.62; p = 0.0009), 26% at one year (OR=0.21; 95%CI:0.12-0.38, p<0.0001) and a weight-adjusted 28% risk reduction for sepsis (OR=0.28; 95%CI: 0.16-0.49; p<0.0001). Only Asian studies were positive. In AAH, G-CSF was associated with an 18% reduction in weight-adjusted mortality risk at day-28 (OR=0.31; 95%CI:0.11-0.83, p = 0.021), 32% at day-90 (OR=0.20; 95%CI:0.09-0.46, p<0.0001) and a weight-adjusted 42% risk reduction for sepsis (OR=0.17; 95%CI: 0.08-0.38; p<0.0001). Only Asian studies, in which corticosteroids were not given systematically in case of severe AAH, were positive. In patients with ACLF, the results on mortality at day-28 were heterogeneous, and GCSF had no beneficial effect on sepsis or survival at day-90. CONCLUSION: G-CSF may be effective in patients with decompensated cirrhosis or AAH by reducing the occurrence of sepsis and mortality. Further meta-analyses of individual data, or new, powerful and methodologically flawless therapeutic trials, are warranted to confirm these results, which harbor wide divergences between Asian and European RCTs.

International survey among hepatologists and pulmonologists on the hepatic hydrothorax: plea for recommendations.

BACKGROUND: The Hepatic hydrothorax is a pleural effusion related to portal hypertension; its diagnosis and therapeutic management may be difficult. The aims of this article are which follows: To gather the practices of hepatogastroenterologists or pulmonologists practitioners regarding the diagnosis and management of the hepatic hydrothorax. METHODS: Practitioners from 13 French- speaking countries were invited to answer an online questionnaire on the hepatic hydrothorax diagnosis and its management. RESULTS: Five hundred twenty-eight practitioners (80% from France) responded to this survey. 75% were hepatogastroenterologists, 20% pulmonologists and the remaining 5% belonged to other specialities. The Hepatic hydrothorax can be located on the left lung for 64% of the responders (66% hepatogastroenterologists vs 57% pulmonologists; p = 0.25); The Hepatic hydrothorax can exist in the absence of clinical ascites for 91% of the responders (93% hepatogastroenterologists vs 88% pulmonologists; p = 0.27). An Ultrasound pleural scanning was systematically performed before a puncture for 43% of the responders (36% hepatogastroenterologists vs 70% pulmonologists; p < 0.001). A chest X-ray was performed before a puncture for 73% of the respondeurs (79% hepatogastroenterologists vs 54% pulmonologists; p < 0.001). In case of a spontaneous bacterial empyema, an albumin infusion was used by 73% hepatogastroenterologists and 20% pulmonologists (p < 0.001). A drain was used by 37% of the responders (37% hepatogastroenterologists vs 31% pulmonologists; p = 0.26).An Indwelling pleural catheter was used by 50% pulmonologists and 22% hepatogastroenterologists (p < 0.01). TIPS was recommended by 78% of the responders (85% hepatogastroenterologists vs 52% pulmonologists; p < 0.001) and a liver transplantation, by 76% of the responders (86% hepatogastroenterologists vs 44% pulmonologists; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this large study provide important data on practices of French speaking hepatogastroenterologists and pulmonologists; it appears that recommendations are warranted.