Discordance between biochemical markers of liver activity and fibrosis (Actitest-Fibrotest) and liver biopsy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this clinical trial was to determine in routine practice and in comparison with liver biopsy the limitations of two blood tests, Actitest and Fibrotest, for the evaluation of hepatic activity and fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C. METHODS: Routine blood tests, Actitest and Fibrotest, and liver biopsy were performed in 96 patients with chronic hepatitis C attending routine outpatient clinics. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were used to assess the diagnostic value of the biochemical tests in comparison with the METAVIR classification. RESULTS: The study population was predominantly male (63.5%) with a mean age of 48 years; 83.3% of the patients had genotype 1 hepatitis C virus infection. Treatment status was naive (62.5%), nonresponders (17.7%), relapsers (7.3%), or unknown (12.5%). The comparison of F0-F2 versus F3-F4 estimated the negative predictive value at 92% and the positive predictive value at 52% for a cut-off of 0.455. Discrepancies in activity score were more frequently due to a higher score of the biochemical test compared to biopsy (18 cases out of 19). Discrepancies for fibrosis were observed in 18 patients with a higher score for biochemical test in eight and a higher score for liver biopsy in 10 cases. A significant increase of gamma-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) (p=0.0001) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (p<0.0001) was observed in case of biochemical test overestimation of activity, and a significant increase of alpha2-macroglobulin (p=0.006) and GGT (p=0.018) in case of biochemical test overestimation of fibrosis. CONCLUSION: This prospective study confirms the good diagnostic value of biochemical tests for necrotico-inflammatory activity and fibrosis as compared with the histological analysis of liver biopsy. Clinicians must interpret Actitest and Fibrotest results with caution in patients with a significant elevation of ALT, and/or GGT and/or alpha2-macroglobulin which could overestimate hepatic injury.

Intravenous nitroglycerin for prevention of pancreatitis after therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiography: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Several studies have suggested that nitroglycerin promotes pancreatic drainage and thereby helps to prevent pancreatitis occurring after endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC). We performed a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous nitroglycerin for preventing acute pancreatitis in moderate- to high-risk patients undergoing ERC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients underwent therapeutic ERC for gallstone removal, bile duct stenosis, or sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD). They were randomly allocated to receive an intravenous nitroglycerin bolus of 0.1 mg, then 35 microg/kg per minute intravenously (maximum dose 9 mg) for 6 h, or an identical placebo regimen. Serum amylase and lipase levels were determined before and 24 h after ERC. RESULTS: The study was terminated after the interim analysis. The intention-to-treat population consisted of 208 patients enrolled in 20 centers, of whom 105 received nitroglycerin and 103 placebo therapy. Post-ERC pancreatitis (mild/moderate/severe) occurred in 25 patients, comprising 10 (3/5/2) in the nitroglycerin arm and 15 (5/6/4) in the placebo arm (OR 0.62, 95 % CI 0.26 - 1.45; P = 0.26). Pancreatitis-related hospital stays were similar in the two groups (median 4 days, range 2 - 13 days in the nitroglycerin group; median 5 days, range 2 - 20 days in the placebo group). The incidence of pancreatitis in patients with SOD did not differ between the groups (4/11 in the nitroglycerin arm, and 4/15 in the placebo arm). Adverse events were more frequent in the nitroglycerin group and led to cessation of drug infusion in 10 patients in the nitroglycerin arm and in 2 patients in the placebo arm ( P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: In this study, nitroglycerin offered a limited and clinically nonsignificant benefit for the prevention of post-ERC pancreatitis. Its use did not improve the technical success rate of ERC.

Epidemiology of chronic hepatitis B infection in France: risk factors for significant fibrosis--results of a nationwide survey.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data concerning hepatitis B are scarce in France. AIM: To describe epidemiological, clinical, virological and histological features of HBsAg-positive patients followed at non-academic hospitals in France. METHODS: Clinical, biological, virological and histological data of all HBsAg-positive consecutive patients observed from April 1, 2001 to May 31, 2002 in participating centres were recorded prospectively. Multivariate analyses of factors associated with significant fibrosis and cirrhosis were performed. RESULTS: Nearly 1166 HBsAg-positive patients were seen in the 58 centres: 671 males and 495 females from metropolitan France (32%) and from outside metropolitan France (68%); mean age 41 +/- 15 years. Twenty-nine percent of patients were probable HBsAg inactive carriers, while 50% had chronic hepatitis; 43% of these were HBeAg-positive and 57% HBeAg-negative. Liver biopsy had been performed in 558 (51%) patients; 205 (17.6%) patients had cirrhosis. By multivariate analysis, factors associated with significant fibrosis were: age >40 years (P < 0.05), HBeAg-negative status (P < 0.02) and histological activity (P < 0.0001). Factors associated with cirrhosis: age (P < 0.0001), platelet count <150 000/mm(3) (P < 0.0001) and viral co-infection (P < 0.03). CONCLUSION: HBV infection represents a significant workload for hepatogastroenterologists at non-academic hospitals in France.

[Gangliocytic paraganglioma of the pancreas with bone metastasis]. / Paragangliome gangliocytique du pancréas avec métastase osseuse.

We report the case of a 50-years-old man who underwent sequential curative resection for gangliocytic paraganglioma of the pancreas with metachronous sternal metastasis. Gangliocytic paraganglioma are mainly located on the duodenum but several localizations have been reported, including on the digestive tract. Locoregional lymph node metastases are possible and prove their malignant potential but, to our knowledge, this observation is the first documented case of distant metastasis. Their usually good prognosis supports complete resection of these tumors.

Assessment of tumour response to chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer: accuracy of the RECIST criteria.

Evaluation of tumour size modifications in response to treatment is a critical issue in the management of advanced malignancies. In 1981, the World Health Organization (WHO) established guidelines for tumour response assessment. These WHO1981 criteria were recently simplified in a revised version, named RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours), which uses unidimensional instead of bidimensional measurements, a reduced number of measured lesions, withdrawal of the progression criteria based on isolated increase of a single lesion, and different shrinkage threshold for definitions of tumour response and progression. In order to validate these new guidelines, we have compared results obtained with both classifications in a prospective series of 91 patients receiving chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. Data from iterative tomographic measurements were fully recorded and reviewed by an expert panel. The overall response and progression rates according to the WHO1981 criteria were 19% and 58%, respectively. Using RECIST criteria, 16 patients were reclassified in a more favourable subgroup, the overall response rate being 28% and the progression rate 45% (non-weighted kappa concordance test 0.72). When isolated increase of a single measurable lesion is not taken into account for progression with the WHO1981 criteria, only 7 patients were reclassified and the kappa test was satisfying, i.e. > or =0.75, for the whole population as well as for each of the responding and progressive subgroups. Since it provides concordant results with a simplified method, the use of RECIST criteria is recommended for evaluation of treatment efficacy in clinical trials and routine practice.

[Infectious endocarditis caused by Streptococcus bovis and alcoholic cirrhosis complicated by hepatoma]. / Endocardite infectieuse à streptocoque bovis et cirrhose éthylique compliquée d'hépatome.

The case is reported of a 66-year old man who developed Streptococcus bovis endocarditis on a fairly loose aortic stenosis and who also presented with alcoholic cirrhosis complicated by an ultimately lethal hepatoma. On this occasion, comments are made on the following points: -Str. bovis is increasingly responsible for bacterial endocarditis. This micro-organism is now rapidly and reliably identified. -Str. bovis endocarditis has some clinical features of its own. -Patients in whom the usual portals of entry of bacterial infection (i.e. benign or malignant tumours of the colon or rectum) cannot be identified should be investigated systematically for hepatic cirrhosis. -Drug sterilization of the gut is useful to prevent bacteremia of intestinal origin in cirrhotic patients.