[Liver injury induced by "natural remedies": an analysis of cases submitted to the Spanish Liver Toxicity Registry]. / Hepatotoxicidad secundaria a "productos naturales": análisis de los casos notificados al Reigstro Español de Hepatotoxicidad.

BACKGROUND: toxic liver damage associated with the use of natural remedies is a growing health problem. OBJECTIVES: to analyze the demographics, and clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients developing liver injury related to these remedies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: all DILI cases associated with the use of herbal remedies (HR) or dietary supplements (DS) submitted to the Spanish Registry were analyzed. Type of liver damage, severity, and outcome were specifically evaluated. RESULTS: thirteen cases out of 521 DILI cases (2%) submitted to the Spanish Liver Toxicity Registry between 1994 and 2006 were related to HR/DS, which ranked as the 10th therapeutic group with a greater number of cases and above pain killers, anxiolytics, and antipsychotic drugs. Nine patients (69%) were female (mean age 45 years). Nine cases (69%) had jaundice at presentation. The predominating type of liver damage was hepatocellular (12; 92%), and 31% of cases exhibited the common features of hypersensitivity. Camellia sinensis (3, 23%) was the main causative herb, followed by Rhamnus purshianus and isoflavones (Fitosoja(R), Biosoja(R)) (2 cases each, 15%). Three cases (23%) were rechallenged with the offending product. CONCLUSIONS: the incidence of hepatic damage related to HR/DS is not so rare, the most common profile of affected patients being a woman with acute hepatocellular hepatitis. Low suspicion regarding the putative role of herbs in hepatotoxicity makes diagnosis more difficult, and probably increases the incidence of inadvertent rechallenge in these patients.

[Renal Doppler ultrasonography and its relationship with the renal function in patients with liver cirrhosis]. / Ecografía Doppler renal y su relación con la función renal en pacientes con cirrosis hepática.

BACKGROUND: To relate the renal hemodynamic changes, as assessed by Doppler ultrasonography,with the development of ascites, renal function, and endogenous vasoactive systems in patients with liver cirrhosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 60 cirrhotic patients were studied prospectively, 31 of these compensated and 29 with ascites. The renal resistive index, renal function and plasmatic levels of renin, aldosterone, noradrenaline and ADH activity were determined. RESULTS: The renal resistive index was significantly higher in the cirrhotic patients with ascites (0.68) than in the compensated cirrhotics (0.63) and was significantly correlated with the serum levels of creatinine,urinary excretion of sodium, plasmatic renin activity and plasmatic concentration of aldosterone. CONCLUSIONS: The renal resistive index, study by means of Doppler ultrasonography, shows progressively increased levels with the evolution of the disease, with the deterioration of the renal function and with the activation of the endogenous vasoactive systems.

Ecografía Doppler en la valoración de la hemodinámica renal en pacientes con hepatopatía crónica / Doppler ultrasonography in the assessment of renal hemodynamics in patients with choric liver disease

OBJETIVO: valorar los cambios hemodinámicos renales mediante determinación con ecografía Doppler del índice de resistencia (IR) renal en pacientes con hepatopatía crónica en diferentes estadios evolutivos. En pacientes con cirrosis, analizar el IR renal en función de la presencia o no de ascitis y la respuesta al tratamiento diurético. PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: se estudió de forma prospectiva 24 sujetos con hepatitis crónica, 39 pacientes cirróticos compensados y 34 con ascitis. Los cirróticos con ascitis se dividieron en grupo 1: con respuesta a medidas dietéticas y bajas dosis de diuréticos, y grupo 2: ascitis refractaria o que precisan dosis superiores de diuréticos. RESULTADOS: El IR renal fue significativamente superior en los pacientes cirróticos con ascitis (0,68 ñ 0,06) que en los cirróticos compensados (0,63 ñ 0,03; p < 0,01), y en éstos que en los sujetos con hepatitis crónica (0,61 ñ 0,04; p < 0,05). Los cirróticos con ascitis del grupo 1 presentaron un IR renal inferior a los del grupo 2 (0,65 ñ 0,05 vs 0,72 ñ 0,06; p < 0,01). CONCLUSIONES: el IR renal se incrementa conforme avanza la hepatopatía crónica. Los pacientes cirróticos con elevación del IR renal son no respondedores o requieren mayor dosis de diuréticos. Se requieren estudios para valorar la utilidad del IR renal en la predicción de la respuesta al tratamiento diurético en pacientes con ascitis (AU)

Doppler ultrasonography in the assessment of renal hemodynamics in patients with chronic liver disease.

AIM: To assess renal hemodynamics by Doppler analysis of resistive index (RI) in small intrarenal arteries in patients with chronic liver diseases at different stages, and to analyze renal RI in patients with cirrhosis as a function of the absence or presence of ascites and the response to diuretic therapy. METHODS: Prospective cross-sectional study of 24 patients with chronic hepatitis, 39 with compensated cirrhosis, and 34 with ascites. The last group was divided into two subgroups: 1) responders to sodium restriction and a low dose of diuretics, and 2) patients with refractory ascites or those requiring high-dose therapy. RESULTS: Renal RI was increased in patients with cirrhosis and ascites (0.68 +/- 0.06) in comparison with patients with compensated cirrhosis (0.63 +/- 0.03, p < 0.01). Renal RI in the latter group was higher than in patients without cirrhosis (0.61 +/- 0.04, p < 0.05). Renal RI in patients with ascites was lower in subgroup 1 than in subgroup 2 (0.65 +/- 0.05 vs 0.72 +/- 0.06, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Renal RI increases as liver disease progresses. Patients with cirrhosis and ascites and increased RI require high-dose treatment or do not respond. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the predictive value of renal RI in assessing the effectiveness of diuretic therapy.

Prognostic usefulness of ultrasonographic signs of portal hypertension in patients with child-pugh stage A liver cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify factors related with mortality in patients with cirrhosis in the absence of habitual biochemical markers of liver dysfunction. METHODS: Seventy-five cirrhotic patients in Child-Pugh stage A, without hepatocellular carcinoma, were followed until death or the end of the study period. We analyzed the association between cumulative survival and 15 variables determined at the moment of inclusion: age, sex, time from diagnosis of cirrhosis, alcohol abuse, history of variceal bleeding, hepatitis B and C virus infection, Child-Pugh score, plasma albumin and bilirubin levels, prothrombin activity, and four sonographic parameters (size of liver, portal vein diameter, size of spleen, and presence of collateral circulation). RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 38.7+/-10 months. Eighteen patients died. Four-year cumulative survival was 77.4+/-5%. Only five variables had a significant influence on survival according to log-rank test: sex, previous variceal bleeding, hepatitis B virus infection, portal vein diameter, and size of the spleen. Multivariate Cox's model showed male sex (relative risk 4.6; 95% confidence interval 1.2-16.8) and diameter of the portal vein > 13 mm, splenomegaly > 145 mm, or both together (relative risk 6.0; 95% confidence interval 1.3-27.2) as independent predictors of the risk of death. CONCLUSIONS: Child-Pugh stage A cirrhotic patients have substantial variability in mid-term survival. Ultrasonography is a useful aid in establishing their prognosis. Men with dilation of the portal vein, splenomegaly, or both, form a group with a significantly higher risk of death.