Comorbilidades en pacientes con enfermedad hepática alcohólica / Comorbidities in patients with alcoholic hepatic disease

Introducción: El consumo excesivo y prolongado de alcohol se asocia a una morbilidad elevada por afecciones hepáticas y de otros órganos. Objetivo: Precisar las lesiones hepáticas y su relación con otras enfermedades asociadas al alcohol y el estado nutricional en pacientes con enfermedad hepática alcohólica. Métodos: Se efectuó un estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal de 270 pacientes con enfermedad hepática alcohólica, atendidos en el Servicio de Medicina Interna y la consulta especializada de Hepatología del Hospital Provincial Docente Clinicoquirúrgico Saturnino Lora de Santiago de Cuba, quienes fueron examinados clínicamente para detectar síntomas y signos de enfermedades hepática y asociadas al alcohol en diferentes sistemas, durante el decenio 2010-2019. Resultados: Predominaron los hombres (234), de los cuales 117 estuvieron en el grupo de 25 - 44 años de edad. La forma clínica preponderante fue la cirrosis hepática en 109 pacie2ntes, de ellos una proporción importante eran bebedores con más de 20 años de exposición al hábito. La enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico junto a las formas de gastropatía y la polineuropatía en 89 y 96 afectados, respectivamente, fueron las comorbilidades más asociadas a la lesión hepática. Se observaron diferentes grados de desnutrición en 167 afectados (61,8 %), de los cuales primaron aquellos con cirrosis hepática, de estos 51 (49,0 %) presentaron desnutrición moderada y 31 (49,2 %) grave. Conclusiones: Resulta elevada la presencia de comorbilidades en pacientes con enfermedad hepática alcohólica, lo cual se asocia al deterioro nutricional y a una exposición prolongada al hábito nocivo.

Introduction: The excessive and prolonged consumption of alcohol is associated with a high morbidity due to hepatic disorders and affections of other organs. Objective: To specify the hepatic lesions and their relationship with other diseases associated with alcohol and the nutritional state in patients with alcoholic hepatic disease. Methods: An observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study of 270 patients with alcoholic hepatic disease was carried out. They were assisted in the Internal Medicine Service and in the specialized visit of Hepatology from Saturnino Lora Teaching Clinical Surgical Provincial Hospital in Santiago de Cuba who were clinically examined to detect symptoms and signs of hepatic disease and those associated with alcohol in different systems, during the decade 2010-2019. Results: There was a prevalence of men (234), of which 117 were in the group of 25 - 44 years of age. The preponderant clinical form was the hepatic cirrhosis in 109 patients, an important proportion of them were drinkers with more than 20 years of exhibition to the habit. The disease due to gastroesophagic reflux along with the forms of gastropathy and polyneuropathy in 89 and 96 affected patients, respectively, were the comorbidities more associated with the hepatic lesion. Different degrees of malnutrition were observed in 167 affected patients (61.8 %), of which those with hepatic cirrhosis prevailed, of these 51 (49.0 %) presented moderate malnutrition and 31 (49.2 %) a serious one. Conclusions: The presence of comorbidities in patients with alcoholic hepatic disease is high, which is associated to the nutritional deterioration and a prolong exposure to the harmful habit.

Alcohol-related liver disease. Clinical practice guidelines. Consensus document sponsored by AEEH. / Enfermedad hepática por alcohol. Guías de práctica clínica. Documento de consenso auspiciado por la AEEH.

Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is the most prevalent cause of advanced liver disease and liver cirrhosis in Europe, including Spain. According to the World Health Organization the fraction of liver cirrhosis attributable to alcohol use in Spain is 73.8% among men and 56.3% among women. ARLD includes various stages such as steatohepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. In addition, patients with underlying ARLD and heavy alcohol intake may develop alcoholic hepatitis, which is associated with high mortality. To date, the only effective treatment to treat ARLD is prolonged withdrawal. There are no specific treatments, and the only treatment that increases life expectancy in alcoholic hepatitis is prednisolone. For patients with alcoholic hepatitis who do not respond to treatment, some centres offer the possibility of an early transplant. These clinical practice guidelines aim to propose recommendations on ARLD taking into account their relevance as a cause of advanced chronic liver disease and liver cirrhosis in our setting. This paper aims to answer the key questions for the clinical practice of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, as well as Internal Medicine and Primary Health Centres, making the most up-to-date information regarding the management and treatment of ARLD available to health professionals. These guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for the clinical management of this disease.

Alcohol, cirrosis y predisposición genética / Alcohol, Cirrhosis, and Genetic Predisposition

La cirrosis hepática es la tercera causa de muerte alrededor del mundo que es atribuible al consumo de alcohol. Más del 80% de los consumidores crónicos de alcohol desarrollan esteatosis y entre el 20% al 40% presentan otras complicaciones como fibrosis, hepatitis alcohólica y cirrosis; sin embargo, no todos los individuos con consumo crónico de alcohol desarrollan cirrosis, en parte debido al componente genético de cada individuo. El grado de actividad de las enzimas que metabolizan el alcohol está influenciado por polimorfismos presentes en los genes que codifican para estas enzimas, y corresponde a uno de los factores determinantes para el desarrollo de una hepatopatía terminal en respuesta al consumo de alcohol. Entre las enzimas implicadas en el metabolismo del alcohol están la alcohol deshidrogenasa (ADH), el citocromo P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) y la acetaldehído deshidrogenasa (ALDH), de las cuales se ha reportado que la mayor actividad de ADH y CYP2E1 y la menor actividad de ALDH pueden conferir riesgo en algunas poblaciones por la acumulación de acetaldehído, el cual es tóxico para el organismo. Se realizó una revisión en la literatura de los principales aspectos del metabolismo del alcohol y polimorfismos (genotipos) de enzimas que intervienen en el metabolismo del alcohol como factor de riesgo. Esto se hizo mediante la búsqueda de material bibliográfico a través de la base de datos PubMed desde 1990 hasta el 2013 utilizando las palabras claves alcohol liver disease, ADH, ALDH, CYP2E1 y polymorphism.

Liver cirrhosis is the third most common cause of death attributable to alcohol consumption throughout the world. More than 80% of chronic drinkers develop steatosis, and 20% to 40% develop other complications such as fibrosis, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. However, not everyone who chronically consumes alcohol develops cirrhosis. This is partly because of the genetic component of each individual. The level of activity of the enzymes that metabolize alcohol is influenced by polymorphisms of the genes that coding for these enzymes. This is one of the determining factors in the development of terminal liver disease in response to alcohol consumption. Among the enzymes involved in alcohol metabolism are alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). It has been reported that higher levels of activity of ADH and CYP2E1 and lower levels of activity of ALDH may be risk factors in some populations for accumulation of acetaldehyde which is toxic for the organism. This literature review covers the most important aspects of alcohol metabolism including polymorphisms (genotypes) of enzymes involved in the metabolism of alcohol as a risk factor. A search through the PubMed database from 1990 to be held 2013 was conducted using the keywords alcoholic liver disease, ADH, ALDH, CYP2E1, and polymorphism.

[Liver diseases in the elderly]. / Envejecimiento y enfermedades del hígado.

Liver diseases in the elderly have aroused less interest than diseases of other organs, since the liver plays a limited role in aging. There are no specific liver diseases of old age, but age-related anatomical and functional modifications of the liver cause changes in the frequency and clinical behavior of some liver diseases compared with those in younger patients. This review discusses the most important features of liver function in the healthy elderly population, as well as the features of the most prevalent liver diseases in this age group, especially the diagnostic approach to the most common liver problems in the elderly: asymptomatic elevation of serum transaminases and jaundice.

Alcoholic hepatitis: Prognosis and treatment.

Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a type of acute-on-chronic liver failure and is the most severe form of alcoholic liver disease. AH occurs in patients with heavy alcohol abuse and underlying liver disease. In its severe form, AH carries a poor short-term prognosis. Although the existence of AH can be strongly suspected based on clinical and biochemical criteria, a definitive diagnosis requires a liver biopsy. There is a clear need to develop non-invasive markers for these patients. The prognosis of patients with AH can be established by different score systems (Maddrey's DF, ABIC, MELD and Glasgow). Recently, a histological scoring system able to estimate prognosis has been developed (Alcoholic Hepatitis Histological Score - AHHS). The management of patients with AH has changed little in the last few decades. In patients with severe form of AH, prednisolone and pentoxifylline are the first line therapy. Unfortunately, many patients do not respond and novel targeted therapies are urgently needed. Current research is aimed at identifying the main disease drivers and to develop animal models of true AH. For non-responders to medical therapy, the only curative option is to perform a salvage liver transplantation. This particular indication of liver transplantation is currently under debate and prospective studies should evaluate the specific patient evaluation and selection criteria.

Recidiva postrasplante de hepatopatías no virales / Posttransplant relapse in non viral hepatopathies

Objetivo: El objetivo del presente trabajo fue analizar la frecuencia y presentación de recidiva de hepatopatías postrasplante no virales. Métodos y Resultados: Los pacientes con hepatopatías no virales que recibieron un trasplante hepático fueron 39 y de éstos, seis presentaron recidiva de la enfermedad (15.3%): uno con recaída del alcoholismo, tres con enfermedad autoinmune (dos trasplantados por cirrosis biliar primaria recurrieron con hepatitis autoinmune y uno con diagnóstico original de cirrosis hepática criptogénica presentó recurrencia de hepatitis autoinmune), uno con diagnóstico de esteatohepatitis no alcohólica tuvo recurrencia con la misma enfermedad; por último, un paciente se trasplantó por cirrosis hepática secundaria a metotrexate y postrasplante manifestó cirrosis biliar secundaria a estenosis del colédoco en el sitio de la anastomosis. Conclusiones: Todos los pacientes aquí analizados presentaron recidiva en el largo plazo (después de 11 meses postrasplante). La recidiva del alcoholismo se identificó en 8.3%, de las hepatopatías autoinmunes en 30%, y de la esteatohepatitis no alcohólica en 20% de los casos. Las tres pacientes con recidiva de hepatopatía autoinmune presentaron en el postras-plante una enfermedad diferente a la que dio origen al trasplante.

OBJECTIVE: We describe the recurrence of non-viral liver disease after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 39 patients who received an OLT for non-viral chronic liver disease. Six (15.3%) of these patients presented disease recurrence after OLT, one following alcohol abuse, 3 presented autoimmune liver disease [2 received an OLT for primary biliary cirrhosis and recurred as autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) one patient had cryptogenic cirrhosis before OLT and recurred as AIH]. One patient showed recurrence of a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). One patient received an OLT for cirrhosis secondary to the use of metothrexate and post OLT developed secondary biliary cirrhosis due to a choledocal stenosis in the anastomotic site. CONCLUSIONS: All patients described here displayed long term recurrence (after 11 months post OLT). The recurrence of alcoholism was 8.3% among patients transplanted for this condition. AIH was observed in 30% of cases and NASH in 20%. All three patients with autoimmune liver disease recurred with a different autoimmune disease post OLT.