Plasma Lipids Profile in the Prediction of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis in Adults: A Case-Control Study.

Patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) show significantly faster progress in the stages of fibrosis compared to those with non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) disease. The non-invasive diagnosis of NASH remains an unmet clinical need. Preliminary data have shown that sphingolipids, especially ceramides, fatty acids, and other lipid classes may be related to the presence of NASH and the histological activity of the disease. The aim of our study was to assess the association of certain plasma lipid classes, such as fatty acids, acylcarnitines, and ceramides, with the histopathological findings in patients with NASH. The study included three groups: patients with NASH (N = 12), NAFL (N = 10), and healthy [non non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)] controls (N = 15). Plasma samples were collected after 12 h of fasting, and targeted analyses for fatty acids, acylcarnitines, and ceramides were performed. Baseline clinical and demographic characteristics were collected. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics across the three groups or between NAFL and NASH patients. Patients with NASH had increased levels of several fatty acids, including, among others, fatty acid (FA) 14:0, FA 15:0, FA 18:0, FA 18:3n3, as well as Cer(d18:1/16:0), compared to NAFL patients and healthy controls. No significant difference was found between NAFL patients and healthy controls. In conclusion, patients with NASH exhibited a distinctive plasma lipid profile that can differentiate them from NAFL patients and non-NAFLD populations. More data from larger cohorts are needed to validate these findings and examine possible implications for diagnostic and management strategies of the disease.

Safety and efficacy of in vitro fertilisation in patients with chronic liver disease and liver transplantation recipients.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Chronic liver disease and liver transplantation (LT) can delay both timing and ability of women to conceive. With increased awareness and availability of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), the need for accurate counselling is paramount. To date, minimal data exist on outcomes of IVF in patients with chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, or post-LT. We report the largest experience of IVF in women with liver-related subfertility (LRSF). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 42 women with LRSF who had undergone 57 IVF cycles between 1990 and 2019. RESULTS: Forty-two women with LRSF received IVF; 9 cycles in 6 women with cirrhosis, 14 cycles in 11 women post-LT, and 34 cycles in 25 women without cirrhosis. The main aetiologies of liver disease included HBV, HCV, and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Of 57 IVF cycles evaluated, 43 (75%) resulted in successful implantation. Eight (2 post-LT, 3 with cirrhosis, 4 without cirrhosis) resulted in miscarriage. The live birth rate (LBR) was 74% (32/43). Two of 9 (22%) patients with cirrhosis, 4/14 (29%) patients who were post-LT, and 6/34 (18%) patients without cirrhosis had unsuccessful IVF attempts. Nine of 57 (16%) IVF cycles resulted in new liver enzyme derangement during therapy, which improved after treatment completion. Six pregnancies (2 in patients who were post-LT, 4 without cirrhosis) were complicated by obstetric cholestasis (OC). Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) was rare (n = 3, 7%). One patient with AIH-related cirrhosis decompensated after initiating IVF, warranting discontinuation of therapy. There were no maternal deaths. Three women developed a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Half the pregnancies resulted in premature deliveries (range 27-36 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: In selected cases, IVF in women with LRSF can be successful. However, patients should be counselled on the potential increased risks of OHSS, OC, and prematurity. LAY SUMMARY: Women with liver disease or those who have had a liver transplant can experience difficulties getting pregnant. In this study, we look at whether alternative approaches to achieve pregnancy are harmful in these women. Overall, there were no significant issues with the use of in vitro fertilisation in women with liver disease, but they need to be aware of potential risks, such as early delivery of the baby.

Liver transplantation for critically ill cirrhotic patients: Stratifying utility based on pretransplant factors.

The aim of this study was to produce a prognostic model to help predict posttransplant survival in patients transplanted with grade-3 acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF-3). Patients with ACLF-3 who underwent liver transplantation (LT) between 2007 and 2017 in 5 transplant centers were included (n = 152). Predictors of 1-year mortality were retrospectively screened and tested on a single center training cohort and subsequently tested on an independent multicenter cohort composed of the 4 other centers. Four independent pretransplant risk factors were associated with 1-year mortality after transplantation in the training cohort: age ≥53 years (P = .044), pre-LT arterial lactate level ≥4 mml/L (P = .013), mechanical ventilation with PaO2 /FiO2  ≤ 200 mm Hg (P = .026), and pre-LT leukocyte count ≤10 G/L (P = .004). A simplified version of the model was derived by assigning 1 point to each risk factor: the transplantation for Aclf-3 model (TAM) score. A cut-off at 2 points distinguished a high-risk group (score >2) from a low-risk group (score ≤2) with 1-year survival of 8.3% vs 83.9% respectively (P < .001). This model was subsequently validated in the independent multicenter cohort. The TAM score can help stratify posttransplant survival and identify an optimal transplantation window for patients with ACLF-3.

Free Cortisol Is a More Accurate Marker for Adrenal Function and Does Not Correlate with Renal Function in Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: The accuracy of diagnosis and clinical implications of the hepatoadrenal syndrome, as currently diagnosed using total cortisol, remain to be validated. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess adrenal function using free cortisol in stable cirrhosis and study the potential implications of any abnormalities for renal and/or cardiac function. METHODS: Sixty-one stable consecutively enrolled patients with cirrhosis underwent assessment of adrenal function using the low-dose short Synacthen test, renal function by 51Cr-EDTA glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and cardiac function by two-dimensional echocardiography. RESULTS: Eleven patients (18%) had total peak cortisol (PC) < 500 nmol/L, but no patient had free PC < 33 nmol/L indicating that diagnosis of AI using total cortisol is not confirmed using free cortisol. Free cortisol did not correlate with GFR or parameters of cardiac function. Patients with higher Child-Pugh class had progressively lower free cortisol. Patients with low GFR < 60 mL/min (N = 22) had more frequently grade II-III diastolic dysfunction (66.7% vs. 17.6%; p = 0.005) and had higher Child-Pugh and MELD score compared to those with normal GFR. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of AI using total cortisol is not confirmed using free cortisol and is thus considered unreliable in cirrhosis. Free cortisol is not associated with renal or cardiac dysfunction. Lower free cortisol in more advanced stages of liver disease might be secondary to decreased synthesis due to lower cholesterol levels. Irrespective of free cortisol, parameters of cardiac dysfunction are associated with renal impairment supporting the cardio-renal hypothesis.

Con: Steroids Should Not Be Withdrawn in Transplant Recipients With Autoimmune Hepatitis.

Autoimmune liver diseases (AILDs) can recur following liver transplantation (LT) despite immunosuppressive therapy, with implications for graft survival. Although the evidence is not robust, disease recurrence seems to occur in the presence of less intense and/or steroid-free immunosuppression (IS) in particular in the case of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). The main risk factor for AIH recurrence is the severity of disease activity in the explant and potential donor/recipient human leukocyte antigen D-related 3 (DR3) mismatch. The treatment for AIH recurrence includes reintroduction or increase in the dose of steroids with or without the addition of azathioprine. T cell-mediated rejection episodes are also more common in AILD. Steroid withdrawal is the common practice in LT for non-AILD, eliminating the risks associated with longterm exposure to steroids. In AILD, maintenance of steroids at a low dose in the long term may reduce the risk of disease recurrence and rejection. This strategy is safe when there is vigilance for steroid-related adverse effects. Alternatively, identifying patients who are at the greatest risk for disease recurrence and who would benefit from intensified IS might be an option.

Development and validation of a mathematical equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate in cirrhosis: The royal free hospital cirrhosis glomerular filtration rate.

Current expressions based on serum creatinine concentration overestimate kidney function in cirrhosis, leading to significant differences between "true" and calculated glomerular filtration rate (GFR). We compared the performance of the four-variable and six-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease and chronic kidney disease epidemiology with "true," or measured, GFR (mGFR) and the impact of this difference on Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) calculation. We subsequently developed and validated a GFR equation specifically for cirrhosis and compared the performance of the new derived formula with existing GFR formulae. We included 469 consecutive patients who had a transplant assessment between 2011 and 2014. mGFR was measured using plasma isotope clearance according to a technique validated in patients with ascites. A corrected creatinine was derived from the mGFR after application of the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula. Subsequently, a corrected MELD was calculated and compared with the conventionally calculated MELD. Stepwise multiple linear regression was used to derive a GFR equation. This was compared with the mGFR in independent external and internal validation sets of 82 and 174 patients with cirrhosis, respectively. A difference >20 mL/minute/1.73 m2 between existing formulae and mGFR was observed in 226 (48.2%) patients. The corrected MELD score was ≥3 points higher in 177 (37.7%) patients. The predicted equation (r2 = 74.6%) was GFR = 45.9 × (creatinine-0·836 ) × (urea-0·229 ) × (international normalized ratio-0·113 ) × (age-0.129 [Corrected November 29, 2016: originally written as "age-129."]) × (sodium0·972 ) × 0.809 (if female) × 0.92 (if moderate/severe ascites). An online calculator is available at http://rfh-cirrhosis-gfr.ucl.ac.uk. The model was a good fit and showed the greatest accuracy compared to that of existing formulae. CONCLUSION: We developed and validated a new accurate model for GFR assessment in cirrhosis, the Royal Free Hospital cirrhosis GFR, using readily available variables; this remains to be tested and incorporated in prognostic scores in patients with cirrhosis. (Hepatology 2017;65:582-591).

Evaluation of Clinical Prognostic Factors and Further Delineation of the Effect of Mesenteric Fibrosis on Survival in Advanced Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumours.

BACKGROUND: Small intestinal neuroendocrine tumours (SI NETs) represent 30-50% of small bowel neoplasms and often present at an advanced stage. To date, there is relatively limited literature regarding prognostic factors affecting overall survival (OS) in stage IV disease. In addition, the prevalence of mesenteric fibrosis (MF) in SI NETs and its effect on OS have not been sufficiently explored in the literature. AIM: The primary aim of this study was to perform a large-scale survival analysis in an institutional cohort of 387 patients with metastatic (stage IV) SI NETs. The secondary aim was to provide epidemiological information regarding the prevalence of MF and to evaluate its effect on OS. RESULTS: The median OS was 101 months (95% CI 84, 118). Age > 65 years, mesenteric metastases with and without desmoplasia, liver metastases, carcinoid heart disease (CHD) and bone metastases were associated with a significantly shorter OS, while primary tumour resection was predictive of a longer OS. The benefit of surgical resection was limited to symptomatic patients. MF was present in approximately 50% of patients with mesenteric lymphadenopathy. Elevated urinary 5-HIAA levels correlated strongly with the presence of CHD (p < 0.001) and to a lesser extent (p = 0.02) with MF. MF and CHD did not usually co-exist, suggesting that different mechanisms are likely to be involved in the development of these fibrotic complications. CONCLUSIONS: This study has identified specific prognostic factors in a large cohort of 387 patients with advanced SI NETs and has provided useful epidemiological data regarding carcinoid-related fibrotic complications.

Collagen proportionate area is superior to other histological methods for sub-classifying cirrhosis and determining prognosis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: One-year survival in cirrhosis ranges from 1 to 57% depending on the clinical stage. Accurate sub-classification has important prognostic implications but there is no stage beyond cirrhosis using current qualitative histological systems. We compared the performance of all histological semi-quantitative and quantitative methods specifically developed for sub-classifying cirrhosis that have been described to date, with collagen proportionate area (CPA), to evaluate how well they distinguish patients with and without hepatic clinical decompensation at presentation, and in predicting future decompensating events. METHODS: We included consecutive patients with a histological diagnosis of cirrhosis that had a suitable liver biopsy between 2003 and 2007. We used semi-quantitative histological scoring systems proposed by Laennec, Kumar, and Nagula. We also measured quantitatively nodule size, septal width and fibrous tissue expressed in CPA. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients, mean age 52.3±11years, mean MELD 11.8±5.8, median follow-up 56months. Main aetiologies were alcohol (38%) and hepatitis C (27.5%). Twenty-four patients (34.8%) had had a previous episode of clinical decompensation. Amongst the 45 patients who were compensated, 11 (24%) decompensated on follow-up. In Cox regression, amongst all histological parameters, CPA was the only variable independently associated with clinical decompensation up to the time of biopsy, with an odds ratio that ranged from 1.245 to 1.292. Furthermore, only CPA was significantly associated with future decompensation (OR: 1.117, 95% CI 1.020-1.223; p=0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Cirrhosis can be accurately sub-classified using quantification of fibrosis with CPA, and furthermore CPA is the only independent predictor of clinical decompensation amongst all other histological sub-classification systems described to date.

The Royal Free Hospital score: a calibrated prognostic model for patients with cirrhosis admitted to intensive care unit. Comparison with current models and CLIF-SOFA score.

OBJECTIVES: Prognosis for patients with cirrhosis admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) is poor. ICU prognostic models are more accurate than liver-specific models. We identified predictors of mortality, developed a novel prognostic score (Royal Free Hospital (RFH) score), and tested it against established prognostic models and the yet unvalidated Chronic Liver Failure-Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (CLIF-SOFA) model. METHODS: Predictors of mortality were defined by logistic regression in a cohort of 635 consecutive patients with cirrhosis admitted to ICU (1989-2012). The RFH score was derived using a 75% training and 25% validation set. Predictive accuracy and calibration were evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) and goodness-of-fit χ(2) for the RFH score, as well as for SOFA, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II), and Child-Pugh. CLIF-SOFA was applied to a recent subset (2005-2012) of patients. RESULTS: In-hospital mortality was 52.3%. Mortality improved over time but with a corresponding reduction in acuity of illness on admission. Predictors of mortality in training set, which constituted the RFH score, were the following: bilirubin, international normalized ratio, lactate, alveolar arterial partial pressure oxygen gradient, urea, while variceal bleeding as indication for admission conferred lesser risk. Classification accuracy was 73.4% in training and 76.7% in validation sample and did not change significantly across different eras of admission. The AUROC for the derived model was 0.83 and the goodness-of-fit χ(2) was 3.74 (P=0.88). AUROC for SOFA was 0.81, MELD was 0.79, APACHE II was 0.78, and Child-Pugh was 0.67. In 2005-2012 cohort, AUROC was: SOFA: 0.74, CLIF-SOFA: 0.75, and RFH: 0.78. Goodness-of-fit χ(2) was: SOFA: 6.21 (P=0.63), CLIF-SOFA: 9.18 (P=0.33), and RFH: 2.91 (P=0.94). CONCLUSIONS: RFH score demonstrated good discriminative ability and calibration. Internal validation supports its generalizability. CLIF-SOFA did not perform better than RFH and the original SOFA. External validation of our model should be undertaken to confirm its clinical utility.

Accuracy of controlled attenuation parameter for liver steatosis in patients at risk for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease using magnetic resonance imaging: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) enables the noninvasive assessment of liver steatosis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CAP for identifying liver steatosis in patients at risk for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), using magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) as the reference standard. Methods: We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and gray literature sources up to March 2024. We defined MASLD as MRI-PDFF ≥5%. We also assessed the accuracy of CAP for identifying patients with MRI-PDFF ≥10%. We calculated pooled sensitivity and specificity estimates using hierarchical random-effects models. We assessed the risk of bias using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool, and the certainty in meta-analysis estimates using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. Results: We included 8 studies with 1116 participants. The prevalence of MASLD ranged from 65.2-93.9%. Pooled sensitivity and specificity of CAP for MRI-PDFF ≥5% were 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79-0.88) and 0.77 (95%CI 0.68-0.84), respectively, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.88. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for MRI-PDFF ≥10% were 0.83 (95%CI 0.80-0.87) and 0.72 (95%CI 0.59-0.82), with an AUROC of 0.85. The certainty in our estimates was low to very low because of the high risk of bias, inconsistency and imprecision. Conclusions: CAP has acceptable diagnostic accuracy for both MRI-PDFF ≥5% and MRI-PDFF ≥10%. Adequately powered and rigorously conducted diagnostic accuracy studies are warranted to establish the optimal CAP thresholds.

Management of portal hypertension in children with portal vein thrombosis.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a common cause of portal hypertension in children. Predisposing conditions for PVT are obscure in more than half of the cases. Variceal bleeding and splenomegaly are the most frequent initial manifestations. Radiologic imaging studies are the mainstay for diagnosis. Treatment includes pharmacologic, endoscopic, and surgical modalities. ß-Adrenergic blockers are not routinely used in children because of unproven efficacy and significant adverse effects. Endoscopic methods, such as sclerotherapy and endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL), are highly effective in the treatment of acute variceal bleeding and eradication of varices. EVL is the treatment of choice because of minimal complications and the need for few endoscopic sessions. EVL facilitates portal decompression either by the formation of collateral vessels or by surgical portosystemic shunting, when vessels grow to the proper diameter for anastomosis. Surgical portosystemic shunts are reserved for refractory cases because of significant complications and technical difficulties. Transjugular portosystemic shunts have an emerging role in the management of portal hypertension caused by PVT. PVT may occur in the posttransplant setting, but optimal management is not defined yet.

Achieving Improving Quality in Liver Services (IQILS) accreditation - lessons learned from one unit's experience.

In 2017 the Royal College of Physicians launched a voluntary accreditation process supported by British Association for the Study of the Liver (BASL) and the British Society of Gastroenterologists (BSG) to improve the quality and consistency of liver services across the UK and Ireland. This article describes the approach that we took and the challenges that we met on the way to achieving accreditation.

Liver transplantation for acute liver failure in Europe: outcomes over 20 years from the ELTR database.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Liver transplantation for acute liver failure (ALF) still has a high early mortality. We evaluated changes during 20 years, and identified risk factors for poor outcome. METHODS: Donor, graft, and recipient variables from the European Liver Transplant Registry database (January 1988-June 2009), were analysed. Aetiologies and time periods were compared. Three and 12-month survival models were generated from separate training data sets, which were validated. A sub-analysis was performed for recipient older than 50 years. RESULTS: Four thousand nine hundred and three patients were evaluated. One, 5- and 10-year patient, and graft survival rates were 74%, 68%, 63%, and 63%, 57%, 50%, respectively. Survival was better in 2004-2009 compared to previous quinquennia (p<0.001), despite donors >60 years increased from 1.8% to 21%. A higher incidence of suicide or non-adherence occurred in paracetamol-related ALF (p<0.001). Death or graft loss were independently associated with male recipients (adjusted OR 1.25), recipient >50 years (1.26), incompatible ABO matching (1.93), donors >60 years (1.21), and reduced size graft (1.54). For both 3- and 12-month models, incompatible ABO matching, non-viral aetiology, reduced size graft, and non-UW preservation fluid were associated with increased mortality/graft loss, whereas male recipients and age >50 years were associated only at 12 months. Both models had reasonable discriminative ability with good calibration at 3 months. Recipients >50 years, combined with donors >60 years resulted in 57% mortality/graft loss within the first year. CONCLUSIONS: Survival after liver transplantation has improved despite increases in donor/recipient age. Recipients >50 years paired with donors >60 years had a very high mortality/graft loss within the first year.

Comparison of the sequential organ failure assessment score with the King's College Hospital criteria and the model for end-stage liver disease score for the prognosis of acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure.

Acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure (ALF) is a complex multiorgan illness. An assessment of the prognosis is essential for the accurate identification of patients for whom survival without liver transplantation (LT) is unlikely. The aims of this study were the comparison of prognostic models [King's College Hospital (KCH), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II)] and the identification of independent prognostic indicators of outcome. We evaluated consecutive patients with severe acetaminophen-induced ALF who were admitted to the intensive care unit. At admission, demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were recorded. The discriminative ability of each prognostic score at the baseline was evaluated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). In addition, using a multiple logistic regression, we assessed independent factors associated with outcome. In all, 125 consecutive patients with acetaminophen-induced ALF were evaluated: 67 patients (54%) survived with conservative medical management (group 1), and 58 patients (46%) either died without LT (28%) or underwent LT (18%; group 2). Group 1 patients had significantly lower median APACHE II (10 versus 14) and SOFA scores (9 versus 12) than group 2 patients (P < 0.001). The independent indicators associated with death or LT were a longer prothrombin time (P = 0.007), the inspiratory oxygen concentration (P = 0.005), and the lactate level at 12 hours (P < 0.001). The KCH criteria had the highest specificity (83%) but the lowest sensitivity (47%), and the SOFA score had the best discriminative ability (AUC = 0.79). In conclusion, for patients with acetaminophen-induced ALF, the SOFA score performed better than the other prognostic scores, and this reflected the presence of multiorgan dysfunction. A further evaluation of SOFA with the KCH criteria is warranted.

Cardiac dysfunction in cirrhosis - does adrenal function play a role? A hypothesis.

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM), a condition of unknown pathogenesis, is characterized by suboptimal ventricular contractile response to stress, diastolic dysfunction and QT interval prolongation. It is most often found in patients with advanced cirrhosis. It is clinically relevant during stressful conditions, such as sepsis, bleeding and surgery. CCM reverses after liver transplantation and potentially has a role in the pathogenesis of hepatorenal syndrome. In adrenal insufficiency (AI), cardiac dysfunction is a feature with low ejection fraction, decreased left ventricular chamber size and electrocardiographic abnormalities, including QT interval prolongation. With optimal diagnostic tests, AI is present in approximately 10% of patients with cirrhosis, particularly in those with advanced disease. Down-regulation and decreased number of beta-adrenergic receptors, and high catecholamine levels are common to both cardiac conditions. Thus, AI may play a role in CCM. Steroid replacement therapy reverses cardiac changes in AI, and may do so for CCM, with important therapeutic implications; this needs formal evaluation.

Challenges in liver transplantation in the context of a major pandemic.

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has led to a temporary suspension of liver transplant activity across the world and the remodeling of care for patients on the waiting list and transplant recipients with the increasing use of remote consultations. Emerging evidence shows that patients with more advanced liver disease are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 and death, whereas transplant recipients have similar risk with the general population which is mainly driven by age and metabolic comorbidities. Tacrolimus immunosuppression might have a protective role in the post-transplant population. Vaccines that have become rapidly available seem to be safe in liver patients, but the antibody response in transplant patients is likely suboptimal. Most transplant centers were gradually able to resume activity soon after the onset of the pandemic and after modifying their pathways to optimize safety for patients and workforce. Preliminary evidence regarding utilizing grafts from positive donors and/or transplanting recently recovered or infected recipients under certain circumstances is encou raging and may allow offering life-saving transplant to patients at the greatest need. This review summarizes the currently available data on liver trans plantation in the context of a major pandemic and discusses areas of uncertainty and future challenges. Lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic might provide invaluable guidance for future pandemics.

Vitamin D as a chemopreventive agent in colorectal neoplasms. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in both sexes and the second in terms of mortality. Apart from genetic predisposition, dietary and lifestyle factors have been implicated in the development of CRC. Several studies suggested that vitamin D (VitD) might be a promising strategy in CRC prevention, while other studies did not confirm this finding. The aim of our study was to examine the role of Vit-D supplementation in the prevention of colorectal neoplasms (CRC and polyps). We conducted a systematic search in Pubmed, Embase and Web of Science databases for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) examining the incidence of colorectal neoplasms in patients taking Vit-D supplementation compared to placebo. We synthetized results using Risk Ratio along with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). Nine RCTs (N = 71,386) were included. Non-significant correlations were observed between Vit-D supplementation and CRC incidence (RR:1.06, p = 0.52). Similarly, non-significant associations were observed between the use of Vit-D supplements and colorectal adenoma incidence (RR:1.00, p = 0.91). Advanced adenomas (OR:1.05, p = 0.63) and serrated polyps (RR:1.03, p = 0.63) were also not significantly inversely associated with Vit-D supplementation. Our study shows that Vit-D does not seem to have a role in the chemoprevention of colorectal neoplasms. However, additional well-designed studies are needed in order to draw safe conclusions. A potentially beneficial role of Vit-D supplementation in CRC primary prevention in individuals with severe vitamin D deficiency as well in the primary prevention of early-onset CRC, requires further investigation.

Safety and efficacy of long-term statin treatment for cardiovascular events in patients with coronary heart disease and abnormal liver tests in the Greek Atorvastatin and Coronary Heart Disease Evaluation (GREACE) Study: a post-hoc analysis.

BACKGROUND: Long-term statin treatment reduces the frequency of cardiovascular events, but safety and efficacy in patients with abnormal liver tests is unclear. We assessed whether statin therapy is safe and effective for these patients through post-hoc analysis of the Greek Atorvastatin and Coronary Heart Disease Evaluation (GREACE) study population. METHODS: GREACE was a prospective, intention-to-treat study that randomly assigned by a computer-generated randomisation list 1600 patients with coronary heart disease (aged <75 years, with serum concentrations of LDL cholesterol >2·6 mmol/L and triglycerides <4·5 mmol/L) at the Hippokration University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece to receive statin or usual care, which could include statins. The primary outcome of our post-hoc analysis was risk reduction for first recurrent cardiovascular event in patients treated with a statin who had moderately abnormal liver tests (defined as serum alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase concentrations of less than three times the upper limit of normal) compared with patients with abnormal liver tests who did not receive a statin. This risk reduction was compared with that for patients treated (or not) with statin and normal liver tests. FINDINGS: Of 437 patients with moderately abnormal liver tests at baseline, which were possibly associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 227 who were treated with a statin (mainly atorvastatin 24 mg per day) had substantial improvement in liver tests (p<0·0001) whereas 210 not treated with a statin had further increases of liver enzyme concentrations. Cardiovascular events occurred in 22 (10%) of 227 patients with abnormal liver tests who received statin (3·2 events per 100 patient-years) and 63 (30%) of 210 patients with abnormal liver tests who did not receive statin (10·0 events per 100 patient-years; 68% relative risk reduction, p<0·0001). This cardiovascular disease benefit was greater (p=0·0074) than it was in patients with normal liver tests (90 [14%] events in 653 patients receiving a statin [4·6 per 100 patient-years] vs 117 [23%] in 510 patients not receiving a statin [7·6 per 100 patient-years]; 39% relative risk reduction, p<0·0001). Seven (<1%) of 880 participants who received a statin discontinued statin treatment because of liver-related adverse effects (transaminase concentrations more than three-times the upper limit of normal). INTERPRETATION: Statin treatment is safe and can improve liver tests and reduce cardiovascular morbidity in patients with mild-to-moderately abnormal liver tests that are potentially attributable to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. FUNDING: None.

The Role of RASs /RVs in the Current Management of HCV.

The approval of combination therapies with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens has led to significant progress in the field of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. Although most patients treated with these agents achieve a virological cure, resistance to DAAs is a major issue. The rapid emergence of resistance-associated substitutions (RASs), in particular in the context of incomplete drug pressure, has an impact on sustained virological response (SVR) rates. Several RASs in NS3, NS5A and NS5B have been linked with reduced susceptibility to DAAs. RAS vary based on HCV characteristics and the different drug classes. DAA-resistant HCV variant haplotypes (RVs) are dominant in cases of virological failure. Viruses with resistance to NS3-4A protease inhibitors are only detected in the peripheral blood in a time frame ranging from weeks to months following completion of treatment, whereas NS5A inhibitor-resistant viruses may persist for years. Novel agents have been developed that demonstrate promising results in DAA-experienced patients. The recent approval of broad-spectrum drug combinations with a high genetic barrier to resistance and antiviral potency may overcome the problem of resistance.