Soluble interleukin-2 receptor and soluble CD8 in liver cirrhosis and obstructive jaundice.

Activated lymphocytes secrete soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R); CD8-positive lymphocytes secrete soluble CD8 (sCD8). Liver dysfunction in cirrhosis and obstructive jaundice is known to result in depressed cellular immunity. To evaluate whether this is due to real inactivation of the immune system, we measured sIL-2R and sCD8 in the serum of 46 patients with liver cirrhosis, 25 patients with obstructive jaundice, 32 patients with alcoholic liver disease without evidence of cirrhosis, 23 healthy persons and 43 patients with unrelated disease. sIL-2R in patients with cirrhosis (mean +/- s.e.m. 1499 +/- 140 U/ml) and obstructive jaundice (1517 +/- 204) was significantly increased compared with healthy subjects (363 +/- 29) and patients with unrelated diseases (685 +/- 92); sCD8 was significantly increased in patients with cirrhosis (737 +/- 63) but not in patients with obstructive jaundice (419 +/- 32) compared with healthy subjects (322 +/- 23) and patients with unrelated diseases (375 +/- 22). No difference was found between patients with cirrhosis due to alcohol abuse (n = 15) and chronic hepatitis B (n = 6). The Child-Pugh score had no significant influence on the sIL-2R or sCD8 value. In obstructive jaundice, sIL-2R correlated with alkaline phosphatase as marker of cholestasis (r = 0.43). These data show that in spite of the apparent depressed cellular immune defense both in liver cirrhosis and obstructive jaundice there is a general activation of the immune system but the CD8+ cell compartment is only activated in liver cirrhosis. The great changes of sIL-2R and sCD8 in liver dysfunction are important for the interpretation of studies using these serum proteins as markers for immune activation.     

Peripheral hepatolithiasis incidentally found at autopsy

Summary Hepatolithiasis is a common disease in East Asia though very rare in the West. Four cases of hepatolithiasis in which calculi were incidentally found in the peripheral branches of the intrahepatic biliary tree at autopsy are described and compared with hepatolithiasis involving the major branches of the intrahepatic biliary tree. These four cases were all elderly, three patients were male and one female. The calculi were brown pigment stones in each case, as seen in the major branch type. The stone-containing ducts showed mild fibrosis and glandular proliferation with inflammatory changes in three cases; these changes were marked in the fourth case. The hepatic parenchyma around the stone-containing ducts was atrophic or collapsed in all four cases. The major branches of the intrahepatic biliary tree as well as the extrahepatic tree failed to show findings suggestive of bacterial infections or biliary anomalies. These data suggest that brown pigment stones develop primarily in the peripheral ducts in the liver. It remains uncertain whether the peripheral type eventually progresses to the major type or not.     

Risk of obstetric cholestasis in sisters of index patients

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the rate of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy in first-degree relatives of index patients. Index patients (n=65) with singleton pregnancies complicated by intrahepatic cholestasis were identified among the women (n=11 984) who gave birth at Kuopio University Hospital in 1994-1998. The pregnancy histories of relatives of 56 index patients were reviewed and the rate of cholestasis in first-degree relatives was compared with that in the general obstetric population. Obstetric cholestasis was experienced by 9% of the parous sisters and 11% of the mothers of the index patients. The risk per delivery was 6% in the first-degree relatives. The rate in the general obstetric population was 0.54%. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 12.6 (5.6-28.1) for the sisters and 12.2 (6.2-24.2) for the mothers. Obstetric cholestasis clusters within some families and is under strong genetic influence, although the precise genetic pattern remains obscure. The sisters of index patients are at an increased risk of the disorder and may benefit from close obstetric care.     

Intravenous Lipid Emulsions in the Prevention and Treatment of Liver Disease in Intestinal Failure

The development of intestinal failure-associated liver disease (IFALD) in pediatric and adult patients on parenteral nutrition is usually multifactorial in nature due to nutritional and non-nutritional causes. The role of lipid therapy as a contributing cause is well-established with the pathophysiological pathways now better understood. The review focuses on risk factors for IFALD development, biological effects of lipids, lipid emulsions and the mechanisms of lipid toxicity observed in laboratory animals followed by a synopsis of clinical studies in pediatric and adult patients. The introduction of fish oil-based lipid emulsions that provide partial or complete lipid replacement therapy has resulted in resolution of IFALD that had been associated with soybean oil-based therapy. Based on case reports and cohort studies in pediatric and adult patients who were at risk or developed overt liver disease, we now have more evidence that an early switch to partial or complete fish oil–based lipid therapy should be implemented in order to successfully halt and reverse IFALD.     

磁共振胰胆管成像技术的临床应用

目的　探讨磁共振胰胆管成像（Ｍａｇｎｅｔｉｃ　ｒｅｓｏｎａｎｃｅ　ｃｈｏｌａｎｇｉｏｐａｎｃｒｅａｔｏｇｒａｐｈｙ,ＭＲＣＰ）技术的优势及临床意义。方 法３４例疑有胆道梗阻的患者,在常规ＭＲＩ扫描后,再以ＭＲＣＰ术行快速自旋回波重Ｔ２ＷＩ序列扫描,图像采用最大 强度投影法（ＭＩＰ）重建。结果２９例阳性患者清晰地显示了梗阻的部位、形态及肝内胆管扩张情况。结论　采用ＭＲＣＰ 技术,可以在不注入造影剂的情况下,取得类似内窥镜逆行胰胆管造影（ＥＲＣＰ）和经皮肝穿胆道造影的造影效果。它对 胆道梗阻有很高的敏感性和特异性。最大优势是无创伤性、无并发症。对年高、体弱及胆肠吻合术后ＥＲＣＰ插管困难者 尤为适宜,有望取代部分创伤性胆道造影技术。     

Surgical resection for non-Asian intrahepatic lithiasis: The Brazilian experience

BackgroundIntrahepatic lithiasis (IHL) is a rare disease in the western world. Complications associated with IHL include acute cholangitis, liver atrophy, secondary biliary cirrhosis, and risk for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Liver resection is considered the treatment of choice for IHL. The objective of this study was to analyze patients who underwent liver resection for non-Asian hepatolithiasis.Methods127 patients with symptomatic non-Asian hepatolithiasis underwent resection in six institutions. Demographic data, clinical presentation, diagnosis, classification according to stone location, presence of atrophy, bile duct stricture, biliary cirrhosis, incidence of cholangiocarcinoma, treatment and postoperative course were evaluated.Results52 patients (40.9%) were male and the mean age was 46.1 years. Sixty-six patients (51.9%) presented with history of cholangitis. Stones were located in the left lobe in 63 (49.6%), and right lobe in 28 patients (22.0%). Atrophy was observed in 31 patients (24.4%) and biliary stenosis in 18 patients (14.1%). The most common procedure performed was left lateral sectionectomy in 63 (49.6%) patients, followed by left hepatectomy in 36 (28.3%), right hepatectomy in 19 (15.0%), and associated hepaticojejunostomy in 28 (22.0%). Forty-two patients (33.0%) presented postoperative complications and the most common were biliary fistula (13.3%) and surgical site infection (7.0%). Postoperative mortality was 0.7%. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma was observed in 2 patients (1.5%). Recurrence was identified in 10 patients (7.8%), mostly with bilateral stones and/or hepaticojejunostomy.ConclusionLiver resection is the standard treatment for symptomatic unilateral or complicated IHL with good operative results. Risk of cholangiocarcinoma was low in non-Asian patients.     

孕妇外周血NKT细胞水平与妊娠期肝内胆汁淤积症发病及病情关系

目的:探究孕妇外周血自然杀伤T(NTK)细胞水平与妊娠期肝内胆汁淤积症(ICP)发病及病情严重程度相关性。方法:选择2016年3月1日-2018年3月1日本院就诊的ICP患者52例(ICP患者组),根据ICP严重程度分为轻度ICP组(n=28)和重度ICP组(n=24),同时随机选择孕周相当的健康产前检查孕妇52例(健康孕妇组),比较各组外周血单个核细胞(PBMC)中NKT细胞水平,分析NKT细胞水平与ICP发生发展相关性。结果:ICP患者组外周血PBMC中NKT细胞含量高于健康孕妇组(P<0.05)。对ICP患者组和健康孕妇组外周血PBMC给予不同刺激物培养后,均显示出NKT细胞含量在正常组与空白组无差异(P>0.05),而在植物血凝素(PHA)组、ICP组、正常组依次降低(P<0.05)。重度ICP组外周血PBMC中NKT细胞含量高于轻度ICP组(P<0.05),NKT细胞含量与ICP病情严重程度呈正相关关系(P<0.05)。结论:ICP发生及进展与孕妇外周血NKT细胞水平呈正相关关系,监测NKT细胞水平可为诊断ICP提供新思路。     

妊娠肝内胆汁淤积症孕妇血及脐血中一氧化氮水平与胎儿脐血流的关系

目的　了解妊娠肝内胆汁淤积症 (ICP)时 ,孕妇血及脐血中一氧化氮 (NO)水平与胎儿脐动脉血流的关系 ,以进一步探讨ICP时胎盘循环阻力增高的原因。方法　对 35例ICP孕妇 (ICP)组 )及 32例正常孕妇 (对照组 ) ,用镉还原显色法测定母血及脐血NO水平 ;超声多普勒测定胎儿脐血流S/D值。结果　ICP组母血、脐血NO水平均明显低于对照组 (P <0 .0 1,P <0 .0 1) ;两组母血、脐血NO水平均有相关关系 (r =0 .5 481,r =0 .82 0 6 ,P<0 .0 1,P <0 .0 1) ,ICP组脐动脉血流S/D值明显高于对照组 (P <0 .0 1) ,母血、脐血NO水平与S/D值呈负相关(r =- 0 .34 15 ,r=- 0 .42 6 1,P <0 .0 5 ,P <0 .0 1。结论　ICP时母血、脐血NO水平降低对胎儿—胎盘循坏阻力增加有重要的作用     

梗阻性黄疸与肠粘膜屏障功能的实验研究

目的 了解梗阻性黄疸时小肠粘膜的病理改变。方法 无菌条件下结扎大鼠总胆管,取末端回肠观察其组织学改变,测量小肠粘膜的绒毛高度,绒毛面积和肠粘膜厚度;计算内脏细菌移位率。结果 在光镜下观察到总胆管结扎组肠粘膜萎缩,绒毛水肿,部分上皮细胞脱落;绒毛平均高度、绒毛平均面积和粘膜平均厚度减少。在电镜下观察到微绒毛稀疏,排列紊乱,内质网数目少且结构不完整;线粒体数目少,轻度肿胀,膜不清楚,嵴少而乱,内有空泡