Therapeutic possibilities hepatoprotectors in alcoholic liver cirrhosis

The aim of the study was to investigate the therapeutic opportunities of S-adenosylmethionine and polyunsaturated lecithin in Child class A patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis using transient elastography. MATERIALS: The 38 males Child class A alcoholic liver cirrhosis were investigated. RESULTS: The use of S-adenosylmethionine or polyunsaturated lecithin in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis is reasonable cause of their possibility to reduce the fibrogenesis in liver tissue and of their possibility to improve the function of remained intact hepatocytes. Thus use of this remedies prevents progression of cirrhotic transformation of the liver and gives a patient an opportunity to get the stable clinical status.     

CT图像自动识别系统诊断肝炎肝硬化的研究

目的探讨肝炎肝硬化早期诊断方法。方法基于肝脏CT平扫图像，采用计算机图像自动识别及测量技术．计算乙型肝炎患者肝叶比例，通过统计对照数据库中的历史数据，对早期肝硬化做出诊断。结果肝硬化组与乙型肝炎组比较，本系统L1／L2和R1／L1比值均有显著性差异（P〈0．05）；建立判别方程：D=1．650LI／L 2＋0．509R1／L1-5．019；确定判别的临界值为0．0795；D〉0．0795为肝硬化，D〈0．0795为乙型肝炎；判别效果分析（回代），结果诊断肝硬化的正确率为68．42％，诊断乙型肝炎或判断为无肝硬化的正确率为89．8％。结论可以利用肝脏各叶的比例变化来预测和早期诊断肝炎肝硬化。     

The timing of liver transplantation in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis, the most common chronic cholestatic liver disease in adults, usually progresses to cirrhosis and its complications. Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy delays disease progression, but most patients will ultimately succumb. Liver transplantation is now accepted as the standard treatment for end-stage PBC. Development of major complications of portal hypertension and liver failure, poor quality of life and short survival without transplantation are the major indications for this surgical intervention in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Resource use is another key variable to be considered in the timing of liver transplantation. Prognostic models have been developed to predict survival and resource utilization with and without liver transplantation. Prognostic models aid the clinician in the selection and timing of liver transplantation in the patient with primary biliary cirrhosis.     

肝硬化患者肺功能状态观察

目的：了解肝硬化患者的肺功能状态。方法：测定40例肝硬化患者的肺功能及血气分析,并以健康人群作对照。结果：肝硬化患者肺功能指标（FVC、FEV1、FEV1／FVC、MVV、V25、V50、V75、DLco,PaO2)较健康对照组明显减低,P（A-a)O2明显升高,有显著差异（P＜0．01）,且肝硬化患者病情越严重肺功能损害越明显。结论：肝硬化患者的FVC、FEV1、FEV1／FVC、MVV、V25、V50、V75、DLco,PaO2较对照组明显降低,P（A－a)O2明显升高,表明肝硬化患者存在肺通气功能障碍和弥散功能障碍。腹水、肝性胸水是肺通气功能障碍的主要原因;而肺内血流异常（肺内动－静脉分流和肺血管扩张）是肺弥散功能障碍的主要原因。     

Low dose amiodarone causing pseudo-alcoholic cirrhosis

Amiodarone is a commonly used anti-arrhythmic in elderly patients. Abnormal liver function is frequently reported with its use but clinically symptomatic disease is rare. Hepatomegaly, cholestasis, acute hepatitis and rarely fulminant liver failure have been recorded [1, 2], however amiodarone toxicity presenting with cirrhosis is exceedingly rare. Toxic effects of amiodarone are well described with higher dosage but severe hepatic toxicity and cirrhosis with low dose amiodarone has not been reported in the English language literature. We present a report on a patient with pseudo-alcoholic cirrhosis with low dose amiodarone.     

基质金属蛋白酶组织抑制因子mRNA及蛋白在肝硬化组织中的定位

目的：了解基质金属蛋白酶组织抑制因子TIMP－1和TIMP－2蛋白及mRNA在肝硬化组织中的表达和分布状态。方法：以抗TIMP－1和TIMP－2单克隆抗体及TIMP－1和TIMP－2 cDNA探针为试剂,采用免疫组织化学法和原位杂交技术检测肝硬化组织中TIMP－1和TIMP－2蛋白和mRNA,结果：40例肝硬化患者肝组织中TIMP－1和TIMP－2蛋白以及mRNA表达的阳性率为100％,TIMP－1阳性的组织TIMP－2亦为阳性,且TIMP－1强度高于TIMP－2,而正常肝组织未见阳性表达,TIMP－1和TIMP－2蛋白及mRNA表达的阳性信号均位于肝细胞胞浆中,细胞核中无表达,结论：肝硬化患者的肝细胞中存在TIMP－1和TIMP－2蛋白及mRNA的表达,其表达强度与肝组织病理改变呈正相关,这可能是通过抑制基质金属蛋白酶（MMPs)的活性,使得细胞外基质（ECM）降解减少而引起肝硬化。     

Malnutrition and liver disease in a developing country

Malnutrition is a highly prevalent and under recognized condition in developing countries of South Asia. The presence of malnutrition causes a severe impact on patients with liver cirrhosis. The etiology of cirrhosis differs in the South Asian region compared to the West, with hepatitis B and C still being the leading causes and the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease increasing over time. Comorbid malnutrition worsens outcomes for cirrhosis patients. Urgent attention to address malnutrition is needed to improve patient outcomes. The etiology and pathophysiology of malnutrition in liver diseases is multifactorial, as reduction in liver function affects both macronutrients and micronutrients. A need for nutritional status assessment for liver disease patients exists in all parts of the world. There are many widely studied tools in use to perform a thorough nutritional assessment, of which some tools are low cost and do not require extensive training. These tools can be studied and evaluated for use in the resource limited setting of a country like Pakistan. Treatment guidelines for proper nutrition maintenance in chronic liver disease exist for all parts of the world, but the knowledge and practice of nutritional counseling in Pakistan is poor, both amongst patients and physicians. Emphasis on assessment for nutritional status at the initial visit with recording of vital signs is needed. Simultaneously, treating physicians need to be made aware of the misconceptions surrounding nutritional restrictions in cirrhosis so that patient education is done correctly based on proper scientific evidence.     

Amoebic abscess in the cirrhotic liver.

Though amoebic liver abscess and liver cirrhosis occur very commonly in hospital practice in the tropics, they have not to the knowledge of the present authors hitherto been reported to occur simultaneously in the same patient. The patient described here, who had clear-cut clinical and histological features of chronic liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension and ascites, presented somewhat acutely with liver pain and an amoebic liver abscess that contained 'chocolate sauce' on needle aspiration. The amoebic abscess, although, no doubt, superimposed on chronic irreversible cirrhosis, rapidly regressed on metronidazole therapy. The infrequency with which liver abscess and liver cirrhosis coexist cannot be satisfactorily explained. It is probable, however, that extensive scarring in the liver may prevent entamoeba histolytica from thriving.     

Hospital contacts with alcohol problems prior to liver cirrhosis or pancreatitis diagnosis

AIM To evaluate prior hospital contacts with alcohol problems in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and pancreatitis. METHODS This was a register-based study of all patients diagnosed with alcoholic liver cirrhosis or pancreatitis during 2008-2012 in Denmark. Hospital contacts with alcohol problems(intoxication, harmful use, or dependence) in the 10-year period preceding the diagnosis of alcoholic liver cirrhosis and pancreatitis were identified.RESULTS In the 10 years prior to diagnosis, 40% of the 7719 alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients and 40% of the 1811 alcoholic pancreatitis patients had at least one prior hospital contact with alcohol problems. Every sixth patient(15%-16%) had more than five contacts. A similar pattern of prior hospital contacts was observed for alcoholic liver cirrhosis and pancreatitis. Around 30% were diagnosed with alcohol dependence and 10% with less severe alcohol diagnoses. For the majority, admission to somatic wards was the most common type of hospital care with alcohol problems. Most had their first contact with alcohol problems more than five years prior to diagnosis.CONCLUSION There may be opportunities to reach some of the patients who later develop alcoholic liver cirrhosis or pancreatitis with preventive interventions in the hospital setting.     

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia and primary biliary cirrhosis]

We report two cases of nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver associated with primary biliary cirrhosis. Cholestasis and presence of antimitochondrial antibodies were noted in both patients. In one patient, the diagnosis of nodular regenerative hyperplasia was supported by the demonstration of disseminated small hepatic nodules without perinodular fibrosis. Twelve years later, the histopathological picture was one of primary biliary cirrhosis. The other patient presented an histological picture of regenerative hyperplasia of the liver and primary biliary cirrhosis. The association of regenerative hyperplasia of the liver and primary biliary cirrhosis is discussed.     

Ratio of serum aspartate to alanine aminotransferase in chronic hepatitis. Relationship to cirrhosis

The ratio of the serum aspartate to alanine amino-transferase levels (AST/ALT) is often used as a clue to the etiology of the underlying liver disease. This ratio is usually greater than 2.0 in alcoholic liver disease and less than 1.0 in patients with chronic hepatitis and chronic cholestatic syndromes. We analyzed the AST/ALT ratio in 177 patients with various forms of nonalcoholic chronic liver disease who underwent medical evaluation and percutaneous liver biopsy. In the majority of cases of chronic viral hepatitis, the AST/ALT ratio was less than 1.0. However, there was a statistically significant correlation between the AST/ALT ratio and the presence of cirrhosis. Among 100 patients with chronic type B hepatitis, the mean AST/ALT ratio was 0.59 in those without cirrhosis and 1.02 in those with cirrhosis. Furthermore, the AST/ALT ratio often rose to greater than 1.0 when cirrhosis first became manifest. Thus, the finding of an AST/ALT ratio of greater than 1.0 in a patient with nonalcoholic liver disease should suggest the presence of cirrhosis. In addition, the use of the AST/ALT ratio as a means of separating alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver disease must be tempered with the knowledge that this ratio may be less helpful in the presence of cirrhosis.     

A discriminant score based on four routine laboratory blood tests for accurate diagnosis of severe fibrosis and/or liver cirrhosis in Egyptian patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Liver biopsy is still recommended in most patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Due to its limitations and risks, the use of non-invasive blood biomarkers has been suggested for predicting liver cirrhosis in these patients. Here, we analyzed a panel of routine blood biochemical and hematological markers of 455 Egyptians (272 males and 183 females aged 26-67 years; mean age of 47.25 years) with clinically confirmed CHC. The multivariate discriminant analysis (MDA) selected a function based on absolute values of the four routine biomarkers; score=[albumin (g/L)x0.3+platelet count (10(9)/L)x0.05]-[alkaline phosphatase (IU/L)x0.014+AST/ALT ratiox6+14]. The MDA function correctly classified 98% of the cirrhotic patients at a discriminant cut-off score=0 (i.e. less than 0 indicated liver cirrhosis and greater than 0 indicated CHC without cirrhosis) with high degrees of specificity (97%), positive predictive value (99%) and negative predictive value (92%). The MDA of the absolute values of a combination of four routine tests can efficiently indicate liver cirrhosis in CHC patients. Based on individual patient MDA score value, each patient can be simply and efficiently classified into a cirrhotic or a non-cirrhotic liver patient.     

Overlap syndrome of autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis triggered by fluvastatin

Although statins are generally well-tolerated drugs, recent cases of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) associated with their use have been reported. A 59-year-old Japanese man reported with liver damage, which appeared one month after beginning treatment with fluvastatin and continued after discontinuation of the drug. Although drug-induced liver injury was possible, positive autoantibody tests (antinuclear antibodies >1/1280, anti-mitochondrial M2 antibodies 21 index value) also suggested autoimmune liver disease. Liver biopsy findings were consistent with an overlap of autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis. Treatment with prednisone and ursodeoxycholic acid led to a good response. In this patient, manifestation of AIH and primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome was possibly triggered by statin use. Autoimmune liver disease should be considered as a possible diagnosis in patients with evidence of prolonged liver damage after discontinuation of statins.     

SAAG联合腹水总蛋白水平诊断肝硬化腹水的意义

回顾性调查我院120例肝硬化腹水患者SAAG及腹水总蛋白水平,并以30例结核性腹膜炎、40例癌性腹水作对照。结果发现,以SAAG≥11 g/L且腹水总蛋白〈25 g/L为标准,判断为肝硬化腹水,其准确率为98%,无假阳性,假阴性率为2%;结核性腹膜炎患者中无SAAG≥11 g/L且总蛋白〈25 g/L患者;癌性腹水SAAG≥11 g/L且总蛋白〈25 g/L占2.5%。我们认为,以SAAG≥11 g/L且腹水总蛋白〈25 g/L,可有效判断肝硬化腹水。     

2002至2011年中国“北方”地区住院肝硬化患者病因构成及变化趋势分析

目的：分析2002年至2011年10年间中国“北方”地区住院肝硬化患者病因构成及变化趋势。方法对我院过去10年出院第一诊断为肝硬化的53092例患者的病因构成及变化趋势进行分析。结果乙型肝炎、丙型肝炎、酒精和自身免疫性肝病为前4位的病因,分别占74.2%、10.8%、5.8%和3.9%;乙型肝炎肝硬化的构成比从2002年的81.5%下降至2011年的66.8%,而酒精性肝硬化从2002年的3.3%上升至2011年的7.7%,10年间上升了2.3倍;自身免疫性肝病肝硬化患者多为女性（84.3%）,而乙型肝炎肝硬化和酒精性肝硬化患者男性占绝大多数,分别占80.1%和98.0%,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）;酒精性肝硬化患者与乙型肝炎肝硬化患者的平均年龄均不足50岁,而丙型肝炎肝硬化、自身免疫性肝病肝硬化患者的平均年龄均在50岁以上,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）;患者的籍贯以华北地区最多;4种常见病因所致的肝硬化患者的好转率均在70%以上,酒精性肝硬化和自身免疫性肝病肝硬化患者好转率接近80%,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）。结论乙型肝炎、丙型肝炎、酒精和自身免疫性肝病是肝硬化前4位的病因,乙型肝炎肝硬化的构成比在逐年下降,而酒精性肝硬化的构成比在不断上升。     

肝硬化并发菌血症研究进展

菌血症是肝硬化患者的常见并发症,肝硬化菌血症的发生率随肝病严重程度递增,一旦发生菌血症,则提示预后较差。叙述了肝硬化并发菌血症的危险因素、诊断要点、治疗方法、预防及预后五个方面的研究进展,认为早期防治菌血症对肝硬化患者的预后有重要意义。     

Ultrasonography in predicting and screening liver cirrhosis in children： A preliminary study

AIM: To evaluate the value of ultrasonography in predicting and screening liver cirrhosis in children. METHODS: Twenty-eight children with liver cirrhosis of various etiologies were examined by routine ultrasonography. A percutaneous liver biopsy guided by ultrasound was also performed on each patient, and the results of liver biopsy and ultrasonography were compared. RESULTS: When compared with the biopsy results, ultrasonography in combination of clinical and laboratory findings gave accurate diagnoses of children liver cirrhosis. Although ultrasound imaging of children with liver cirrhosis revealed abnormal characteristics, these images were not specific to this disease, thus reinforcing the necessity of ultrasound-guided liver biopsy in the diagnosis of children liver cirrhosis. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography is reliable in the diagnosis of children liver cirrhosis, and its usefulness should be stressed in the screening and follow-up of high-risk pediatric patients.     

Outcomes after liver transplantation for alcoholic hepatitis are similar to alcoholic cirrhosis: exploratory analysis from the UNOS database

Data on liver transplantation for patients with alcoholic hepatitis are limited. Using the United Network for Organ Sharing database (2004-2010), adults undergoing liver transplantation for a listing diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis were matched for age, gender, ethnicity, and model for endstage disease (MELD) score, donor risk index, and year of transplantation with three patients transplanted for a listing diagnosis of alcoholic cirrhosis. Study outcomes of graft and patient survival on follow-up were also analyzed for cohorts based on the diagnosis of the explant (46 alcoholic hepatitis and 138 alcoholic cirrhosis) and diagnosis at both listing as well as of the explant (11 alcoholic hepatitis and 33 alcoholic cirrhosis). Five-year graft and patient survival of alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis patients were 75% and 73% (P = 0.97) and 80% and 78% (P = 0.90), respectively. Five-year graft and patient survival rates were also similar for cohorts based on diagnosis of the explant and diagnosis at listing as well as explant. Cox proportional regression analysis adjusting for other variables showed no impact of the etiology of liver disease (alcoholic hepatitis versus alcoholic cirrhosis) on the graft and patient survival. The causes of graft loss and patient mortality were similar in the two groups, and were not alcohol-related in any patient. CONCLUSION: Compared with alcoholic cirrhosis, patients with alcoholic hepatitis have similar posttransplantation graft and patient survival. Based on these preliminary findings, liver transplantation may be considered in a select group of patients with alcoholic hepatitis who fail to improve with medical therapy. Prospective studies are needed to assess the long-term outcome after liver transplantation in patients with alcoholic hepatitis.     

早期肝硬化定量诊断的CT研究

目的　通过对肝硬化肝脏各叶及门静脉进行量化的研究 ,为临床影像早期诊断肝硬化提供依据。方法　选择肝硬化代偿期组、失代偿期组作为疾病组 ,选择健康人作为对照组进行对比研究 ,利用人体常用解剖轴线作为肝脏测量的基准线。门静脉系统的测量采用文献报道的常用方法。结果　肝硬化时肝脏左叶冠状径 (L1)的变化最具临床意义 ,肝硬化代偿期时该值增大 ,肝硬化失代偿期时该值缩小 ;肝叶比例不仅存在于肝叶间同时也存在于肝叶内。门静脉管径的变化主要发生于肝硬化代偿期 ,通过建立门静脉的变化与肝脏变化的数学模型对早期肝硬化进行预测。结论　可以利用肝脏各叶的测量值及门静脉管径的变化预测和诊断早期肝硬化     

Effect of Alcohol Use on Allograft Rejection Rates after Liver Transplantation for Alcoholic Liver Disease

Alcoholic liver disease is a major cause of liver disease and has become an ever-increasing indication for liver transplantation (LTx). Follow-up studies have reported a higher rate of alcohol recidivism in patients transplanted for alcoholic hepatitis, compared with those transplanted for endstage alcohol-associated cirrhosis. It is assumed widely that recurrent alcohol use is associated with reduced compliance with immune suppression and, as a result, an increased risk of graft rejection and loss. To assess this question, 209 alcoholic patients transplanted for either alcoholic hepatitis with cirrhosis or cirrhosis alone between January 1, 1986 and December 31, 1991 were followed, with a mean follow-up of 4.4 ± 0.6 years. There were 175 episodes of acute cellular rejection (ACR) that occurred in 137 patients, for an overall rejection rate of 83.7% or at a rate of 1.25 episodes/patient with rejection. The rate of ACR was three times as great in those who remained alcohol-abstinent (2.24 episodes/patient), compared with those who admitted to continued alcohol use (0.75 episodes/patient) ( p < 0.01). A total of 33 episodes of chronic rejection occurred in 26 patients, for an overall rate of 12.4%. As was the case for ACR, the chronic rejection rate was greater among those who were continuously alcohol-abstinent, compared with those who intermittently used alcohol after successful LTx.
There were no differences in the mean FK 506 or cyclosporin A levels in the groups with and without a rejection episode at the time the rejection episode was documented by liver biopsy. Contrary to generally accepted opinion, these data suggest that continued use of alcohol by liver transplant recipients is associated with a reduction, not an increase, in the rate of rejection.