Pub Date : 2023-08-14DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14030024
C. Marginean, D. Pîrşcoveanu, M. Popescu, A. Docea, A. Radu, A. Popescu, C. Vasile, R. Mitrut, I. Mărginean, George Alexandru Iacob, D. Firu, P. Mitruț
Hematological abnormalities are frequently linked to chronic liver disease of any etiology. About 75% of patients with advanced chronic liver disease experience anemia. The causes of anemia are complex and multifactorial, particularly in cirrhotic patients. Acute and long-term blood loss from the upper gastrointestinal tract, malnutrition, an enlarged spleen brought on by portal hypertension, hemolysis, and coagulation issues are the main causes of anemia. Alcohol, a common cause of chronic liver disease, determines anemia through direct toxicity on the bone marrow, with the suppression of hematopoiesis, through vitamin B6, B12, and folate deficiency due to low intake and malabsorption. In patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection, antiviral drugs such as pegylated interferon and ribavirin can also cause significant anemia. The use of interferon has been linked to bone marrow toxicity, and hemolytic anemia brought on by ribavirin is a well-known dose-dependent side effect. Within six months of the infection with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and Epstein–Barr viruses, aplastic anemia associated with hepatitis is seen. This anemia is characterized by pancytopenia brought on by hypocellular bone marrow. Esophageal varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, and gastric antral vascular ectasia can all cause acute and chronic blood loss. These conditions can progress to iron deficiency anemia, microcytic anemia, and hypochromic anemia. Another common hematologic abnormality in liver cirrhosis is macrocytosis, with multifactorial causes. Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency are frequent in liver cirrhosis, especially of alcoholic etiology, due to increased intestinal permeability, dysbiosis, and malnutrition. Many chronic liver diseases, like viral and autoimmune hepatitis, have a chronic inflammatory substrate. Proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 1, 6, and 10, are the main factors that diminish iron availability in progenitor erythrocytes and subsequent erythropoiesis, leading to the development of chronic inflammatory, normochromic, normocytic anemia.
{"title":"Diagnostic Approach and Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Anemia in Chronic Liver Disease—An Overview","authors":"C. Marginean, D. Pîrşcoveanu, M. Popescu, A. Docea, A. Radu, A. Popescu, C. Vasile, R. Mitrut, I. Mărginean, George Alexandru Iacob, D. Firu, P. Mitruț","doi":"10.3390/gastroent14030024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gastroent14030024","url":null,"abstract":"Hematological abnormalities are frequently linked to chronic liver disease of any etiology. About 75% of patients with advanced chronic liver disease experience anemia. The causes of anemia are complex and multifactorial, particularly in cirrhotic patients. Acute and long-term blood loss from the upper gastrointestinal tract, malnutrition, an enlarged spleen brought on by portal hypertension, hemolysis, and coagulation issues are the main causes of anemia. Alcohol, a common cause of chronic liver disease, determines anemia through direct toxicity on the bone marrow, with the suppression of hematopoiesis, through vitamin B6, B12, and folate deficiency due to low intake and malabsorption. In patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection, antiviral drugs such as pegylated interferon and ribavirin can also cause significant anemia. The use of interferon has been linked to bone marrow toxicity, and hemolytic anemia brought on by ribavirin is a well-known dose-dependent side effect. Within six months of the infection with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and Epstein–Barr viruses, aplastic anemia associated with hepatitis is seen. This anemia is characterized by pancytopenia brought on by hypocellular bone marrow. Esophageal varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, and gastric antral vascular ectasia can all cause acute and chronic blood loss. These conditions can progress to iron deficiency anemia, microcytic anemia, and hypochromic anemia. Another common hematologic abnormality in liver cirrhosis is macrocytosis, with multifactorial causes. Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency are frequent in liver cirrhosis, especially of alcoholic etiology, due to increased intestinal permeability, dysbiosis, and malnutrition. Many chronic liver diseases, like viral and autoimmune hepatitis, have a chronic inflammatory substrate. Proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor and interleukin 1, 6, and 10, are the main factors that diminish iron availability in progenitor erythrocytes and subsequent erythropoiesis, leading to the development of chronic inflammatory, normochromic, normocytic anemia.","PeriodicalId":43586,"journal":{"name":"Gastroenterology Insights","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46038566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-04DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14030022
Reem Awad Alharbi, N. Ahmad, F. Alhedaithy, Majdoleen Dakhil N. Alnajim, Naima Waheed, Aisha A. Alessa, B. Khedr, Marriyam A. Aleissa
Background: A stoma poses numerous physical, social, and psychological challenges and interferes with some religious practices, thus potentially negatively affecting the quality of life. In the contemporary era of stoma care, the study sought to assess this impact in a population with distinctive sociocultural characteristics. Methods: A modified City of Hope Quality of Life ostomy questionnaire was used to survey patients with intestinal stomas. The scoring was dichotomous on a 0 to 10 scale, where 0–3 indicated severe impact, 4–6 moderate, and 7–10 minimum. Statistical analysis involved Student’s t-test, one-way ANOVA, Spearman’s correlation, and multivariate linear regression. Results: There were 108 patients, with 59 males and 49 females. The mean age was 40.8 years. The overall quality of life score was 6, for the social domain 7, the physical domain 6, the psychological domain 5, and the spiritual domain 6. The stoma’s impact on the quality of life was severe in 2%, moderate in 61%, and minimal in 37% of patients. Young patients, women, and those with benign diseases or without a job had low scores. Furthermore, 90% of patients had difficulty performing religious activities. For the regression analysis, life quality predictors were dietary, religious, pouch and stoma site issues, leak, odor, diarrhea or constipation, depression, anxiety, and future and disease concerns. Conclusions: Despite advances in stoma care, stoma patients had multiple impediments to their life quality. These were mainly psychological, but the physical and religious ones were also significant. A holistic approach to managing stoma patients is thus needed to help them have fulfilling lives.
{"title":"Quality of Life Assessment in Intestinal Stoma Patients in the Saudi Population: A Cross-Sectional Study","authors":"Reem Awad Alharbi, N. Ahmad, F. Alhedaithy, Majdoleen Dakhil N. Alnajim, Naima Waheed, Aisha A. Alessa, B. Khedr, Marriyam A. Aleissa","doi":"10.3390/gastroent14030022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gastroent14030022","url":null,"abstract":"Background: A stoma poses numerous physical, social, and psychological challenges and interferes with some religious practices, thus potentially negatively affecting the quality of life. In the contemporary era of stoma care, the study sought to assess this impact in a population with distinctive sociocultural characteristics. Methods: A modified City of Hope Quality of Life ostomy questionnaire was used to survey patients with intestinal stomas. The scoring was dichotomous on a 0 to 10 scale, where 0–3 indicated severe impact, 4–6 moderate, and 7–10 minimum. Statistical analysis involved Student’s t-test, one-way ANOVA, Spearman’s correlation, and multivariate linear regression. Results: There were 108 patients, with 59 males and 49 females. The mean age was 40.8 years. The overall quality of life score was 6, for the social domain 7, the physical domain 6, the psychological domain 5, and the spiritual domain 6. The stoma’s impact on the quality of life was severe in 2%, moderate in 61%, and minimal in 37% of patients. Young patients, women, and those with benign diseases or without a job had low scores. Furthermore, 90% of patients had difficulty performing religious activities. For the regression analysis, life quality predictors were dietary, religious, pouch and stoma site issues, leak, odor, diarrhea or constipation, depression, anxiety, and future and disease concerns. Conclusions: Despite advances in stoma care, stoma patients had multiple impediments to their life quality. These were mainly psychological, but the physical and religious ones were also significant. A holistic approach to managing stoma patients is thus needed to help them have fulfilling lives.","PeriodicalId":43586,"journal":{"name":"Gastroenterology Insights","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47893122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-04DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14030023
M. Renzulli, M. A. Cocozza, M. Biselli, A. Cattabriga, N. Brandi, F. Giannone, Marco Storchi, P. Gionchetti, G. Poggioli, S. Laureti, R. Golfieri, A. Cappelli
The aim of the present study was to test a new oral contrast medium composed of natural components for the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of small bowel diseases. Between January 2018 and June 2019, 35 patients affected by ileocolic Crohn’s disease (CD) were enrolled in the present study. Each patient underwent two sequential MR enterographies, first with the standard polyethylene glycol (PEG) water solution and, after 3 weeks, with the new natural beverage designed by our team. At the end of the administration of each oral contrast, a satisfaction survey was given to the patients to assess the palatability of both beverages. The intestinal distention and the quality of images were evaluated by two expert radiologists for both studies and the interreader agreement was calculated. According to the satisfaction questionnaire, 97.1% of patients expressed positive judgments regarding the natural beverage (71.4% very good and 25.7% good) whereas only 8.6% of them appreciated the PEG water solution (8.6% good) (p = 0.0001). The degree of intestinal distention was excellent and good in 97.1% of patients after the administration of PEG and in 94.3% of the patients after the administration of the natural beverage, without significant differences between the two products and with almost perfect (k = 0.821) and substantial (k = 0.754) inter-observer variability, respectively. No statistical differences were observed between the two expert radiologists regarding the evaluation of the imaging quality; in particular, they were considered good and excellent in 100% of patients after the administration of PEG water solution and in 97.2% of those who took the natural beverage, with substantial (k = 0.618) and almost perfect (k = 0.858) inter-observer variability, respectively. The new natural beverage demonstrated the same intestinal distension and excellent image quality compared to the synthetic standard oral contrast administered during MRE for small bowel diseases, proving to be a valid alternative with better palatability.
{"title":"Magnetic Resonance Enterography Reinvented: Exploring the Potential of a New Natural Beverage as an Alternative to Polyethylene Glycol Solution","authors":"M. Renzulli, M. A. Cocozza, M. Biselli, A. Cattabriga, N. Brandi, F. Giannone, Marco Storchi, P. Gionchetti, G. Poggioli, S. Laureti, R. Golfieri, A. Cappelli","doi":"10.3390/gastroent14030023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gastroent14030023","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of the present study was to test a new oral contrast medium composed of natural components for the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of small bowel diseases. Between January 2018 and June 2019, 35 patients affected by ileocolic Crohn’s disease (CD) were enrolled in the present study. Each patient underwent two sequential MR enterographies, first with the standard polyethylene glycol (PEG) water solution and, after 3 weeks, with the new natural beverage designed by our team. At the end of the administration of each oral contrast, a satisfaction survey was given to the patients to assess the palatability of both beverages. The intestinal distention and the quality of images were evaluated by two expert radiologists for both studies and the interreader agreement was calculated. According to the satisfaction questionnaire, 97.1% of patients expressed positive judgments regarding the natural beverage (71.4% very good and 25.7% good) whereas only 8.6% of them appreciated the PEG water solution (8.6% good) (p = 0.0001). The degree of intestinal distention was excellent and good in 97.1% of patients after the administration of PEG and in 94.3% of the patients after the administration of the natural beverage, without significant differences between the two products and with almost perfect (k = 0.821) and substantial (k = 0.754) inter-observer variability, respectively. No statistical differences were observed between the two expert radiologists regarding the evaluation of the imaging quality; in particular, they were considered good and excellent in 100% of patients after the administration of PEG water solution and in 97.2% of those who took the natural beverage, with substantial (k = 0.618) and almost perfect (k = 0.858) inter-observer variability, respectively. The new natural beverage demonstrated the same intestinal distension and excellent image quality compared to the synthetic standard oral contrast administered during MRE for small bowel diseases, proving to be a valid alternative with better palatability.","PeriodicalId":43586,"journal":{"name":"Gastroenterology Insights","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43806864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-31DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14030021
C. Kantharia, Munesh Kumar, M. Jain, L. Sharma, L. Jain, A. Desai
Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a growing concern worldwide. The common etiological factors include infection, alcohol abuse, exposure to hepatotoxic drugs, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic diseases. The chronic liver disease progresses to liver cirrhosis and its consequent complications. It is routinely managed by a combination of various therapies in combination with lifestyle modifications. The current literature supports the growing importance of the usage of herbal medicines in the management of CLD due to their efficacy and very low incidence of adverse effects. Liv.52 is a known polyherbal formulation and has been used for over 50 years in India and other countries. The evidence collected from preclinical and clinical studies supports the use of Liv.52 in symptomatic improvement and supportive treatment due to hepatitis (including Hepatitis B), alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatotoxicity due to drugs used in the treatment of tuberculosis. Liv.52 has also shown some preliminary hepatoprotective effects in patients with liver cirrhosis due to its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Both the syrup and tablet formulations are well tolerated and have shown a good safety profile. Liv.52 may be a favorable herbal choice for the management of CLD due to various etiologies.
{"title":"Hepatoprotective Effects of Liv.52 in Chronic Liver Disease Preclinical, Clinical, and Safety Evidence: A Review","authors":"C. Kantharia, Munesh Kumar, M. Jain, L. Sharma, L. Jain, A. Desai","doi":"10.3390/gastroent14030021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gastroent14030021","url":null,"abstract":"Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a growing concern worldwide. The common etiological factors include infection, alcohol abuse, exposure to hepatotoxic drugs, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic diseases. The chronic liver disease progresses to liver cirrhosis and its consequent complications. It is routinely managed by a combination of various therapies in combination with lifestyle modifications. The current literature supports the growing importance of the usage of herbal medicines in the management of CLD due to their efficacy and very low incidence of adverse effects. Liv.52 is a known polyherbal formulation and has been used for over 50 years in India and other countries. The evidence collected from preclinical and clinical studies supports the use of Liv.52 in symptomatic improvement and supportive treatment due to hepatitis (including Hepatitis B), alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatotoxicity due to drugs used in the treatment of tuberculosis. Liv.52 has also shown some preliminary hepatoprotective effects in patients with liver cirrhosis due to its potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Both the syrup and tablet formulations are well tolerated and have shown a good safety profile. Liv.52 may be a favorable herbal choice for the management of CLD due to various etiologies.","PeriodicalId":43586,"journal":{"name":"Gastroenterology Insights","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44976383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-13DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14030020
Naomi Calabrò, C. Borraccino, C. Garlisi, Teresa Bongiovanni, P. Basile, Ahmed Abu-Omar, M. Scaglione, R. Romito, A. Carriero
The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive role of preoperative pancreatic density and muscular mass, assessed via CT imaging, in patients undergoing duodenocephalopancreasectomy, specifically in relation to the occurrence of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 57 consecutive patients who had been diagnosed with cephalo-pancreatic disease and had undergone duodenocephalopancreasectomy in the last five years. The most prevalent pathologies observed were ductal adenocarcinoma (29.2%), biliary adenocarcinoma (12.9%), and duodenal and papillary adenocarcinoma (13.9%). We collected information about age, sex, histopathological findings, type of surgery, presence or absence of pancreatic fistula, pancreatic density on preoperative CT images, and muscular area, calculated at the level of the L3 vertebra using “3D Slicer” software. Our data show that 28% of patients developed a pancreatic fistula, with an average attenuation of pancreatic density of 27 HU, which was lower than that observed in the non-fistula group (33.31 HU). However, statistical analysis did not reveal a significant association between low pancreatic density and fistula development. Therefore, our findings do not establish a significant association between pancreatic fistula and pancreatic density, aligning with the existing literature on the subject.
{"title":"Computed Tomography Imaging Evaluation of Pancreatic Density and Muscular Mass as Predictive Risk Factors for Pancreatic Fistula Formation after Duodenocephalopancreasectomy","authors":"Naomi Calabrò, C. Borraccino, C. Garlisi, Teresa Bongiovanni, P. Basile, Ahmed Abu-Omar, M. Scaglione, R. Romito, A. Carriero","doi":"10.3390/gastroent14030020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gastroent14030020","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive role of preoperative pancreatic density and muscular mass, assessed via CT imaging, in patients undergoing duodenocephalopancreasectomy, specifically in relation to the occurrence of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 57 consecutive patients who had been diagnosed with cephalo-pancreatic disease and had undergone duodenocephalopancreasectomy in the last five years. The most prevalent pathologies observed were ductal adenocarcinoma (29.2%), biliary adenocarcinoma (12.9%), and duodenal and papillary adenocarcinoma (13.9%). We collected information about age, sex, histopathological findings, type of surgery, presence or absence of pancreatic fistula, pancreatic density on preoperative CT images, and muscular area, calculated at the level of the L3 vertebra using “3D Slicer” software. Our data show that 28% of patients developed a pancreatic fistula, with an average attenuation of pancreatic density of 27 HU, which was lower than that observed in the non-fistula group (33.31 HU). However, statistical analysis did not reveal a significant association between low pancreatic density and fistula development. Therefore, our findings do not establish a significant association between pancreatic fistula and pancreatic density, aligning with the existing literature on the subject.","PeriodicalId":43586,"journal":{"name":"Gastroenterology Insights","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49475613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-03DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14030019
E. Nacheva-Georgieva, D. Doykov, Bozhidar Hristov, K. Doykova, M. Doykov
Nowadays ultrasound-based non-invasive techniques for the evaluation of tissue elasticity are becoming increasingly popular. A key determinant for the adequate treatment of focal liver lesions is on establishment of accurate diagnosis. Contemporary imaging modalities, particularly ultrasonographic, are widely accepted for assessing the elasticity of focal liver lesions but the investigation of their accuracy and differentiation potential is still ongoing. Aim: To compare the values of point shear wave elastography (pSWE) and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) for liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 31 adult patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC) were included from the Department of Gastroenterology of University Hospital Kaspela, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in the period June 2022 to November 2022. The men/women ratio of the participants was respectively 11 women and 20 men. For all of them point shear wave elastography (pSWE) and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) were performed to evaluate the stiffness of liver metastases, by measuring the shear wave velocity (SWV) in a region of interest (ROI). Prior histological confirmation of colorectal cancer through diagnostic lower endoscopy was a prerequisite for inclusion in the study. Contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CECT) was used as a reference imaging modality to confirm the presence of lesions in the liver. All the images were evaluated by a radiologist with long-standing experience in liver imaging. Results: For point shear wave elastography (pSWE), the lower limit was found to be 1.80 m/s (90% CI: 1.39 to 2.32) and the upper limit was 4.21 m/s (90% CI: 3.69 to 4.60). For two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE), the lower limit was determined to be 1.87 m/s (90% CI: 1.54 to 2.25) and the upper limit was 3.65 m/s (90% CI: 3.26 to 3.97). Conclusions: Point shear wave elastography (pSWE) and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) could bring additional information about the stiffness of liver metastases from colorectal cancer but they are not to be considered a method to substitute biopsy of colorectal cancer during lower endoscopy.
目前,基于超声的非侵入性组织弹性评估技术越来越受欢迎。局灶性肝病变适当治疗的关键决定因素是建立准确的诊断。现代影像学,尤其是超声,被广泛接受用于评估局灶性肝病变的弹性,但其准确性和鉴别潜力的研究仍在进行中。目的:比较点横波弹性成像(pSWE)与二维横波弹性成像(2D-SWE)在结直肠癌肝转移中的应用价值。材料与方法:研究于2022年6月至2022年11月在保加利亚普罗夫迪夫市卡斯佩拉大学医院消化内科收治的31例结直肠癌肝转移成年患者。参与者的男女比例分别为11名女性和20名男性。采用点横波弹性成像(pSWE)和二维横波弹性成像(2D-SWE),通过测量感兴趣区域(ROI)的横波速度(SWV)来评估肝转移瘤的刚度。先前通过诊断性下内镜确认结直肠癌的组织学是纳入研究的先决条件。对比增强计算机断层扫描(CECT)被用作参考成像方式来确认肝脏病变的存在。所有图像均由具有长期肝脏影像学经验的放射科医生评估。结果:点横波弹性成像(pSWE)下限为1.80 m/s (90% CI: 1.39 ~ 2.32),上限为4.21 m/s (90% CI: 3.69 ~ 4.60)。二维横波弹性图(2D-SWE)的下限为1.87 m/s (90% CI: 1.54 ~ 2.25),上限为3.65 m/s (90% CI: 3.26 ~ 3.97)。结论:点剪切波弹性成像(pSWE)和二维剪切波弹性成像(2D-SWE)可以提供结直肠癌肝转移灶硬度的额外信息,但不能作为下内镜下结肠直肠癌活检的替代方法。
{"title":"Comparison of Point Shear Wave Elastography and 2-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography Values of Liver Metastases from Colorectal Cancer","authors":"E. Nacheva-Georgieva, D. Doykov, Bozhidar Hristov, K. Doykova, M. Doykov","doi":"10.3390/gastroent14030019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gastroent14030019","url":null,"abstract":"Nowadays ultrasound-based non-invasive techniques for the evaluation of tissue elasticity are becoming increasingly popular. A key determinant for the adequate treatment of focal liver lesions is on establishment of accurate diagnosis. Contemporary imaging modalities, particularly ultrasonographic, are widely accepted for assessing the elasticity of focal liver lesions but the investigation of their accuracy and differentiation potential is still ongoing. Aim: To compare the values of point shear wave elastography (pSWE) and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) for liver metastases from colorectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 31 adult patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC) were included from the Department of Gastroenterology of University Hospital Kaspela, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in the period June 2022 to November 2022. The men/women ratio of the participants was respectively 11 women and 20 men. For all of them point shear wave elastography (pSWE) and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) were performed to evaluate the stiffness of liver metastases, by measuring the shear wave velocity (SWV) in a region of interest (ROI). Prior histological confirmation of colorectal cancer through diagnostic lower endoscopy was a prerequisite for inclusion in the study. Contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CECT) was used as a reference imaging modality to confirm the presence of lesions in the liver. All the images were evaluated by a radiologist with long-standing experience in liver imaging. Results: For point shear wave elastography (pSWE), the lower limit was found to be 1.80 m/s (90% CI: 1.39 to 2.32) and the upper limit was 4.21 m/s (90% CI: 3.69 to 4.60). For two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE), the lower limit was determined to be 1.87 m/s (90% CI: 1.54 to 2.25) and the upper limit was 3.65 m/s (90% CI: 3.26 to 3.97). Conclusions: Point shear wave elastography (pSWE) and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) could bring additional information about the stiffness of liver metastases from colorectal cancer but they are not to be considered a method to substitute biopsy of colorectal cancer during lower endoscopy.","PeriodicalId":43586,"journal":{"name":"Gastroenterology Insights","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41700327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-29DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14030018
S. Samuel, Ahmad Abulawi, R. Malik
Hepatitis C infection is a leading etiology of hepatic dysfunction and a major indication for liver transplantation due to the development of fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and, specifically, its subtype nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a rising cause of liver disease. It is predicted to surpass hepatitis C as a leading indication for transplant. The introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) decreased the prevalence of chronic hepatitis C infections, but the obesity epidemic and metabolic syndrome have increased the prevalence of NASH. Weight loss and dietary modifications are recommended NASH therapies, but unlike for hepatitis C, federally approved agents are lacking and currently under investigation. Clinical trials face many barriers in NASH treatment because of the difficulty of diagnosis and a lack of standardized and accurate clinical and histologic responses. Mortality and morbidity in NASH are heightened because of the presence of multiple comorbidities including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and renal dysfunction. A liver transplant may be indicated, but a thorough screening of candidates, including a comprehensive cardiovascular assessment, is essential to ensuring successful outcomes pre- and post-transplant. Therapeutic agents for NASH are warranted before it becomes a significant and leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.
{"title":"Hepatitis C and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in the 21st Century: Impact on Liver Disease and Liver Transplantation","authors":"S. Samuel, Ahmad Abulawi, R. Malik","doi":"10.3390/gastroent14030018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gastroent14030018","url":null,"abstract":"Hepatitis C infection is a leading etiology of hepatic dysfunction and a major indication for liver transplantation due to the development of fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and, specifically, its subtype nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a rising cause of liver disease. It is predicted to surpass hepatitis C as a leading indication for transplant. The introduction of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) decreased the prevalence of chronic hepatitis C infections, but the obesity epidemic and metabolic syndrome have increased the prevalence of NASH. Weight loss and dietary modifications are recommended NASH therapies, but unlike for hepatitis C, federally approved agents are lacking and currently under investigation. Clinical trials face many barriers in NASH treatment because of the difficulty of diagnosis and a lack of standardized and accurate clinical and histologic responses. Mortality and morbidity in NASH are heightened because of the presence of multiple comorbidities including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and renal dysfunction. A liver transplant may be indicated, but a thorough screening of candidates, including a comprehensive cardiovascular assessment, is essential to ensuring successful outcomes pre- and post-transplant. Therapeutic agents for NASH are warranted before it becomes a significant and leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.","PeriodicalId":43586,"journal":{"name":"Gastroenterology Insights","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46787774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-16DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14020017
S. Lazova, L. Tomov, Dimitrina Miteva, I. Tzotcheva, S. Priftis, T. Velikova
Background: Digestive symptoms and gastrointestinal issues in children with coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) are commonly reported in pediatric studies from different countries. Our retrospective observational study aimed to summarize the main digestive symptoms and objective data on gastrointestinal involvement in children with MIS-C. Methods: We present the clinical, laboratory, and imaging data of 51 children with MIS-C hospitalized in a single center from 25 November 2020 to 24 April 2021, focusing on gastrointestinal involvement. Results: A total of 46/51 children (90.2%) reported at least one abdominal symptom (abdominal pain (86%, N = 44), vomiting, nausea, diarrhea), predominantly at presentation. Most children were older than 5 years (N = 40, 78%), predominated by the male sex (N = 37, 72.5%), and with a mean age of 8.82 ± 4.16 years. We found a tendency for lymphopenia, neutrophilia, and higher levels of CRP, d-dimer, and ferritin in MIS-C patients with abdominal pain (R-squared 0.188, F-statistic vs. constant model: 11.9, p-value = 0.00122, 20% explanation of variation with p = 0.001). We found a statistically significant linear relationship (regression) between neutrophile percentage (NEU%) and hospital stay and a tendency for elevated transaminases to be more frequent in older children (27.3% under 5 years and 65% over 5 years; p = 0.0583). We found no significant associations between digestive symptoms and age or the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant. Conclusions: Most of our MIS-C patients presented with abdominal pain, usually along with other GI symptoms, which could be applied in clinical practice to MIS-C in children visiting the emergency room with abdominal pain and evidence of recent COVID-19 contact or infection. Further information from larger cohorts of MIS-C patients is needed to better understand the epidemiology of gastrointestinal involvement in these patients.
{"title":"Clinical and Laboratory Manifestation of Gastrointestinal Involvement in MIS-C: A Single-Center Observational Study","authors":"S. Lazova, L. Tomov, Dimitrina Miteva, I. Tzotcheva, S. Priftis, T. Velikova","doi":"10.3390/gastroent14020017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gastroent14020017","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Digestive symptoms and gastrointestinal issues in children with coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) are commonly reported in pediatric studies from different countries. Our retrospective observational study aimed to summarize the main digestive symptoms and objective data on gastrointestinal involvement in children with MIS-C. Methods: We present the clinical, laboratory, and imaging data of 51 children with MIS-C hospitalized in a single center from 25 November 2020 to 24 April 2021, focusing on gastrointestinal involvement. Results: A total of 46/51 children (90.2%) reported at least one abdominal symptom (abdominal pain (86%, N = 44), vomiting, nausea, diarrhea), predominantly at presentation. Most children were older than 5 years (N = 40, 78%), predominated by the male sex (N = 37, 72.5%), and with a mean age of 8.82 ± 4.16 years. We found a tendency for lymphopenia, neutrophilia, and higher levels of CRP, d-dimer, and ferritin in MIS-C patients with abdominal pain (R-squared 0.188, F-statistic vs. constant model: 11.9, p-value = 0.00122, 20% explanation of variation with p = 0.001). We found a statistically significant linear relationship (regression) between neutrophile percentage (NEU%) and hospital stay and a tendency for elevated transaminases to be more frequent in older children (27.3% under 5 years and 65% over 5 years; p = 0.0583). We found no significant associations between digestive symptoms and age or the predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant. Conclusions: Most of our MIS-C patients presented with abdominal pain, usually along with other GI symptoms, which could be applied in clinical practice to MIS-C in children visiting the emergency room with abdominal pain and evidence of recent COVID-19 contact or infection. Further information from larger cohorts of MIS-C patients is needed to better understand the epidemiology of gastrointestinal involvement in these patients.","PeriodicalId":43586,"journal":{"name":"Gastroenterology Insights","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43401980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-11DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14020016
A. Reece, G. Hulse
Introduction. The aetiology for the recent increase in pancreatic cancer incidence (PCI) in the US is unknown. This paper provides an epidemiological investigation of the exponential increase in PCI in young people aged 15–34 years, particularly amongst females, with a focus on the exponential rise amongst African American females, and its relationship to substance use. Methods. National pancreatic cancer data from recent reports. Tobacco, alcohol and daily cannabis use data taken from the annual nationally representative National Survey of Drug Use and Health, response rate = 74%. Results. Amongst the 15–34-year-aged cohort, PCI was found to be significantly more common in females (females: β-est. = 0.1749 p = 0.0005). African American females are noted to have the highest rates of daily cannabis use amongst females in the 26–34 and 35–49-year groups. The relationship between PCI and daily cannabis use was strongly positive across all ethnicities and in both sexes. In African American females, the Pearson correlation between daily cannabis use and PCI was R = 0.8539, p = 0.0051. In an additive multivariable model for each sex and race, cannabis was the only significant term remaining in the final model in the 15–34-year-aged cohort and thus out-performed alcohol as a risk factor. The most significant term in multivariate models was the alcohol:cannabis interaction which was highly significant in all ethnicities from p = 2.50 × 10−7 for Caucasian American females and the highest E-value pair was for Hispanic American females (E-value estimate = 1.26 × 10102 and E-value lower bound 2.20 × 1074). Conclusion. These data show that cannabis fulfills quantitative criteria of causality in all age, sex and ethnicity cohorts, and thus explains both the recent surge in PCI and its ethnocentric predominance. Cannabis interacts powerfully genotoxically and cancerogenically with alcohol, with increases in cannabis use driving the current PCI surge. These results raise the important question as to how much cannabis might be responsible for the modern renaissance in cancer rates amongst younger people.
{"title":"Sociodemographically Stratified Exploration of Pancreatic Cancer Incidence in Younger US Patients: Implication of Cannabis Exposure as a Risk Factor","authors":"A. Reece, G. Hulse","doi":"10.3390/gastroent14020016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gastroent14020016","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction. The aetiology for the recent increase in pancreatic cancer incidence (PCI) in the US is unknown. This paper provides an epidemiological investigation of the exponential increase in PCI in young people aged 15–34 years, particularly amongst females, with a focus on the exponential rise amongst African American females, and its relationship to substance use. Methods. National pancreatic cancer data from recent reports. Tobacco, alcohol and daily cannabis use data taken from the annual nationally representative National Survey of Drug Use and Health, response rate = 74%. Results. Amongst the 15–34-year-aged cohort, PCI was found to be significantly more common in females (females: β-est. = 0.1749 p = 0.0005). African American females are noted to have the highest rates of daily cannabis use amongst females in the 26–34 and 35–49-year groups. The relationship between PCI and daily cannabis use was strongly positive across all ethnicities and in both sexes. In African American females, the Pearson correlation between daily cannabis use and PCI was R = 0.8539, p = 0.0051. In an additive multivariable model for each sex and race, cannabis was the only significant term remaining in the final model in the 15–34-year-aged cohort and thus out-performed alcohol as a risk factor. The most significant term in multivariate models was the alcohol:cannabis interaction which was highly significant in all ethnicities from p = 2.50 × 10−7 for Caucasian American females and the highest E-value pair was for Hispanic American females (E-value estimate = 1.26 × 10102 and E-value lower bound 2.20 × 1074). Conclusion. These data show that cannabis fulfills quantitative criteria of causality in all age, sex and ethnicity cohorts, and thus explains both the recent surge in PCI and its ethnocentric predominance. Cannabis interacts powerfully genotoxically and cancerogenically with alcohol, with increases in cannabis use driving the current PCI surge. These results raise the important question as to how much cannabis might be responsible for the modern renaissance in cancer rates amongst younger people.","PeriodicalId":43586,"journal":{"name":"Gastroenterology Insights","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46558944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-04DOI: 10.3390/gastroent14020015
D. Balaban, L. Coman, Marina Balaban, A. Zoican, Danusia Adriana Pușcașu, Simin Ayatollahi, Emanuela Mihălțeanu, R. Costache, F. Ioniță-Radu, M. Jinga
Background and Objectives: Glucose metabolism alterations are very common in solid pancreatic lesions, particularly in pancreatic cancer. Similarly, diabetes and especially new-onset diabetes (NOD) have been associated with the malignant transformation of pancreatic cysts. We aimed to assess the prevalence and relevant associations of glycemic abnormalities in pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) in a retrospective analysis. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively recruited all patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound for a PCL over a period of 36 months (January 2018 to December 2021). Final diagnosis was set by means of tissue acquisition, surgery, follow-up, or board decision. Demographic and clinical data, laboratory workup, and imaging features were extracted from the patients’ charts according to a predefined protocol. We considered fasting blood glucose (FBG) and HbA1c values and stratified the patients as nondiabetic (FBG ≤ 99 mg/dL, HbA1c ≤ 5.6%, no history of glycemic abnormalities), prediabetic (FBG 100–125 mg/dL, HbA1c 5.7–6.4%), or diabetic (long-lasting diabetes or NOD). Results: Altogether, 81 patients were included, with a median age of 66 years, and 54.3% of them were male. The overall prevalence of fasting hyperglycemia was 54.3%, comprising 34.6% prediabetes and 22.2% diabetes, of which 16.7% had NOD. The mean FBG and HbA1c levels were higher in malignant and premalignant PCLs (intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN), cystadenocarcinoma, and cystic neuroendocrine tumor) compared to the benign lesions (pseudocysts, walled-off necrosis, and serous cystadenoma): 117.0 mg/dL vs. 108.3 mg/dL and 6.1% vs. 5.5%, respectively. Conclusions: Hyperglycemia and diabetes are common in PCLs, with a high prevalence in premalignant and malignant cysts. Screening and follow-up for glycemic abnormalities should be routinely conducted for PCLs, as they can contribute to a tailored risk assessment of cysts.
{"title":"Glycemic Abnormalities in Pancreatic Cystic Lesions—A Single-Center Retrospective Analysis","authors":"D. Balaban, L. Coman, Marina Balaban, A. Zoican, Danusia Adriana Pușcașu, Simin Ayatollahi, Emanuela Mihălțeanu, R. Costache, F. Ioniță-Radu, M. Jinga","doi":"10.3390/gastroent14020015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/gastroent14020015","url":null,"abstract":"Background and Objectives: Glucose metabolism alterations are very common in solid pancreatic lesions, particularly in pancreatic cancer. Similarly, diabetes and especially new-onset diabetes (NOD) have been associated with the malignant transformation of pancreatic cysts. We aimed to assess the prevalence and relevant associations of glycemic abnormalities in pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) in a retrospective analysis. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively recruited all patients who underwent endoscopic ultrasound for a PCL over a period of 36 months (January 2018 to December 2021). Final diagnosis was set by means of tissue acquisition, surgery, follow-up, or board decision. Demographic and clinical data, laboratory workup, and imaging features were extracted from the patients’ charts according to a predefined protocol. We considered fasting blood glucose (FBG) and HbA1c values and stratified the patients as nondiabetic (FBG ≤ 99 mg/dL, HbA1c ≤ 5.6%, no history of glycemic abnormalities), prediabetic (FBG 100–125 mg/dL, HbA1c 5.7–6.4%), or diabetic (long-lasting diabetes or NOD). Results: Altogether, 81 patients were included, with a median age of 66 years, and 54.3% of them were male. The overall prevalence of fasting hyperglycemia was 54.3%, comprising 34.6% prediabetes and 22.2% diabetes, of which 16.7% had NOD. The mean FBG and HbA1c levels were higher in malignant and premalignant PCLs (intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN), cystadenocarcinoma, and cystic neuroendocrine tumor) compared to the benign lesions (pseudocysts, walled-off necrosis, and serous cystadenoma): 117.0 mg/dL vs. 108.3 mg/dL and 6.1% vs. 5.5%, respectively. Conclusions: Hyperglycemia and diabetes are common in PCLs, with a high prevalence in premalignant and malignant cysts. Screening and follow-up for glycemic abnormalities should be routinely conducted for PCLs, as they can contribute to a tailored risk assessment of cysts.","PeriodicalId":43586,"journal":{"name":"Gastroenterology Insights","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45078495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}