Journal of gastrointestinal and liver diseases : JGLD最新文献

Background and aims: The world healthcare systems are currently challenged by the accumulating burden of colorectal cancer (CRC), and cancer registries represent an important segment for prevention and developing management plans, being useful in providing data regarding incidence, mortality, survival, exposure to carcinogens, lifestyle. Retrospective data from CRC patients in Romania was used to assess survival impact, costs, and cost-effectiveness considering three crucial aspects: pharmacology, chemo-/radio-therapy, and hospitalization for care and management of these patients.

Methods: 423 CRC patients from the Institutional Cancer Registry of the Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta Institute of Oncology in Cluj-Napoca, Romania were included in the cost analysis. For the assessment of cost efficiency of the primary treatment strategy, we collected data regarding direct medical costs associated with surgery, radiotherapy and medication, as well as the afferent day or continuous hospitalization, for each patient. For the cost-effectiveness analysis we used the method of estimation of incremental cost-effectiveness ratio.

Results: No compelling differences regarding survival time were observed in different therapeutic options per CRC stage. Substantial differences in cost effectiveness among therapeutic options in the same stage of several thousand Euros in stages I-III, while for stage IV, the ICER was more than 100,000 Euros per life saved.

Conclusions: Systematic evaluation of costs, cost-effectiveness, and survival impact, helps healthcare systems can make informed decisions to improve the management of colorectal cancer patients, optimizing outcomes while minimizing financial burden.

Background and aims: Disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) are prevalent, affecting 20-40% of the population, with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) being the most common and impactful. While congenital lactose intolerance is rare, lactase deficiency in adults is widespread, causing gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating and diarrhea. Self-perceived lactose intolerance often overestimates symptoms, impacting dietary choices and quality of life, necessitating better understanding and management for improved patient outcomes. This article evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of self-reported lactose intolerance in patients with lactose intolerance and IBS through a systematic review.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and SCOPUS, including terms related to IBS, lactose intolerance, and self-reported symptoms, without applying filters to ensure comprehensive coverage. Inclusion criteria focused on observational studies with adult participants diagnosed with lactose intolerance, addressing symptoms and lactose malabsorption, while excluding non-English articles, reviews, editorials, and studies involving pediatric subjects.

Results: The systematic review analyzed six studies with 845 participants, revealing significant variability and moderate accuracy in self-reported lactose intolerance for diagnosing actual lactose intolerance in IBS patients. Hydrogen breath tests (HBTs) showed that self-reported symptoms often led to false positives, underscoring the need for objective diagnostic tools and standardized criteria. The findings highlight the complexity of diagnosing lactose intolerance in IBS patients and suggest that lactose-free diets and routine HBT should not be recommended without clear indications.

Conclusions: The rigorous selection process ensured the inclusion of high-quality, relevant studies, thereby enhancing the reliability and validity of the review's findings. These studies revealed that a lactose-free diet should not be routinely recommended for IBS patients, nor should the routine use of HBT to identify lactose malabsorption in this group. Future research should focus on better understanding the factors influencing lactose perception and tolerance, which is crucial for more effective management of lactose intolerance in IBS patients.

Background and aims: Radiofrequency ablation of unresectable pancreatic tumors represents a palliative method in selected patients. The lack of standardization of the technique used as well as the non-homogeneous immediate and long-term results from the reports in the literature made us evaluate in a pilot study the application of a standardized technique through a surgical approach, with the evaluation of the immediate and long-term results.

Methods: Ten consecutive patients diagnosed with unresectable nonmetastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma were referred for radio-frequency ablation by surgical approach. For that, a UniBlate (AngioDinamics®) internal cooled electrode was used, under intraoperative ultrasound guidance. We analysed the morbidity, mortality and survival associated with this procedure. The median follow-up period was 12 months.

Results: Intraoperative ultrasound was essential for guiding the procedure. No mortality and no major postoperative complications after intraoperative tumoral ablations were noted. The median survival after the procedure was 7.5 months.

Conclusions: Radiofrequency intraoperative ablation of unresectable pancreatic tumors is a feasible procedure, with low morbidity and mortality if standardized, being noninferior to palliative chemotherapy alone in regards with survival. A larger study is necessary to demonstrate the potential benefits in survival, the role of multidisciplinary selection being also mandatory.

Background and aims: Chronic liver diseases belong to the most common diseases worldwide and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Although more than one in three adults are estimated to have metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), awareness of this condition is low amongst the general public, health care professionals and policy makers. However, meaningful knowledge transfer is essential for raising awareness and improving prevention and treatment. This study set out to investigate the use of the major internet search engine to understand how knowledge transfer has evolved by analyzing liver-related searches trends.

Methods: We investigated Google search trends by measuring the number of hits relating to liver diseases between 2004 and 2021 in seven languages and European countries but also worldwide. All analyses were performed in R using the R Google trends package gtrendsR.

Results: We found that interest in MASLD [formerly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)] has generally increased over time, but that interest in metabolic associated steatohepatitis (MASH) - the most severe form of MASLD - has decreased. Interest in viral hepatitis C has decreased, whereas the number of queries regarding viral hepatitis B have been stable but dominated by interest in vaccination for it. Recent medical developments (in viral hepatitis) did not lead to a noticeable change in overall search behavior. Users preferred searching using their native language and less complex medical terms and acronyms (e.g., fatty liver instead of NAFLD).

Conclusions: In the last two decades, Google search trends have followed the general development in the field of hepatology. Searches were dominated by non-experts and are not being rapidly influenced by novel scientific developments. Also, users preferred search terms in their native languages rather than English and tended to avoid complex medical search terms. Awareness and communication strategies around MASLD should consider these preferences when addressing the general public.

Background and aims: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic a significant proportion of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to COVID-19 infection developed secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC) as a hepatobiliary complication.

Methods: 17 patients were endoscopically diagnosed and treated with COVID-19 SSC from February 2020 until October 2022 at our center. We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the data to define risk factors, establish endoscopic treatment options, and to estimate incidence and outcomes.

Results: 258 patients with COVID-19 infection were admitted to our tertiary center and mechanically ventilated. 10 patients developed COVID-19 SSC in-house, and 7 patients were transferred for further endoscopic treatment. All 17 patients were mechanically ventilated, received vasoactive substances and 12 of them were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) was performed in all patients to establish the diagnosis of COVID-19 SSC and evaluate endoscopic treatment options. All ERCs revealed biliary casts. 9 patients had developed severe rarefication of the intrahepatic bile ducts and 4 showed biliary strictures. As endoscopic treatment approaches, casts were removed repeatedly, and strictures were dilated. During the study period, 14 patients died (82%). 3 patients are in follow-up to reassess the need for liver transplantation.

Conclusions: COVID-19 SSC was observed in 2.6 % of the patients with severe COVID-19 in our center. We show that endoscopic approaches offer the opportunity to extract casts and to treat biliary strictures. As the mortality rate of COVID-19 SSC is high, endoscopic treatment can be of great clinical relevance as a bridge to liver transplantation.

Background and aims: Ultra-microangiography (UMA) is a novel Doppler technique with optimized wall filtering that provides high sensitivity to low-velocity blood flows and optimized visualization of microcirculation. The aim of this pilot study was to compare intestinal vascularization assessed by color Doppler signals (CDS) and UMA.

Methods: We investigated intestinal vascularization using UMA and CDS in 13 patients with confirmed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A cohort of 28 patients without structural bowel disease served as the control.

Results: Microcirculation and dysregulated microcirculation in patients without and with inflammatory bowel disease can be visualized and quantified using UMA. In 83 % of IBD patients and 76% of non-IBD patients, a high resolution of intestinal perfusion could be achieved using UMA.

Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate intestinal vascularization using UMA in patients with and without structural bowel disease. Quantification and visualization of intestinal vascularization should be further investigated in prospective studies and could help guide our therapy of patients with IBD.

Background and aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant public health issue, with an increasing incidence and prevalence and a high incidence-to-mortality ratio. The prognosis of HCC depends on two competing factors, tumor burden and underlying liver disease severity, encompassed in the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) classification. To assess HCC staging and the way staging affects eligibility for treatment at the time of the first diagnosis in Romania in the setting of opportunistic diagnosis, in the absence of a national HCC screening policy.

Methods: Data regarding HCC staging, underlying liver disease, and eligibility for treatment at the time of diagnosis was analyzed using a prospectively maintained multicentric database, which included patients from the five largest tertiary care hepatology units in the country between June 2016 and February 2020.

Results: A consecutive series of 477 patients was included. The distribution within BCLC classes was as follows: very early (0) 7.1%, early (A) 34.3%, intermediate (B) 19.4%, advanced (C) 14.2%, terminal (D) 24.7%. At the time of the diagnosis, 198 (41.5%) were eligible for a curative intent treatment, while 359 (75.2%) were eligible for a disease-modifying therapy. 228 patients (47.8%) had decompensated liver disease at the time of diagnosis, the most common decompensating event being ascites (78.1%).

Conclusions: A large proportion of HCC cases are diagnosed at the time of a decompensating event, severely restricting the therapeutic potential. Proactive diagnostic strategies should be implemented to improve the rate of actionable diagnosis.