Origin Of Liver Disease Research Articles

Weight Gain and De Novo Metabolic Disorders after Liver Transplantation.

The development of nutritional and metabolic abnormalities represents an important burden in patients after liver transplantation (LT). Our study aimed at evaluating the incidence, time of onset, and risk factors for nutritional and metabolic abnormalities in patients after LT. The study was a single-center retrospective study. Consecutive patients undergoing elective LT from 2000 to 2016 were enrolled. The presence of at least two among arterial hypertension (AH), diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 Kg/m2) was utilized to define patients with the metabolic disorder (MD). Three hundred and fifteen patients were enrolled; the median age was 56 years (68% males). Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) was the origin of liver disease in 10% of patients. During follow-up, 39% of patients developed AH, 18% DM, and 17% dyslipidemia. Metabolic disorders were observed in 32% of patients. The NASH etiology (OR: 6.2; CI 95% 0.5–3; p = 0.003) and a longer follow-up (OR: 1.2; CI 95% 0.004–0.02; p = 0.002) were associated with de novo MD. In conclusion, nutritional and metabolic disorders are a frequent complication after LT, being present in up to one-third of patients. The NASH etiology and a longer distance from LT are associated with de novo MD after LT.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Abnormal Liver Stiffness in HIV-infected Patients without Viral Hepatitis Coinfection: Role of Didanosine

Unexpected cases of severe liver disease in HIV-infected patients have been reported and an association with didanosine (ddI) has been suggested. Transient elastography (TE) might detect patients harbouring such a condition. Our objective was to search for the presence of abnormal liver stiffness (LS) in a cohort of HIV-infected patients without HBV or HCV coinfection and to assess the related factors. A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted. LS was assessed by TE in 258 HIV-infected patients without HBV or HCV coinfection and with no evidence of acute hepatotoxicity or other origins of liver disease. LS values > or =7.2 kPa were considered abnormal. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify factors associated with abnormal LS. Abnormal LS was observed in 29 (11.2%) patients. A total of 18 (16.4%) patients previously treated with ddI and 11 (7.4%) of those who never received ddI had LS values > or =7.2 kPa (P=0.02). The prevalence of abnormal LS was higher in patients previously treated with abacavir than in those who had never received abacavir (15 [21.7%] versus 14 [7.4%]; P=0.001). After multivariate analyses, age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.002-1.1; P=0.004) alcohol intake >50 g/day (AOR 7.2, 95% CI 2.6-19.7; P<0.0001), CD4(+) T-cell count <200 cells/ml (AOR 3.4, 95% CI 1.06-11.007; P=0.03), time on ddI treatment (AOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.12-1.52; P=0.001) and previous abacavir exposure (AOR 3.01, 95% CI 1.18-7.67; P=0.02) were independently associated with abnormal LS. The prevalence of abnormal LS in HIV-infected patients without HBV or HCV coinfection is substantial. Long-term exposure to ddI is a major cause of liver damage in these patients.

Sexual Dysfunction in Chronic Liver Disease: Is Liver Transplantation an Effective Cure?

The goal of liver transplantation is not only to ensure patient long-term survival but also to offer the opportunity to achieve psychologic and physical integrity. Quality of life after liver transplantation may be affected by unsatisfactory sexual function. Before liver transplantation, sexual dysfunction and sex hormone disturbances are reported in men and women mainly due to abnormality of physiology of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and, in some cases, origin of liver disease. Successful liver transplantation should theoretically restore hormonal balance and improve sexual function both in men and women, thus improving the reproductive performance. However, after transplantation, up to 25% of patients report persistent sexual dysfunction, and approximately one third of patients describe the appearance of de novo sexual dysfunction. Despite the described high prevalence of this condition, epidemiologic data are relatively scant. Further studies on pathophysiology and risk factors in the field of sexual function after liver transplantation along with new strategies to support and inform patients on the waiting list and after surgery are needed.

Bone Disorders in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease Awaiting Liver Transplantation

Background An important complication of chronic liver disease is osteodystrophy, which includes osteoporosis and the much rarer osteomalacia. Both conditions are associated with significant morbidity through fractures resulting in pain, deformity, and immobility. Liver transplantation may further deteriorate bone metabolism. The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency and severity of hepatic osteodystrophy among patients with liver cirrhosis who were referred for liver transplantation. We also evaluated modifications in bone metabolism after liver transplantation. Materials and methods We recruited 35 consecutive patients with chronic liver disease who were undergoing assessment for transplantation over a 1-year period. Bone mass in the total skeleton and proximal hip was evaluated using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry device (Lunar Prodigy Advance, GE Healthcare, USA). According to World Health Organization recommendations, osteoporosis was defined as a T score < −2.5 and osteopenia as T score between −1 and −2.5. Results We enrolled in the study 35 patients, including 8 females and 27 males of overall mean age of 57 ± 7, who showed a viral etiology (57%) or alcohol etiology (28%), Child-Pugh 8.7 ± 2.3. The overall prevalence of osteodystrophy was 40% (26% osteopenia and 14% osteoporosis). No difference was evident according to gender, severity of liver disease (Child-Pugh, Model for End-stage Liver Disease), or origin of liver disease. A subgroup of 10 transplanted patients reached 3-month follow-up, showing total body T score with a significant decrease after 3 months while femoral T scores tended to decrease insignificantly. Conclusions This study revealed a high prevalence of low bone mineral density among cirrhotic patients before liver transplantation. We suggest that both bone mineral density and biochemical examinations should be considered to be routine tests to identify the status of bone mass and bone metabolism among recipients prior to liver transplantation.

Survival After Pediatric Liver Transplantation

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) results in improved survival compared with deceased whole and split organ transplantation in children. To evaluate the effect of LDLT on graft and patient survival in pediatric liver transplantation. Retrospective cohort. Data included all pediatric recipients (aged <18 years) registered in the UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) database from October 1, 1987, to May 24, 2004. Covariates predictive of survival by univariate analyses were included in the Cox proportional hazards regression models in a blockwise fashion to determine predictors of survival. Kaplan-Meier graft and patient survival rates were improved in LDLT recipients compared with recipients of deceased whole and split organ transplantations (P<.01). In the initial model (model P<.001), prognostic factors for graft and patient survival included recipient age, race, origin of liver disease, certain pretransplantation laboratory data, medical condition, multiorgan transplantation, retransplantation, recipient-donor ABO blood compatibility, and cold and warm ischemia times. The addition of graft type to the initial covariate set did not significantly change the model (P = .21, covariate P = .09). However, most of the positive prognostic factors identified in the model were inherent characteristics of LDLT recipients and the LDLT procedure. Graft and patient survival in the pediatric population is better with LDLT than deceased organ transplantation. Factors that contribute to this difference include recipients who are less ill, who have shorter cold and warm ischemia times, and those with a decreased need for retransplantation but not the type of graft per se.

Nutritional assessment in various stages of liver cirrhosis

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of protein-calorie malnutrition, characteristics, and clinical importance of nutrition disorders in patients with liver cirrhosis according to severity of disease.METHODS: Nutrition assessments such as subjective global assessment, anthropometric and biochemical measurements, immunocompentency, thiamin and riboflavin status in 60 patients with cirrhosis (33 male and 27 female) were recorded between June 1999 and December 1999 at an outpatient clinic at Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. The origin of liver disease was alcohol related in 50% of patients. Child-Pugh criteria were used to establish the severity of liver disease.RESULTS: In terms of energy malnutrition, 13.3% of patients had ideal body weights below 90% and 11.7% had body mass indexes below 18.5 kg/m2. Protein malnutrition (low albumin) and immunoincompetence (abnormal response to skin tests) were found much more frequently (45% and 22%) than energy malnutrition. Patients with alcoholic cirrhosis had ascites (P < 0.05) and hepatic encephalopathy (P < 0.001) more frequently and less triceps skinfold thickness than those with non-alcoholic cirrhosis. Subjective global assessment and serum proteins correlated with the degree of liver-function impairment, but immunologic tests correlated inversely in cirrhosis patients. Mean values for creatinine-height index, hemoglobin, cholesterol, and complement C4 showed significant decreases in severe liver failure (Child-Pugh class C) only in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (P < 0.05). Malnutrition was correlated with the clinical severity of liver disease.CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that protein-energy malnutrition is a common complication of liver cirrhosis. Nutritional disorders appeared to be related to the degree of liver injury and the etiology of nutritional disorders. Nutritional disorders were more severe with alcoholic cirrhosis than with non-alcoholic cirrhosis.

Clinical significance and correlates of whole body potassium status in patients with liver cirrhosis

This study investigates whole body potassium status and its associations with disease stage, nutritional status, and prognosis in patients with liver cirrhosis. Two hundred and twenty-five patients were assessed for disease stage, total body potassium (TBP), anthropometric muscle mass, and energy expenditure. Subsets of patients were investigated by quantitative liver function tests or followed for survival. Patients with liver disease had lost 32.6% of TBP as compared to controls or 22.0–32.9% as compared to predictive equations. Potassium loss was independent of Child–Pugh class (A, 32.1%; B, 32.4%; C, 35.2%) as was whole body muscle mass (A, 19.5 kg; B, 18.8 kg; C, 20.1 kg). Potassium loss was not associated with diuretic therapy and not enhanced in alcoholic cirrhosis. But muscle mass, resting energy expenditure (REE) and ascites grade correlated with potassium loss (multiple r=0.40, P<0.01). Patients with potassium loss >35% had reduced survival, but this association was not independent of Child–Pugh class. Thus, TBP loss is not related to disease stage, liver function, diuretic treatment or origin of liver disease, but related to muscle mass, energy expenditure, and ascites, and therefore reflects modifications in body composition and metabolism. TBP status does, however, not add significantly to the prognostic power of the established Child–Pugh scoring system.

Nutritional status in cirrhosis

Malnutrition frequently occurs in patients with chronic liver disease and may represent a risk factor influencing both short- and long-term survival in these patients. Previously published studies have tended to be confined to alcoholic patients and there are few data on the prevalence of nutritional abnormalities in patients with cirrhosis not of alcoholic origin. Anthropometric measurements and a clinical evaluation of the nutritional status of 1402 patients with cirrhosis (883 males and 519 females) were recorded between january 1988 and 1989 by the Italian Multicentre Cooperative project on Nutrition in Liver Cirrhosis. The origin of liver disease was alcohol-related in 37% of patients. Child-Pugh criteria were used to establish the severity of the liver disease. Patients with cirrhosis exhibited a wide range of nutritional abnormalities. While 29% of females and 18% of males appeared to be overnourished, a significant reduction in fat stores, as estimated by the mid-arm fat area, and/or muscle mass, as estimated by mid-arm muscle area, was observed in 30% of patients with cirrhosis. The prevalence of signs of nutritional depletion increased in both sexes as liver function deteriorated. Mean values for mid-arm fat area decreased by 30% in males and by 40% in females with moderate to severe liver failure (Child-Pugh Classes B and C). The reduction in mid-arm muscle area was more evident in males (17% decrease) than in females (9% decrease). Patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis showed a higher prevalence of malnutrition and had more frequent severe liver impairment (Child-Pugh Classes B and C). Overall, the clinical judgement differed from the anthropometric assessment in 23% of patients, suggesting the need to introduce some simple anthropometric measurements in the evaluation of the nutritional status in patients with cirrhosis. Malnutrition frequently occurs in patients with chronic liver disease and may represent a risk factor influencing both short- and long-term survival in these patients. Previously published studies have tended to be confined to alcoholic patients and there are few data on the prevalence of nutritional abnormalities in patients with cirrhosis not of alcoholic origin. Anthropometric measurements and a clinical evaluation of the nutritional status of 1402 patients with cirrhosis (883 males and 519 females) were recorded between january 1988 and 1989 by the Italian Multicentre Cooperative project on Nutrition in Liver Cirrhosis. The origin of liver disease was alcohol-related in 37% of patients. Child-Pugh criteria were used to establish the severity of the liver disease. Patients with cirrhosis exhibited a wide range of nutritional abnormalities. While 29% of females and 18% of males appeared to be overnourished, a significant reduction in fat stores, as estimated by the mid-arm fat area, and/or muscle mass, as estimated by mid-arm muscle area, was observed in 30% of patients with cirrhosis. The prevalence of signs of nutritional depletion increased in both sexes as liver function deteriorated. Mean values for mid-arm fat area decreased by 30% in males and by 40% in females with moderate to severe liver failure (Child-Pugh Classes B and C). The reduction in mid-arm muscle area was more evident in males (17% decrease) than in females (9% decrease). Patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis showed a higher prevalence of malnutrition and had more frequent severe liver impairment (Child-Pugh Classes B and C). Overall, the clinical judgement differed from the anthropometric assessment in 23% of patients, suggesting the need to introduce some simple anthropometric measurements in the evaluation of the nutritional status in patients with cirrhosis.

Basal Energy Production Rate and Substrate Use in Stable Cirrhotic Patients

The basal energy production rate was measured using indirect calorimetry in 25 stable cirrhotic patients and 10 controls of comparable age. The endogenous substrate oxidation was also calculated by measuring urinary nitrogen excretion. The energy production rate was similar in cirrhotic patients and controls. The origins of liver disease and the degree of liver damage did not seem to influence the energy production rate. On the other hand, in cirrhotic patients, as in controls, a significant correlation was present between the energy production rate and parameters of body size, such as body weight and fat-free mass. As a consequence, cirrhotic patients with poor nutritional status, with a reduced fat-free mass, showed a lower energy production rate. The measured energy production rate was compared with the resting energy expenditure estimated by formulas commonly used in healthy individuals. The good agreement found between the measured energy production rate and calculated energy expenditure suggests that these formulas may be applied to stable cirrhotic patients in clinical practice. In cirrhotic patients, the oxidation of endogenous fat is the main contributor to basal energy production rate. The fat oxidation rate does not appear to be influenced by the hormonal pattern found in the cirrhotic patients. However, a significant correlation was present between fat oxidation and plasma free fatty acid levels. This confirms that the prevalent fat use in cirrhotic patients is supported by the greater availability of fat-derived substrates.