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Background & Aims: Malnutrition is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with cirrhosis. Accurate assessment of energy requirements is needed to optimize dietary intake. Resting energy expenditure (REE), the major component of total energy expenditure, can be measured using indirect calorimetry (mREE) or estimated using prediction equations (pREE). This study assessed the usefulness of predicted estimates of REE in this patient population., Methods: Individual mREE data were available for 900 patients with cirrhosis (mean [±1 SD] age 55.7±11.6 years-old; 70% men; 52% south-east Asian) and 282 healthy controls (mean age 36.0±12.8 years-old; 52% men; 18% south-east Asian). Metabolic status was classified using thresholds based on the mean ± 1 SD of the mREE in the healthy controls. Comparisons were made between mREE and pREE estimates obtained using the Harris-Benedict, Mifflin, Schofield and Henry equations. Stepwise regression was used to build 3 new prediction models which included sex, ethnicity, body composition measures, and model for end-stage liver disease scores., Results: The mean mREE was significantly higher in patients than controls when referenced to dry body weight (22.4±3.8 cf. 20.8±2.6 kcal/kg/24 hr; p <0.001); there were no significant sex differences. The mean mREE was significantly higher in Caucasian than Asian patients (23.1±4.4 cf. 21.7±2.9 kcal/kg/24 hr; p <0.001). Overall, 37.1% of Caucasian and 25.3% of Asian patients were classified as hypermetabolic. The differences between mREE and pREE were both statistically and clinically relevant; in the total patient population, pREE estimates ranged from 501 kcal/24 hr less to 548 kcal/24 hr more than the mREE. Newly derived prediction equations provided better estimates of mREE but still had limited clinical utility., Conclusions: Prediction equations do not provide useful estimates of REE in patients with cirrhosis. REE should be directly measured., Lay Summary: People with cirrhosis are often malnourished and this has a detrimental effect on outcome. Provision of an adequate diet is very important and is best achieved by measuring daily energy requirements and adjusting dietary intake accordingly. Prediction equations, which use information on age, sex, weight, and height can be used to estimate energy requirements; however, the results they provide are not accurate enough for clinical use, particularly as they vary according to sex and ethnicity., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None of the authors report a conflict of interest in relation to this work. Please refer to the accompanying ICMJE disclosure forms for further details., (Copyright © 2022 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Recent evidence suggests that complement activation is important in the pathogenesis of pauci-immune (PI) vasculitis. This is a retrospective investigation of the frequency of hypocomplementemia at pauci-immune glomerulonephritis (PIGN) diagnosis, in relation to vasculitic manifestations, renal histopathology, and treatment outcomes., Methods: A total of 115 patients with biopsy-proven PIGN were categorized based on their serum complement C3 (sC3). Histopathology evaluation included activity and chronicity indexes. The primary outcome of interest was treatment resistance, defined as a progressive decline in kidney function, with persistently active urine sediment, leading to dialysis dependency or vasculitis-related death., Results: In all, 20.9% of patients had low sC3 levels associated with more advanced renal impairment ( P  < 0.01), requiring acute dialysis ( P  < 0.01) more frequently compared to patients with normal sC3. Within 1 year, 85.7% of patients with normal sC3 responded to therapy, versus 58.3% of those with low sC3 ( P  = 0.001). The probability of treatment resistance was strongly associated with low sC3 ( P  = 0.004), high serum creatinine ( P  < 0.001), acute dialysis requirement ( P  < 0.001), and high histopathological score of chronicity ( P  < 0.01). Advanced histopathological activity was related to more intense interstitial leukocyte infiltration ( P  = 0.005) and higher likelihood of fibrinoid necrosis documentation in a vessel wall ( P  = 0.02). The probability of treatment resistance was higher in patients with low sC3 (odds ratio [OR] = 6.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.47-28.35, P  = 0.013), oliguria (OR = 29.57, 95% CI = 4.74-184, P  < 0.0001), and high chronicity score (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.23-2.54, P  = 0.002)., Conclusion: Low sC3 is emerging as an independent predictor of treatment resistance in patients with PIGN associated with higher index of histopathological activity at diagnosis compared to normal sC3., (© 2021 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background and Aims: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastro-enteric anastomosis (EUS-GEA) using lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) is emerging as a minimally invasive alternative to surgery across several indications. Literature on this subject is heterogeneous, with variable reporting of techniques and outcomes. Our aim was to perform a meta-analysis of published data on EUS-GEA, providing a pooled estimate of technical and clinical outcomes., Methods: The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (Reg. no. CRD42018111110). PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched until February 2019 for studies describing patients undergoing EUS guided enteric anastomosis. PRISMA methodology was used. Pooled technical and clinical success rates as well as pooled adverse events rates were calculated. Study quality, publication bias, and heterogeneity were explored., Results: Twelve studies including 290 patients were included, published between 2016 and 2019. All studies but one were retrospective. Main procedure indication was gastric outlet obstruction (62.4%), followed by ERCP access (27.9%) in patients with gastric bypass surgery. Direct puncture technique was the most frequently adopted (68.2%). Pooled technical success rate (12 studies, 290 patients) was 93.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 89.7-6.0%; I 2 :0%], while clinical success rate (11 studies, 260 patients) was 90.1% [95%CI 85.5-93.4%; I 2 :0%]. Pooled total adverse events rate (11 cohorts, 261 patients) was 11.7% [95%CI 8.2-16.6%; I 2 :0%], mainly mild/moderate: 10.6% [95%CI 7 - 15.6%]. No publication bias or significant heterogeneity was found., Conclusions: EUS-GEA has a high rate of technical and clinical success when performed in expert centers. The procedure appears to be relatively safe, and might represent a non-inferior minimally invasive alternative to surgery. The paucity of long-term clinical outcomes suggests prudency and need for further research, especially regarding non-malignant indications., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None to declare for any author., (Copyright © 2020 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background & Aims: Limited data exist on drug-induced liver injury (DILI) associated with statins., Methods: Reports on adverse reactions suspected to be due to statins received by the Swedish Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committe 1988-2010 were analyzed. Only cases with >5×upper limit of normal (ULN) in aminotransferases and/or alkaline phosphatase >2×ULN were included., Results: The most common types of ADRs suspected were DILI in 124/217 (57%) cases. A total of 73/124 (59%) cases had at least possible relationship, median age 64 years (57-73), 55% males, whereas 25/124 cases (20%) were excluded due to mild elevations of liver tests and 26 due to unlikely relationship and/or lack of data. A statin-related DILI episode was reported in 1.2/100,000 users. Atorvastatin was implicated in 30/73 (41%) cases, simvastatin in 28 (38%), fluvastatin (15%), and others. Two patients died of acute liver failure, one underwent liver transplantation and 25 (34%) had jaundice. Three patients were rechallenged with the same statin producing similar patterns of liver injury. The median duration of therapy was 90 days (30-120), 120 (39-248) for atorvastatin, and 75 (30-150) for simvastatin (NS). Cholestatic/mixed injury was more common with atorvastatin, 17/30 (56%) than with simvastatin, 7/28 (24%) (p=0.018)., Conclusions: Idiosyncratic liver injury associated with statins is rare but can be severe. After recovery, a similar pattern of liver injury can be reproduced on re-exposure. Most patients experience liver injury 3-4 months after start of therapy. Atorvastatin is mostly associated with cholestatic liver injury whereas hepatocellular injury is more common with simvastatin., (Copyright © 2011 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Liver cirrhosis is associated with reduced energy intake and increased resting energy expenditure., Objective: We aimed to investigate the possible role of glucose, insulin, leptin, and ghrelin in the pathogenesis of these alterations., Design: Nutritional status, energy intake, resting energy expenditure, and fasting glucose, insulin, and leptin were assessed in 31 patients with cirrhosis. Postprandial glucose, insulin, C-peptide, leptin, and ghrelin responses were studied in a subgroup of patients after a standard meal. Ten healthy subjects served as controls., Results: Patients with cirrhosis had a lower energy intake (P < 0.05), higher resting energy expenditure (P < 0.05), higher fasting leptin (P < 0.05), and higher insulin resistance (P < 0.001) than did the healthy control subjects. In the patients with cirrhosis, fasting leptin was negatively correlated with resting energy expenditure (r = -0.38, P < 0.05) but not with energy intake. In control subjects, leptin was negatively correlated with energy intake (r = -0.72, P < 0.05) but not with resting energy expenditure. The patients with cirrhosis had higher postprandial glucose (P < 0.001) and lower ghrelin (P < 0.05) concentrations at 4 h postprandially than did the control subjects. The increase in ghrelin from its minimal postmeal value to 4 h postmeal was negatively correlated (r = -0.66, P = 0.014) with weight loss in the patients with cirrhosis. Energy intake was negatively correlated (r = -0.42, P < 0.01) with the postprandial increase in glucose., Conclusions: In cirrhosis, altered postprandial glucose and ghrelin are associated with reduced energy intake and weight loss, respectively, and the effects of leptin on energy intake and expenditure seem to be altered. Insulin resistance might be involved in these altered postprandial responses.

The aim of this survey was to investigate the year-round epidemiological patterns of Oestrus ovis ELISA sero-prevalence in sheep and goats kept together under the same husbandry system in an endemic area of Greece. Twenty-five adult female sheep and 25 adult female goats, coming from a large mixed flock, were randomly selected, eartaged and monthly blood sampled during 1 year period (November 1998-October 1999). Serological prevalence in sheep was 100% all around the year. Mean intensities of specific O. ovis antibodies follow a seasonal evolution with higher mean titers between March and July than in winter. In contrast, the serological prevalences in goats were low specially in winter months (from October to January). No significant difference were noticed in goats antibody levels during the year period. The possible reasons of this difference of O. ovis sero-prevalence between sheep and goats are discussed.