Search

Objectives Chronic cholestatic liver diseases are often associated with disturbed lipid metabolism, which may potentially increase cardiovascular (CV) risk but the evidence is scarce. The aim of the study was to assess factors associated with increased CV risk in children with Alagille syndrome (AGS) and biliary atresia (BA). Methods We investigated 17 patients with AGS, ages 11.0 years (8.4-13.4) and 19 with BA, ages 13.5 years (10.4-15.1) in whom we performed thorough biochemical assessment including lipid profiles and oxidative stress biomarkers, blood pressure (BP)-systolic, diastolic and mean, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), and pulse wave velocity (PWV). Results There were abnormal lipid profiles in 82% of children with AGS and 52.6% with BA. In AGS group, we observed significantly higher levels of TC, LDL C, APO B, lower glutathione concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity and lower blood pressure, lower cIMT (P = 0.02), cIMT-SDS (P = 0.04), and PWV (P = 0.04). We, however, observed elevated blood pressure in 2/19 patients with BA and none-with AGS (BA vs AGS: P = 0.12), whereas cIMT-SDS was increased only in 2/17 patients with AGS and in 6/19 with BA (P = 0.24), and abnormal PWV-SDS values were detected in 3/17 of AGS and 8/19 of BA patients (P = 0.15). Neither presence of dyslipidemia nor Lp-X correlated with vascular parameters. Conclusions Children with BA and AGS may present with increased cardiovascular risk factors but vascular parameters are not directly related to lipid abnormalities. cIMT and BP should be considered for clinical practice in these cholestatic disorders so as to determine individuals with potential CV risk.

Summary Background Alagille syndrome is a rare genetic disease that often presents with severe cholestasis and pruritus. There are no approved drugs for management. Maralixibat, an apical, sodium-dependent, bile acid transport inhibitor, prevents enterohepatic bile acid recirculation. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of maralixibat for children with cholestasis in Alagille syndrome. Methods ICONIC was a placebo-controlled, randomised withdrawal period (RWD), phase 2b study with open-label extension in children (aged 1–18 years) with Alagille syndrome (NCT02160782). Eligible participants had more than three times the normal serum bile acid (sBA) levels and intractable pruritus. After 18 weeks of maralixibat 380 μg/kg once per day, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to continue maralixibat or receive placebo for 4 weeks. Subsequently, all participants received open-label maralixibat until week 48. During the long-term extension (204 weeks reported), doses were increased up to 380 μg/kg twice per day. The primary endpoint was the mean sBA change during the RWD in participants with at least 50% sBA reduction by week 18. Cholestastic pruritus was assessed using observer-rated, patient-rated, and clinician-rated 0–4 scales. The safety population was defined as all participants who had received at least one dose of maralixibat. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02160782, and is closed to recruitment. Findings Between Oct 28, 2014, and Aug 14, 2015, 31 participants (mean age 5·4 years [SD 4·25]) were enrolled and 28 analysed at week 48. Of the 29 participants who entered the randomised drug withdrawal period, ten (34%) were female and 19 (66%) were male. In the RWD, participants switched to placebo had significant increases in sBA (94 μmol/L, 95% CI 23 to 164) and pruritus (1·7 points, 95% CI 1·2 to 2·2), whereas participants who continued maralixibat maintained treatment effect. This study met the primary endpoint (least square mean difference –117 μmol/L, 95% CI –232 to –2). From baseline to week 48, sBA (–96 μmol/L, –162 to –31) and pruritus (–1·6 pts, –2·1 to –1·1) improved. In participants who continued to week 204 (n=15) all improvements were maintained. Maralixibat was generally safe and well tolerated throughout. The most frequent adverse events were gastrointestinal related. Most adverse events were self-limiting in nature and mild-to-moderate in severity. Interpretation In children with Alagille syndrome, maralixibat is, to our knowledge, the first agent to show durable and clinically meaningful improvements in cholestasis. Maralixibat might represent a new treatment paradigm for chronic cholestasis in Alagille syndrome. Funding Mirum Pharmaceuticals.

Background: Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a rare genetic disease that often presents with severe cholestasis and pruritus. There are no approved drugs for management. Maralixibat, an apical sodium-dependent bile acid transport inhibitor, prevents enterohepatic bile acid recirculation. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of maralixibat for children with cholestasis in ALGS. Methods: ICONIC was a randomized, placebo-controlled, drug-withdrawal, Phase IIb study with open-label extension in children with ALGS (NCT02160782). Eligible participants had >3x normal serum bile acid (sBA) levels and intractable pruritus. After 18 weeks of maralixibat 380 μg/kg once daily, participants were randomized 1:1 to continue maralixibat or receive placebo for 4 weeks. Subsequently, all participants received open-label maralixibat to Week 48. During the long-term extension (204 weeks reported), doses were increased up to 380 μg/kg twice daily. The primary endpoint was the mean sBA change during the randomized withdrawal in participants with ≥50% sBA reduction by Week 18. Cholestasis was assessed using pruritus (observer-, patient- and clinician-rated; 0-4 scale), growth and liver function. Findings: Between October 2014 and August 2015, 31 participants (mean age: 5.4 years) were enrolled and 28 analyzed at Week 48. In the randomized-withdrawal period, participants switched to placebo experienced significant increases in sBA (+94 µmol/L; p=0.0130) and pruritus (+1.7 pts; p

Pruritus is a frequent manifestation of cholestatic disorders. Authors present the currently available knowledge regarding its pathogenesis and pharmacological treatment.

Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by developmental abnormalities in several organs including the liver, heart, eyes, vertebrae, kidneys, and face. The majority (90-94 %) of ALGS cases are caused by mutations in the JAG1 (JAGGED1) gene, and in a small percent of patients (∼1 %) mutations in the NOTCH2 gene have been described. Both genes are involved in the Notch signaling pathway. To date, over 440 different JAG1 gene mutations and ten NOTCH2 mutations have been identified in ALGS patients. The present study was conducted on a group of 35 Polish ALGS patients and revealed JAG1 gene mutations in 26 of them. Twenty-three different mutations were detected including 13 novel point mutations and six large deletions affecting the JAG1 gene. Review of all mutations identified to date in individuals from Poland allowed us to propose an effective diagnostic strategy based on the mutations identified in the reported patients of Polish descent. However, the distribution of mutations seen in this cohort was not substantively different than the mutation distribution in other reported populations.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic condition characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhoea, bleeding, and malabsorption. The disease is common in young people (children and young adults) yet it is rather rare in children younger than 2 years. A distinct phenotype of early onset IBD (EO-IBD) in infants and small children with severe intractable enterocolitis and greater tendency to develop colonic disease has been described. Recent work has demonstrated that EO-IBD with manifestation in the first months of life can be monogenic, resulting from mutations in interleukin-10 (IL-10) or its receptor and leading to a loss of IL-10 function. Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can be a successful treatment for those patients. We present here a case of a female IL-10R-deficient patient with severe EO-IBD who underwent HSCT. Streszczenie Nieswoiste zapalenia jelit (inflammatory bowel disease – IBD), ktore obejmują chorobe Leśniowskiego-Crohna i wrzodziejące zapalenie jelit, stanowią grupe przewleklych chorob ukladu pokarmowego. Do charakterystycznych objawow nalezą: bol brzucha, biegunka, krwawienie z dolnego odcinka przewodu pokarmowego oraz niedozywienie. Choroba czesto pojawia sie w mlodym wieku (dzieci i mlodzi dorośli), jednak stosunkowo rzadko u dzieci mlodszych niz 2 lata. U pacjentow z wczesną manifestacją IBD (EO-IBD) choroba czesto lokalizuje sie w jelicie grubym, jej przebieg jest ciezki i szybko rozwija sie zapalenie calego jelita grubego. Najnowsze doniesienia wskazują na związek EO-IBD zdiagnozowanej w pierwszych miesiącach zycia z defektem monogenicznym i mutacjami interleukiny 10 (IL-10) i/lub jej receptora, co powoduje utrate funkcji IL-10. Przeszczep allogenicznych komorek szpiku (haematopoietic stem cell transplantation – HSCT) stanowi jedyne skuteczne leczenie dla tych pacjentow. Autorzy przedstawiają przypadek pacjentki z deficytem IL-10R oraz ciezkim przebiegiem EO-IBD, ktora przeszla HSCT.

Alagille syndrome (AGS) is often associated with symptoms of maldigestion, such as steatorrhea, hypotrophy and growth retardation. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency was proposed as the underlying cause. We aimed to assess the exocrine pancreatic function with the use of different methods in AGS patients. Concentrations of fecal elastase-1 (FE1) and fecal lipase (FL) activities were measured in 33 children with AGS. The C-mixed triglyceride breath test (MTBT) in a subgroup comprising 15 patients. In all patients studied, FE1 concentrations and FL activities were normal. Abnormal MTBT results were documented in 4 (26.7%) patients. The FE1 and FL levels in MTBT-positive and MTBT-negative children did not differ. The results of this research do not confirm the presence of exocrine pancreatic dysfunction in AGS patients. Routine screening for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency of this group of patients is not necessary.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the most severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim of our study was to highlight NASH as a rare but possible problem in children. We present a case of 13-yr-boy with a well-established diagnosis of liver cirrhosis secondary to NASH, who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) at the age of 13 years. Six months after transplantation recurrence of NASH in the graft was diagnosed. In the treatment metformin was used with good effect.

Arthrogryposis, Renal dysfunction and Cholestasis (ARC) syndrome is a multi-system autosomal recessive disorder caused by germline mutations in VPS33B. The detection of germline VPS33B mutations removes the need for diagnostic organ biopsies (these carry a >50% risk of life-threatening haemorrhage due to platelet dysfunction); however, VPS33B mutations are not detectable in similar to 25% of patients. In order further to define the molecular basis of ARC we performed mutation analysis and mRNA and protein studies in patients with a clinical diagnosis of ARC. Here we report novel mutations in VPS33B in patients from Eastern Europe and South East Asia. One of the mutations was present in 7 unrelated Korean patients. Reduced expression of VPS33B and cellular phenotype was detected in fibroblasts from patients clinically diagnosed with ARC with and without known VPS33B mutations. One mutation-negative patient was found to have normal mRNA and protein levels. This patient's clinical condition improved and he is alive at the age of 2.5 years. Thus we show that all patients with a classical clinical course of ARC had decreased expression of VPS33B whereas normal VPS33B expression was associated with good prognosis despite initial diagnosis of ARC. Children's Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) ARC syndrome association Children Living with Inherited Metabolic Diseases (CLIMB) United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) United States Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA Birmingham Children's Hospital Research Foundation (BCHRF)

Immunosuppressive and antibacterial regimens in children after liver transplantation create a gut microflora imbalance that can be indirectly measured by the activity of fecal enzymes. The aim of this study was to specify the influence of diet supplementation with probiotic Lactobacillus casei DN on the activity of beta-glucuronidase, beta-glucosidase, and urease. Twenty-five children after liver transplantation (13 girls, 12 boys) ages 3 to 17 years were enrolled in the study. Two months after bacteria application the levels of all 3 enzymes decreased, reaching statistical significance for beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase. Complete rebound in enzyme activity was observed months after the end of probiotic supplementation. We concluded that Lactobacillus casei DN-114001 consumption decreased fecal enzyme activity, a beneficial effect limited to the period of bacteria intake.