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Resumen Objetivo El consenso de Baveno VI para el cribado endoscopico de varices esofagogastricas recomienda evitar la endoscopia en algunos pacientes. Bajo esta estrategia, podrian pasar desapercibidas lesiones no relacionadas con hipertension portal, algunas de ellas potencialmente graves. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar la prevalencia de dichas lesiones e identificar los factores clinicos asociados a las mismas. Pacientes y metodos Estudio transversal unicentrico sobre una cohorte consecutiva de pacientes cirroticos sometidos a endoscopia digestiva alta en el contexto de un programa de cribado de varices esofagogastricas entre noviembre del 2013 y noviembre del 2018. Se analizaron los factores de riesgo para la presencia de lesiones no relacionadas con hipertension portal mediante regresion logistica uni y multivariante. Resultados Se incluyo a 379 pacientes. La etiologia mayoritaria de la cirrosis fue etilica (n = 229; 60,4%). La prevalencia de lesiones endoscopicas no relacionadas con hipertension portal fue del 39,6% (n = 150). Entre los 96 pacientes con enfermedad peptica (25,3%) se tomo test de ureasa en 54 (56,2%), siendo positiva en 24 (44,4%). La presencia de lesiones endoscopicas no relacionadas con hipertension portal no estuvo influida por la edad (p = 1), el genero (p = 0,28), la funcion hepatica (MELD p = 0,20, Child-Pugh p = 0,77) o la presencia de datos ecograficos de hipertension portal (p = 0,14). Los pacientes fumadores presentaron tendencia a mayor prevalencia de lesiones endoscopicas no relacionadas con la hipertension portal (43,2% vs. 34,6%; p = 0,09), particularmente ulcera peptica (6,4% vs. 0,6%; p = 0,05) y duodenitis peptica (17,3% vs. 6,3%; p = 0,002). El tabaquismo activo fue el unico factor predictivo independiente de ulcus o duodenitis peptica (odds ratio = 2,56; intervalo de confianza del 95%: 1,18-5,56; p = 0,017). Conclusiones El tabaquismo activo aumenta el riesgo de lesiones endoscopicas no relacionadas con hipertension portal, lo cual deberia ser investigado en profundidad para redefinir el cribado endoscopico en pacientes fumadores con cirrosis hepatica.

To determine the prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated with portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis.Cross-sectional study including a consecutive cohort of patients with liver cirrhosis enrolled in a screening program of oesophageal varices who underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy from November, 2013, to November, 2018. Clinical predictors of endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression.A total of 379 patients were included. The most frequent aetiology of liver disease was alcohol consumption (60.4%). The prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated with portal hypertension was 39.6% (n=150). Among 96 patients with peptic lesions, urease was obtained in 56.2% of patients (positive in 44.4% of them). The prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension was not associated with age, gender, liver function or ultrasound findings of portal hypertension. The prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension was not associated with age, gender, liver function or ultrasound findings of portal hypertension. Smokers had a trend to increased prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension (43.2% vs. 34.6%; p=0.09), particularly peptic ulcer (6.4% vs. 0.6%; p=0.05) and peptic duodenitis (17.3% vs. 6.3%; p=0.002). Active smoking was the only independent predictor of peptic ulcer or duodenitis (OR=2.56; p=0.017).Active smoking is a risk factor for endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension. This finding should be further investigated to reassess endoscopic screening programs in cirrhotic smokers.

Background and aims MELD allocation system has changed the clinical consequences on waiting list (WL) for LT, but its impact on mortality has been seldom studied. We aimed to assess the ability of MELD and other prognostic scores to predict mortality after LT. Methods 301 consecutive patients enlisted for LT were included, and prioritized within WL by using the MELD-score according to: hepatic insufficiency (HI), refractory ascites (RA) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The analysis was performed to predict early mortality after LT (8 weeks). Results Patients were enlisted as HI (44.9%), RA (19.3%) and HCC (35.9%). The major aetiologies of liver disease were HCV (45.5%). Ninety-four patients (31.3%) were excluded from WL, with no differences among the three groups (p = 0.23). The remaining 207 patients (68.7%) underwent LT, being HI the most frequent indication (42.5%). HI patients had the shortest length within WL (113.6 days vs 215.8 and 308.9 respectively; p

Eosinophilic esophagitis is an underdiagnosed disease that should be suspected in all patients with dysphagia and food impaction. Although these are the leading symptoms, the clinical and endoscopic spectrum is highly varied. Clinicians should be aware of the risk of endoscopy-related complications in this disorder. Precautions should be maximized in endoscopic examinations to avoid iatrogenic damage. We describe the case of a young patient with esophageal stricture and dysphagia who suffered a perforation following a biopsy.

The gold standard to diagnose acute cellular rejection (ACR) after liver transplantation (LT) is histological evaluation, but there is no consensus to select patients for liver biopsy. We aimed to evaluate the agreement among clinicians to select candidates for liver biopsy early after LT. From a protocol biopsy population (n = 690), we randomly selected 100 LT patients in whom the biopsy was taken 7-10 days after LT. The clinical information between LT and protocol biopsy was given to nine clinicians from three transplant centres who decided whether a liver biopsy was needed. The agreement among clinicians to select candidates for liver biopsy was poor: κ = 0.06-0.62, being κ

Background & Aims Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major complication after liver transplantation (LT). The initial immunosuppression protocol may influence HCC recurrence, but the optimal regimen is still unknown. Methods 219 HCC consecutive patients under Milan criteria, who received an LT at 2 European centres between 2000 and 2010, were included. Median follow-up was 51months (IQR 26-93). Demographic characteristics, HCC features, and immunosuppression protocol within the first month after LT were evaluated against HCC recurrence by using Cox regression. Results In the explanted liver, 110 patients (50%) had multinodular HCC, and largest nodule diameter was 3±2.1cm. Macrovascular invasion was incidentally detected in 11 patients (5%), and microvascular invasion was present in 41 patients (18.7%). HCC recurrence rates were 13.3% at 3years and 17.6% at 5years. HCC recurrence was not influenced by the use/non-use of steroids and antimetabolites ( p =0.69 and p =0.70 respectively), and was similar with tacrolimus or cyclosporine ( p =0.25). Higher exposure to calcineurin inhibitors within the first month after LT (mean tacrolimus trough concentrations >10ng/ml or cyclosporine trough concentrations >300ng/ml), but not thereafter, was associated with increased risk of HCC recurrence (27.7% vs. 14.7% at 5years; p =0.007). The independent predictors of HCC recurrence by multivariate analysis were: high exposure to calcineurin inhibitors defined as above (RR=2.82; p =0.005), diameter of the largest nodule (RR=1.31; p p =0.003) and macrovascular invasion (RR=4.57; p =0.003). Conclusions Immunosuppression protocols with early CNI minimization should be preferred in LT patients with HCC in order to minimize tumour recurrence.

Eosinophilic esophagitis is an underdiagnosed disease that should be suspected in all patients with dysphagia and food impaction. Although these are the leading symptoms, the clinical and endoscopic spectrum is highly varied. Clinicians should be aware of the risk of endoscopy-related complications in this disorder. Precautions should be maximized in endoscopic examinations to avoid iatrogenic damage. We describe the case of a young patient with esophageal stricture and dysphagia who suffered a perforation following a biopsy.

176 PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY EVALUATING EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF INTRAVENOUS SILIBININ IN PATIENTS WITH HCV RECURRENCE ON THE GRAFT AFTER LIVER TRANSPLANTATION M. Rendina, M. D’Amato, A. Castellaneta, N.M. Castellaneta, N. Brambilla, G. Giacovelli, L. Rovati, S.F. Rizzi, M. Zappimbulso, R. Bringiotti, A. Di Leo. Gastroenterology, University of Bari, Bari, Clinical Research, Rottapharm SpA, Milan, Italy E-mail: mariarendina@virgilio.it