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Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a major health concern worldwide; identifying risk factors and associated conditions that may lead to its development are therefore of utmost importance to the medical community. An association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and development of HCC on underlying liver conditions has been previously suggested. The aim of our study is to reveal possible significant statistical correlations between the two entities, which might warrant further study of the pathophysiological mechanisms behind this association. Patients and methods: We have prospectively included consecutive cirrhotic patients admitted to our medical clinic over a period of four years, between 2010 and 2014. Diagnostic was established using the EASL criteria. We have documented history of hyperglycemia and any changes of serum values in these patients, evaluating DM patients within the LC lot. From these patients we have selected all patients with imaging suggestive for HCC and established positive diagnosis on the criteria established in the latest EASL guidelines. We have used statistical tests to identify possible correlations between these pathologies. Results: We have identified 2718 consecutive patients with LC and successfully included 2556. Of these, 164 also had HCC. A total of 371 patients had DM – 54 also had HCC while 317 remained cancer-free through our study period. We found positive correlations between the presence of DM and HCC. Subgroup analysis of the HCC cohort revealed a positive association between DM and liver cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. We did not find positive relationships between DM and overall liver conditions, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, other significant symptoms, substance abuse and main serum values. Conclusions: We have found several significant correlations between DM and underlying liver conditions in a HCC cohort. Our study, however, did not reveal other significant associations regarding these diseases. Further studies are required to determine the precise role this disease plays in the development and severity of liver diseases.

Micropapillary carcinoma was recently identified as a carcinoma variant characterized by the presence of small clusters of tumor cells located in optically empty spaces. The study included a number of 14 cases represented by surgical excision specimens diagnosed with gastric carcinoma (tubular, papillary and signet-ring) which associated the micropapillary component in variable proportions. Regarding the low-grade tubular carcinomas, the micropapillary component represented less than 25% of the tumor, while in the high-grade tubular carcinomas and papillary carcinomas it represented 25-50%. Among signet-ring carcinomas, the micropapillary component had a percentage of over 50. The depth of invasion was frequently associated with T3 and T4 categories. Lymph nodes metastasis were found in ten cases and distant metastasis were present in three cases. Recognition of the micropapillary component associated with gastric carcinoma represents an aspect of great importance because it is frequently correlated with unfavorable prognosis parameters.

The hepatorenal cystic (HRC) syndrome is a heterogeneous group of severe monogenic conditions that may be detected before birth. Effective programme evaluation of children with HRC syndrome is a systematic way to identify the renal and urinary tract malformations which represent the most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We conducted a study involving 50 patients, who were between 3 months and 16 years of age, with multiple admissions in the Nephrology Department of “Maria Sklodowska Curie” Children Emergency Hospital from Bucharest, during 6 years (April 14th 2010-October 24th 2016), to evaluate the HRC syndrome. The admission symptomatology was mainly represented by the nephrology evaluation which was essential in the management of children’s polycystic kidney disease. For example, a premature infant (gestational age=32 weeks) with positive heredo-collateral history (mother and grandmother were diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease), was tested positive for cystic renal disease after the fetal morphology was performed. It was also done a genetic determination for the presence of PKD1 and PKD2 mutations which are specific to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease-ADPKD. However, the genetic test was negative and a postnatal nephrological evaluation was performed using renal ultrasound. The image revealed autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease-ARPKD. This study emphasizes the importance of an early diagnosis (prenatal, neontal, postnatal) correlated with the admission symptoms and also with the genetic diagnosis (mutations of PKD1 and PKD2).

Wireless capsule endoscopy represents a color imaging technology in the field of medical endoscopy that is extensively used to detect lesions of the human digestive tract. It is the golden standard in evaluating small bowel lesions, offering a set of digital snapshots difficult to get using other investigation methods. Its major drawbacks are the time consumed for image analysis and the burden for the physicians that must spot and classify lesions within more than 55000 images. This paper carries out a study on the detection of telangiectasia in the small bowel, based on an adapted color slicing technique applied not only on unique frames, but on series of successive frames, performing a global analysis suitable on partial sequences or entire wireless capsule endoscopy movies. We have quantified the extracted features and determined a weighting algorithm to find telangiectasia lesions. For frames containing potential lesions, we have determined features not only for the global image, but also for the normal mucosa surrounding the lesion extracted from the image. This approach allows the physician to see variations of parameters within a frame or a sequence that contains lesions. Experimental results prove that the algorithm is effective in detecting telangiectasia patterns of different images, with an accuracy of 93.88%, reducing thus the time spent for the analysis of the images acquired by wireless capsule endoscopy.

Purpose. The aim of our study was to identify the possible involvement of adiponutrine polymorphysm and of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Material and Methods. We included in this study a total of 138 subjects with non-invasive diagnosis of non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis. The patatin-like phospholipase domain containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 (adiponutrine) polymorphism was genotyped by allelic discrimination TaqMan PCR assay (5' nuclease assay), using predesigned TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays. Class I and II HLA antigens were determined by the polymerase chain reaction sequence specific oligonucleotide method (ADN-PCR-SSO). The results were compared with the same data from the control group subjects. Results. For PNPLA 3 polymorphism we found [CC] genotype in 82 subjects (59,42%), [GC] genotype in 45 (32,61%) and [GG] genotype in 11 subjects (7,97%). The frequency of minor [G] risk allele was 0.25. We found class I and II HLA antigens HLA A24, HLA B15, HLA DR15, HLA DR16, HLA DQ3 and HLA DQ5 more frequent in subjects with hepatic steatosis without any other risk factor and HLA-A2, HLA-32, HLA B18, HLA B49 and HLA B53 in patients with obesity or metabolic syndrome. Conclusions. Our results are consistent with the literature and show an association of PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism with hepatic steatosis. Regarding histocompatibility antigens, we studied for the first time in our country the relationship between HLA and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Introduction: Chronic viral hepatitis represent major health problems worldwide, with an evolution that is sometimes marked by a series of extrahepatic manifestations. Among these, kidney disease may occur, either as glomerulonephritis, and/or renal dysfunction. Material and methods: The purpose of this study was to achieve a complete assessment of the liver and kidney function in a series of patients diagnosed with chronic viral hepatitis, in order to identify a possible kidney disease in this context. 104 patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and C, aged between 25 and 80, were included in the study. These patients were assessed by a series of tests that allowed us to perform a complete evaluation of both liver and kidney function: liver cytolysis enzymes, serum bilirubin, markers of cholestasis, markers of viral infection, urinalysis, albuminuria, electrophoresis of urinary proteins, urea, creatinine, and abdominal ultrasound. Results: Glomerular injury was a rare finding in patients with chronic hepatitis. Patients with chronic hepatitis B had glomerular disease in 5,88 % of cases, while 10 % of the patients with hepatitis C presented this type of renal disease. Acute kidney injury was not identified in our patient group. None of the patients in the hepatitis B study group presented chronic kidney disease. CKD was present in two patients with chronic hepatitis C that had no other associated conditions.

Wireless capsule endoscopy is one of the most recent investigation techniques of gastrointestinal pathology. Unlike conventional upper and lower endoscopy, it has the advantages of being a noninvasive and painless procedure. One of the capsule endoscopy disadvantages is represented by the necessary time to analyze the video frames obtained. Software applications proposed in this purpose could offer support in the images evaluation. Different algorithms have been described in the literature, but further research is needed to establish the practical value of computer vision tools in gastroenterology.

Our aim was to establish a correlation between hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activity within different areas of hepatic tissue and the degree of liver fibrosis, necroinflammation, and steatosis in patients with viral C chronic liver disease.We prospectively included 41 liver biopsies from patients with chronic hepatitis C or liver cirrhosis, prior to antiviral treatment. Our control group consisted of seven tissue samples, obtained from 10 to 38 weeks old embryos. We assessed the alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression using immunohistochemistry and a semi-quantitative scoring method.We found a strong correlation (p0.0001) between the number of activated HSCs and the stage of fibrosis in all examined areas. Necroinflammatory activity was significantly correlated (p0.05) with the number of activated HSCs in perivenular area (p=0.014) and intermediate area (p=0.018), and strongly correlated (p0.0001) in periportal and portal tracts and fibrous septa areas. We found no correlation between the degree of steatosis and the number of activated HSCs in the perivenular area (p=0.25), intermediate area (p=0.166) and in the periportal area (p=0.154); however, in the portal tracts and fibrous septa area we observed a significant correlation (p=0.022).The analysis of HSCs activity within specified areas of liver tissue may lead to new perspectives in early diagnosis of liver fibrosis and in the development of future antifibrinogenic therapies.

Gastric carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and is the second most frequent cause of cancer deaths. Several molecular factors are studied as prognostic and predictive factors for gastric cancer, VEGF and Her2 being currently in the spotlight. The aim of the study was to estimate the expression of Her2, VEGF and the MVD in gastric carcinoma and its relationship to clinicopathological and biological features of the tumors.In this study were included 28 patients with gastric carcinoma, of which 16 patients underwent total gastrectomy, which provided the TNM stage, and 12 patients with gastric biopsy. The gastric biopsies and the surgical samples were processed immunohistochemically using anti-Her2, anti-CD31, anti-CD34 and anti-VEGF antibodies.Her2 oncoprotein was overexpressed in 85.71% of intestinal type gastric cancer cases and 14.29% in diffuse type (p=0.01), and also more in stage I an II comparatively with stage III and IV (p=0.13). Her2 positive tumors were significant low grade (G1/G2) (p0.01). MVD is higher in Her2 positive tumors than in the negative ones but not statistically significant (p=0.29 for CD31 and p=0.52 for CD34). Positive immunoreaction of VEGF was observed in 55.5% of the intestinal type carcinomas and in 80% of diffuse type. The correlation between expression of VEGF and TNM stage showed that this angiogenic factor is more frequent positive in the first two stages comparative with the IIIrd and IVth stages. The expression of VEGF is more frequent in G1-G2 tumors (p=0.003).There was a close relationship between tumor vascularity detected with CD34 and two main histological parameters: tumor type according to Lauren's classification (diffuse type; p=0.04) and tumor grade (well and moderately differentiated tumors; p=0.01). There was also a significant correlation of mean CD34 MVD value and the TNM stage being more expressed in stage III/IV than in I/II stages (p=0.004). The mean CD34 MVD value of VEGF positive tumors was 30.8 and was a significantly higher MVD than that of VEGF negative tumors (p0.05).Overexpression of Her2, the selecting factor of patients that benefit from a specific therapy, occurs at a significant frequency in gastric carcinomas, especially in intestinal type. The correlation between VEGF expression and CD34 MVD suggest that two molecular biomarkers play a major role in the biological tumor behavior and are able to be used as important prognostic parameters, which predict the aggressiveness of gastric carcinomas.

Lipid metabolism disorders related to viral etiology are described in chronic viral hepatitis, independent of age, gender and liver synthetic function. Steatosis is present, especially in chronic hepatitis C but also in chronic hepatitis B. Although liver biopsy is the gold standard in determining presence of steatosis, its presence can be determined by ultrasonographic examination as an initial screening test. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the presence of steatosis in chronic hepatitis B and C, to determine its frequency in both hepatitis type, and to explore possible relationships between presence of steatosis, lipid metabolism disorders and viral etiology. Our study lot included 66 patients, 36 subjects with chronic hepatitis C, and 30 with chronic hepatitis B. We only encountered significant levels of steatosis in the chronic hepatitis B sub-group. We found the average age, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, VLDL-C levels in the group with steatosis to be significantly higher than those in the group without steatosis (p0.05). Ultrasound reports of hepatic steatosis were particularly associated with histological inflammation, as well as fibrosis; however, the sensitivity and specificity of steatosis on ultrasound was poor when compared to steatosis on biopsy. Hepatic steatosis was significantly more frequent in chronic hepatitis C than in chronic hepatitis B. Severe inflammation and advanced fibrosis were more frequently found in HCV-infected patients with steatosis than in patients without steatosis.

Crohn disease represents an idiopathic inflammatory bowel disorder with possibility of local and extra intestinal complications. Infliximab therapy is one of major therapeutic alternatives but this treatment may by followed by several possible infections, especially the reactivation of a latent tuberculosis. We present a case of a 28-year-old patient who was admitted in our hospital with clinical signs of bowel obstruction. Colonoscopy revealed close stenosis al the level of splenic flexure. Surgery was soon performed for the imminence of occlusion and pathology has revealed chronic inflammatory infiltrate with lymphocytes and plasma cells, interpreted as Crohn disease complicated with stenosis. A treatment with prednisone 30 mg/day, ciprofloxacin 1000 mg/day administrated intermittently and sulphasalasine 3 g/day for one year was indicated but the patient develop external abdominal fistula. Infliximab therapy 5 mg/kg/dose was administered at two weeks interval, with initial good results after two doses. At two weeks after the second dose, the patient has presented fever and weight loss; abdominal CT-scan has revealed inflammatory adherences of right flexure of the colon with external fistula, resolved by surgery. The evolution was later complicated by right tibio-tarsian involvement, which imposed orthopedic intervention. Pathology has revealed bone tuberculosis and antibacillary therapy was initiated with good results.Bone tuberculosis may represent a rare evolutive modality at a patient with Crohn disease treated by Infliximab and corticoids. Infliximab therapy in a patient with immunosuppressant (previous corticotherapy, splenectomy) may activate a latent center of tuberculosis. Ciprofloxacin therapy may explain insidious modality of evolution by minor antibacillary effect.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinicopathological entity increasingly recognized as a major health burden in developed countries. In the last decade, several studies have independently provided evidence for a strong association between NAFLD and each component of the metabolic syndrome, including central obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. This article focuses on epidemiological, clinical, pathogenic and therapeutic aspects, which link these two syndromes.

Cholestasis includes, as a syndrome, all clinical and biological manifestations caused by the deficient or simply absent biliar secretion or caused by the obstruction of the biliary ducts. The hepatic cholestasis from the chronic hepatitis C (HC VHC) is a result of the altered interlobular biliary canalicules, caused by the modified cellular transport mechanisms and it is associated with a medium to severe degree of fibrosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of antiviral therapy in HC VHC patients. The study included a number of 37 HC VHC patients admitted at the Medical Department no. 1 of the Emergency County Hospital of Craiova; they were treated with Pegasys, 180 microg/week and Copegus, 1000 or 1200 mg/day, taking in consideration their weight, for 48 weeks and they were monitored for 24 weeks after the treatment. The following parameters were analyzed: direct bilirubine, total cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamiltranspeptidase and leucin-aminopeptidase. Under treatment, the clinical status caused by the cholestasis (pruritus, icteric syndrome, hemoragipary syndrome) was improved in six of the given cases (16.22%). Before therapy, the hepatic cholestasis was present in 20 patients (54.05%), and after treatment in 14 patients (37.83%). During therapy, the average values for all the monitored parameters decreased: direct bilirubine (0.38 +/- 0.18 mg/dl vs. 0.34 +/- 0.24 mg/dl, p = 0.0867), total cholesterol (198.53 md/dl vs. 183.16 mg/dl, p = 0.0808), alkaline phosphatase (236.99 +/- 79.09 iu/l vs. 227.82 +/- 87.59 iu/l, p = 0.0845), gamma-glutamiltranspeptidase (47 +/- 32.89 iu/l vs. 43.91 +/- 29.66 iu/l, p = 0.1509), and leucin-aminopeptidase (32.33 +/- 13.22 iu/l vs. 28.95 +/- 14.22 iu/l, p = 0.0038). Under antiviral treatment there was noticed an improvement of the cholestasis clinical status in a small number of cases. Antiviral therapy favorably influenced the liver cholestasis associated in patients with chronic hepatitis C in a rather small proportion. Under Interferon pegylate and Ribavirine treatment, low levels of direct bilirubine, cholesterol and enzymes were found. Hepatic cholestasis and, especially, the high serum values of gamma-glutamiltranspeptidase have a negative influence upon antiviral therapy, causing the low sustained virological response.

Bile reflux gastritis is due to an excessive reflux of duodenal contents into the stomach. The increased enterogastric reflux may provide the basis for increased mucosal injury. Bile reflux gastritis can appear in two circumstances: gastric resection with ablation of pylorus and primary biliary reflux due to the failure of pylorus. The aim of the study was to evaluate the endoscopical and histological changes caused by duodenal reflux on the gastric mucosa. The mucosal features were correlated with the risk factors involved in the development of bile reflux gastritis. Our study included 230 patients with alkaline reflux gastritis admitted in Medical Clinic no. 1, Emergency County Hospital Craiova. In all cases we performed an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Multiple biopsies were taken from gastric mucosa in 89 patients and the histological features were scored in accordance with the Sydney system. The average age of the patients with bile reflux gastritis was 58.387 years and the incidence of alkaline reflux gastritis was higher between 51 and 80 years. Reflux gastritis was noted to 138 males lpar;60%rpar; and 92 females (40%), ratio males/females was 1.5/1. The most frequent risk factors for bile reflux gastritis were gastric and biliary surgery. Alkaline reflux gastritis was observed in 167 cases (72.6%) after gastric surgery, consisting in gastric resection, pyloroplasty and gastroenteric-anastomosis. Gastroduodenal reflux after biliary surgery was noted in 17 cases (7.39%), 13 cases (5.69%) with cholecystectomy and four cases (1.73%) with biliary anastomosis. The average time interval from original operation to the discovery of the alkaline reflux gastritis was 14.91 years after gastric surgery and 15.29 years after biliary surgery. The commonest endoscopic alterations were: erythema of the gastric mucosa in 139 cases (64.43%), the presence of bile into the stomach in 133 cases (57.83%), the thicken of gastric folds in 22 cases (9.55%), erosions in 12 cases (5.22%), gastric atrophy in 12 cases (5.22%), petechiaes in five cases (2.17%), intestinal metaplasia one case (0.43%) and gastric polyp one case (0.43%). The histologic alterations observed from tissues collected during endoscopic examination were: chronic inflammation in 75 cases (84.06%), foveolar hyperplasia in 36 cases (40.44%), intestinal metaplasia in 31 cases (34.83%), acute inflammation in 16 cases (16.08%), Helicobacter pylori infection in 16 cases (16.08%), chronic atrophic gastritis in 12 cases (13.46%), gastric polyps in 12 cases (13.46%), dysplasia in 10 cases (11.23%), benign ulcerations in seven cases (3.04%), edema in six cases (6.74%) and neoplasia two cases (2.24%). Conclusions. Bile reflux gastritis was more frequent to male gender. The most frequent risk factors for alkaline reflux gastritis were gastric and biliary surgery. Reflux gastritis after gastric resection, pyloroplasty and gastroenteric-anastomosis were more frequent to male gender, while cholecystectomy and biliary anastomosis were predominantly to female gender. The average time interval from original operation to the discovery of the bile reflux gastritis was similar after gastric and biliary surgery. The commonest endoscopic alterations were: erythema of the gastric mucosa, the presence of bile into the stomach, thickens of gastric folds, erosions, gastric atrophy, petechiaes, intestinal metaplasia and gastric polyp. Acute inflammation, Helicobacter pylori infection, gastric polyps and benign ulcerations were more frequent in patients with bile reflux gastritis after gastric surgery, while edema and dysplasia were increased after biliary surgery.

Hepatitis C virus infection can cause progressive liver injury and lead to fibrosis and eventually cirrhosis. Peginterferon alfa-2a represents a significant advance in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C. The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the therapy with Peginterferon alfa-2a plus Ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The study was made on a number of 37 patients with chronic hepatitis C, admitted in Medical Clinic no. 1, Emergency County Hospital Craiova. The diagnosis of chronic hepatitis was established by means of clinical, biological and morphological investigations. Patients received 180 mug subcutaneously of Pegasys, once weekly, along with either 1000 or 1200 mg/day of Copegus, depending on their weight, for 48 weeks, with 24 weeks of treatment -- free follow-up. We evaluated: sustained virological response, histological response and adverse events. All patients were monitored using blood tests, control of viremia and liver functional tests. Analysis viral response revealed that 11 patients (29.72%) achieved sustained virological response. Histological response was obtained in 20 cases (54.05%) with chronic hepatitis C. The adverse events for Pegasys and Copegus combination therapy were reported in 21 cases (56.72%). Antiviral therapy had positive effect on subjective symptoms in almost half of patients included in our study. An improvement of liver functional tests was noted in the most cases. A third of patients who received Peginterferon alfa-2a plus Ribavirin had sustained virological response. Histological response was noted both at patients with sustained virological response and with unsustained virological response. The side effects of the antiviral treatment are frequent and the severe ones, which require dose reduction, are present at a low number of patients.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronically inflammatory disease of the articular synovial, with severe, progressive and irreversible articular destruction. RA pathogeny implies an autoimmune mechanism, the role of cytokines resulting from the exaggerated production of some cytokines that act as pro-inflammatory agents, being directly responsible of certain symptoms and articular destructions, and/or inadequate inhibition of certain cytokines that act as anti-inflammatory agents.We want to determine certain pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumoral-alpha -- TNF-alpha necrosis factor, interleukin-6 - IL-6, interleukin-8 - IL-8), anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-10 - IL-10) and immunomodulators (interleukin-2 - IL-2) in some RA patients serum at the active stage of the disease and correlation with histological patterns of synovitis -- active type of disease.The 37 patients have been grouped in stage I (9 patients), II (15 patients) and III (13 patients) according to the anatomical staging of the ARA (American Rheumatism Association), the serum levels of the cytokines being determined by ELISA technique. From the 37 patients clinical investigated only 12 were histopathological examined.The serum levels of IL-2 have been found low in patients with RA in the active stage of the disease, the lowest values having been determined at the patients in the 3rd stage of the disease, who also have the highest values of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the case of IL-10 the lowest values have been found at patients in the advanced stages of the disease. In the serum of RA patients with follicular synovitis TNF-alpha was a dominant cytokine compared to patients with diffuse disease, but the greatest serum level was found in patient with granulomatous synovitis. Concentrations of IL-6 and IL-2 were highest in the serum of RA patients with follicular synovitis in comparison to patients with diffuse synovitis and could distinguish RA patients with these two histological variants of the disease.In the active stage of the disease the symptoms are a consequence of the interleukin pro and anti-inflammatory game: high serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines are accompanied by low serum levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines can be used as monitoring markers of the acutization period in RA, increase in serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines showing the progression from the inactive phase to a new period of activity of the disease. The association between distinct histological appearance of rheumatoid synovitis and serum cytokine profile and diverse clinical activity of disease seems to confirm its heterogeneity.