Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics
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Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. · Jul 2019
The association between hepatocellular carcinoma and direct-acting anti-viral treatment in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.
Direct-acting anti-viral therapy (DAA) has transformed hepatitis C virus (HCV) care, particularly in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. However, their impact on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. ⋯ There is no alteration in prognosis or cancer progression following HCC development after HCV treatment. However, baseline nonmalignant liver lesions, diabetes and thrombocytopaenia increase the risk of HCC, and HCC is associated with a decreased SVR rate.
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Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. · Jul 2019
Moderate to severe hepatic steatosis leads to overestimation of liver stiffness measurement in chronic hepatitis B patients without significant fibrosis.
Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography is a noninvasive method for the diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis. The impact of hepatic steatosis on LSM remains to be explored. ⋯ Moderate-severe steatosis increased the LSM value in CHB patients without significant fibrosis. A CAP ≥ 268 did not affect LSM for ruling out, but it slightly affected LSM for ruling in significant fibrosis.
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Aliment. Pharmacol. Ther. · Jun 2019
Meta AnalysisSystematic review with meta-analysis: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG for treating acute gastroenteritis in children - a 2019 update.
Recently, evidence from a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) negated efficacy of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG for treating acute gastroenteritis in children. ⋯ Despite a recent large RCT demonstrating no effect of L rhamnosus GG, current evidence shows that, overall, L rhamnosus GG reduced both the duration of diarrhoea (with a higher impact in European countries) and hospitalisation in inpatients. These findings should be viewed in the context of the high heterogeneity and methodological limitations of the included trials.