Endoscopic ultrasound-guided portal pressure gradient measurement in managing portal hypertension

Portal hypertension (PH) is still a challenging clinical condition due to its silent manifestations in the early stage and needs to be measured accurately for early detection. Hepatic vein pressure gradient measurement has been considered as the gold standard measurement for PH; however, it needs special skill, experience, and high expertise. Recently, there has been an innovative development in using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for the diagnosis and management of liver diseases, including portal pressure measurement, which is commonly known as EUS-guided portal pressure gradient (EUS-PPG) measurement. EUS-PPG measurement can be performed concomitantly with EUS evaluation for deep esophageal varices, EUS-guided liver biopsy, and EUS-guided cyanoacrylate injection. However, there are still major issues, such as different etiologies of liver disease, procedural training, expertise, availability, and cost-effectiveness in several situations with regard to the standard management.

Endoscopic Management Using Novel Haemostatic Agents for Immediate Bleeding during Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography

Bleeding after endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) remains as a major challenge during ERCP procedure. Standard endoscopic haemostatic procedures have demonstrated good performance for bleeding control. Novel endoscopic haemostatic agents have also been widely used in gastrointestinal bleeding management. Regardless, there is still a paucity of high-quality evidence evaluating the practicality of these agents in ERCP. This case series study was performed on the patients who underwent ERCP procedure in a tertiary referral private hospital within 2 years period. Post-ES immediate bleeding is defined as the onset of bleeding at the time of sphincterotomy. Treatment groups for post-ES bleeding are divided into (1) standard haemostatic methods and (2) novel haemostatic agents. There were 40 patients who received standard haemostatic treatment and 60 patients who received novel haemostatic agents. Initial haemostasis was achieved in all patients. Two patients who received standard haemostatic treatment had rebleeding. Meanwhile, no patients in novel haemostatic treatment group had rebleeding. In conclusion, novel haemostatic agent can be considered as an easy and practical method in daily practice, especially when an ERCP procedure is performed. Further studies with larger sample size which, if possible, can also include a cost-effectiveness analysis are still required to implement these agents as a standard procedure in clinical practice. (This abstract has been presented at the American College of Gastroenterology meeting October 2021).

Impact of endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation in managing pancreatic malignancy

Pancreatic malignancy is still the most lethal gastrointestinal malignancy. It has a very poor prognosis with low survival rate. Surgery is still the main treatment option for pancreatic malignancy. Most patients already have locally advanced and even late stage disease due to non-specific abdominal symptoms. Even though some cases are still suitable for surgical treatment, due to its aggressiveness adjuvant chemotherapy is becoming the standard treatment for controlling the disease. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a thermal therapy that has been used as one of the standard treatments for liver malignancy. It can also be performed intraoperatively. There are several reports on percutaneous RFA treatment for pancreatic malignancy using transabdominal ultrasound and guided by computed tomography scan. However, due to its anatomical location and the risk of high radiation exposure, these methods seem to be very limited. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been widely used for pancreatic abnormality evaluation due to its ability to detect more accurately, especially small pancreatic lesions, compared to other imaging modalities. By the EUS approach, it is easier to achieve good visualization of tumor ablation and necrosis as the echoendoscope position is closer to the tumor area. Based on studies and a recent meta-analysis, EUS-guided RFA is a promising treatment approach for most pancreatic malignancy cases, but most studies only collected data from a small sample size. Larger studies are needed before clinical recommendations can be made.

Technique innovation of endoscopic ultrasound portal pressure gradient measurement using standard manometer set for portal hypertension assessment

Portal hypertension (PH) is still a major challenge to be managed in clinical practice. However, hepatic vein pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement is not always reliable for portal hypertension (PH) diagnosis. This study showed the impact of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) as a promising tool for diagnosis and management PH condition.

Treatment Outcome of Endoscopic Ultrasound Radiofrequency Ablation for Incidentaloma Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor in Young Female Patient: A 2-year Follow-Up

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) or islet cell tumors are neuroendocrine neoplasms that arise from cells of the endocrine and nervous system within the pancreas. Patients with PNET sometimes do not show any symptoms, known as nonfunctioning (NF) sporadic PNET. It is still debatable regarding the best approach in the NF for small PNET. Currently, the surgical approach is considered the best; however, it is a highly invasive procedure, and it has a potentially high risk of complications as it requires a skilled and experienced operator. Herewith, we reported a 48-year-old female with incidentaloma of nonfunctioning PNET (NF-PNET) whose tumor has been successfully treated with endoscopic ultrasound guided radiofrequency ablation (EUSRA). There was no adverse event observed during and after the EUS procedure, and even 1 week after the procedure. One year later, abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination was carried out and size of the tumor was significantly getting smaller where it could hardly be seen anymore. After 2 years of follow-up, the latest abdominal MRI study showed no solid part of the tumor could be seen anymore. In conclusion, EUSRA can be an alternative option for incidentaloma of NF-PNET management.

Portal Hypertension in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: From Pathogenesis to Clinical Practice

Portal hypertension in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mostly occur in cirrhotic stage. However, several experimental and clinical studies showed evidence of portal hypertension in NAFLD without significant or advance fibrosis. This early development of portal hypertension in NAFLD is associated with liver sinusoidal contraction by hepatocellular lipid accumulation and ballooning, which is also accompanied by capillarization and dysfunction of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. Both of these impaired mechanical and molecular components can cause an increase in intrahepatic vascular resistance which lead to the increase of portal pressure in the absence of significant liver fibrosis. Extrahepatic factors such as insulin resistance and gut dysbiosis may also contribute to liver sinusoidal endothelial dysfunction and early portal hypertension in NAFLD. The clinical impact of early portal hypertension in NAFLD is still unclear. However, clinical tools for diagnosis and monitoring of portal hypertension in NAFLD are being investigated to predict high-risk patients and to guide therapy.

A Novel Splenic Vein Flow Volume to the Portal Vein Flow Velocity Index as a Predictor for the Degree of Esophageal Varices in Liver Cirrhosis Patients

Bleeding esophageal varices (EV) have the highest mortality rate from all complications of liver cirrhosis (LC). Several Doppler ultrasound (DUS) studies have been done on the splenic or portal vein (PV) to evaluate the hemodynamic of the esophageal vein. Our study focused on finding a better index using the ratio from two parameters correlated with EV, splenic vein flow volume (SFV), and PV flow velocity. In this study, 28 patients with LC were evaluated using DUS to compare the SFV to PV flow velocity/speed (Sv/Ps) index and other measured DUS parameters with the EV degree. Afterward, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed on statistically significant DUS parameters. Mean Sv/Ps index value in the group of nonvarices was 9.89 ± 3.56; 19.50 ± 5.56 in the small esophageal varices (SEV) and 74.12 ± 29.37 in the large esophageal varices (LEV) group with p < 0.001. ROC curve analysis generated an optimal cutoff point of 16.5 (90% sensitivity and 100% specificity) to predict the presence of EV and the cutoff point of 46.7 (100% sensitivity and specificity) to predict the presence of LEV. In conclusion, the Sv/Ps index measured using DUS can be used as a noninvasive method to predict the presence of EV, especially in predicting LEV.

Diagnostic Value of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Evaluated Using Transient Elastography (TE) with Controlled Attenuated Parameter (CAP)

BACKGROUND

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic inflammatory disease with excessive fat accumulation in the liver. Transient elastography (TE) with controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a device and method to examine the degree of fibrosis and steatosis. However, this device is not widely available across Indonesia. Neutrophil and lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple marker for inflammation, which has a potency to predict disease outcome. This study aims to know the diagnostic value of NLR as the indicator of steatosis and fibrosis severity.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study with consecutive sample collection. We used secondary data from medical records, starting from 2016 to 2018. A descriptive and data analysis, including correlation test, multivariate linear regression, t-test, receiver operating curve (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) were done to find out the outcome of the study. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois). A P value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

RESULTS

Out of 106 subjects, 62.3% patients were women with the mean of age 57.29 years old and 77.4% had metabolic syndrome. Most patients had moderate to severe steatosis degree (66%) with the mean of TE mean 6.14 (2.8-18.2) kPa. There was a positive correlation between CAP and TE compared with NLR with r = 0.648 (p < 0.001) and r = 0.621 (p < 0.001), respectively. The use of RNL to assess moderate-severe steatosis has a cutoff point of 1.775 with sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV, respectively, at 81.5%, 80.6%, 89.1%, and 69.1%; cutoff point 2.150 to assess significant fibrosis with sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 92.3%, 87.5%, 70.6%, and 97.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

NLR has a positive and significant correlation with the degree of steatosis and fibrosis with high sensitivity and specificity as evaluated by TE/CAP.

The role of endoscopic ultrasound for portal hypertension in liver cirrhosis

Chronic liver disease is still a major problem because disease progression will ultimately lead to liver cirrhosis. Portal hypertension is the hallmark in advanced liver disease management. By establishing portal vein access, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been utilized in various clinical applications. In comparison to standard upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, EUS-Doppler has been shown to be a better modality for detecting esophageal and gastric varices along with peri-esophageal collateral veins, para-esophageal collateral veins, and perforating veins, and may be used to objectively predict the recurrence of bleeding. EUS-guided portal vein catheterization has also been proposed to overcome the limitations of trans-jugular approaches. The combination of EUS-elastography and azygos vein evaluation can also enhance the diagnostic accuracy of each modality. Another well-known implementation of EUS-guided procedures is in the management of ascites; particularly in paracentesis and ascitic fluid analysis. In addition, the most common clinical application of EUS in the treatment of portal hypertension is through vascular therapy or creation of intrahepatic portosystemic shunts. Major drawbacks of EUS mainly revolve around technical difficulties, the high cost of the procedure, as well as the requirement of more studies in humans to evaluate EUS-guided advanced therapeutic modalities in portal hypertension.

Impact of endoscopic ultrasound elastography in pancreatic lesion evaluation

Pancreatic malignancy still becomes a major global problem and is considered as one of the most lethal cancers in the field of gastroenterology. Most patients come in the late stage of the disease due to organ’s location, and until now the treatment result is still far away from satisfaction. Early detection is still the main key for good, prolonged survival. However, discerning from other types of tumor sometimes is not easy. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is still the best tool for pancreatic assessment, whereas fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is considered as the cornerstone for further management of pancreatic malignancy. Several conditions have become a concern for EUS-FNAB procedure, such as risk of bleeding, pancreatitis, and even needle track-seeding. Recently, an artificial intelligence innovation, such as EUS elastography has been developed to improve diagnostic accuracy in pancreatic lesions evaluation. Studies have shown the promising results of EUS elastography in improving diagnostic accuracy, as well as discerning from other tumor types. However, more studies are still needed with further considerations, such as adequate operator training, expertise, availability, and its cost-effectiveness in comparison to other imaging options.

Innovation of endoscopic management in difficult common bile duct stone in the era of laparoscopic surgery

Common bile duct (CBD) stone is a common biliary problem, which often requires endoscopic approach as the initial treatment option. Roughly, 7%-12% of the subjects who experience cholecystectomy were subsequently referred to biliary endoscopist for further management. In general, there are three classifications of difficult CBD stone, which are based on the characteristics of the stone (larger than 15 mm, barrel or square-shaped stones, and hard consistency), accessibility to papilla related to anatomical variations, and other clinical conditions or comorbidities of the patients. Currently, endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation (EPLBD) of a previous sphincterotomy and EPLBD combined with limited sphincterotomy performed on the same session is still recommended by the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy as the main approach in difficult CBD stones with history of failed sphincterotomy and balloon and/or basket attempts. If failed extraction is still encountered, mechanical lithotripsy or cholangioscopy-assisted lithotripsy or extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy can be considered. Surgical approach can be considered when stone extraction is still failed or the facilities to perform lithotripsy are not available. To our knowledge, conflicting evidence are still found from previous studies related to the comparison between endoscopic and surgical approaches. The availability of experienced operator and resources needs to be considered in creating individualized treatment strategies for managing difficult biliary stones.

The Role of Interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound in Liver Diseases: What Have We Learnt?

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is still a major problem, where the disease progression will lead to liver cirrhosis (LC) or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Portal hypertension (PH) management and loco-regional therapy for HCC have become the cornerstones in advanced liver disease management. Recently, there are studies looking at the potential role of interventional endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in liver diseases. EUS may be useful in vascular changes of the digestive wall evaluation, performing dynamic assessment of hemodynamic changes, predicting variceal bleeding and rebleeding risk, and assessing the pharmacological effects. In PH management, EUS-guided vascular therapy-which revolves around glue injection, endovascular coil placement/embolization, and combination of both-has shown promising results. As a diagnostic modality for liver cancer, the implementation of EUS in liver diseases is currently not only limited to liver biopsy (EUS-LB) but also in shear-wave elastography (SWE) and portal pressure gradient measurement, as well as portal vein sampling. The application of EUS-guided radiofrequency ablation (EUS-RFA) and tumor injection can also overcome the limitations shown by both modalities without EUS. Nevertheless, establishing EUS as a firm diagnostic and therapeutic modality is still challenging since the performance of interventional EUS requires high expertise and adequate facilities.

Therapeutic interventional endoscopic ultrasound in pancreato-biliary disorders: Does it really replace the surgical/percutaneous approach?

Pancreato-biliary disorders are still incredibly challenging in the field of gastroenterology, as they would sometimes require multi-approach interventional procedures. Recently, therapeutic interventional endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has emerged as a potential alternative to surgical or percutaneous approaches. Unfortunately, considering the high cost of EUS, lack of facility and expertise, most gastroenterologists still often refer cases to undergo surgical interventions without contemplating the possibility of utilizing EUS first. EUS-guided biliary drainage has become one of the best choices for establishing access to biliary system, given the clear visualization of pancreas, gallbladder, and common bile duct. Although there are still only a few studies which directly compare EUS-guided and surgical approaches for biliary drainage, current evidence demonstrated the superiority of EUS-guided approach in terms of adverse events and re-intervention rates, with similarly high technical and clinical success rates compared to percutaneous and surgical approaches, especially in patients with history of failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography attempt. Comparable success rates with shorter length of hospital stay between endoscopic and surgical approaches have also been exhibited for pancreatic pseudocysts and walled-off necrosis. Recent findings about the progress of EUS approach in gastroenterostomy/jejunostomy also indicated a promising potential of EUS, as a less invasive approach, for managing gastric outlet obstruction.

Bedside Percutaneous Approach in a Critically Ill ICU Patient with Complex Pancreatobiliary Disorder Followed by Endoscopic Approach: Lessons Learnt from a Tertiary Referral Center

Pancreatobiliary disorder is a challenging clinical condition, especially when this condition is causing severe infection or biliary sepsis, and sometimes it requires intensive care unit (ICU) treatment. Biliary drainage is the mainstay of therapy; however, the choice of the drainage method is dependent on the patient's clinical condition and the disease itself. A 79-year-old female was transferred on a ventilator to our ICU from another hospital due to biliary sepsis, a large common bile duct stone, and an infected pancreatic pseudocyst. The patient also has other comorbidities such as heart problems, hypothyroidism, and diabetes mellitus. Bedside percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage without fluoroscopy and percutaneous cyst aspiration was successfully performed, which improved the patient's condition; this was followed by an endoscopic approach, i.e., endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreatic pseudocyst drainage. The clinical improvement showed itself in the change of the patient's respiratory status and ventilator mode. In conclusion, the percutaneous approach has a big role in managing critically ill patients in the ICU setting. However, expertise, training experience, and a multidisciplinary team approach are very important for successful management and patient outcome.

The Clinical Significance of Colon Polyp Pathology in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Its Impact on Screening Colonoscopy in Daily Practice

AIM

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been known as a risk for the presence of colon polyp and CRC development. This study was aimed to find out the clinical significance of colon polyps' pathology among NAFLD patients.

METHOD

A retrospective database study was done in patients who underwent elective colonoscopy within one-year period in a referral private hospital, Jakarta. Subjects were adult patients who also had documented abdominal ultrasound (US). The association between NAFLD and colonic polyp was analyzed using Chi-square test with odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

A total of 138 adult patients were enrolled; 68 (51.1%) were men. Patients' mean age was 56.8 ± 15.3 years old. Colon polyps were found in 49 (35.5%) cases; the most common histopathology was adenoma (42.9%). NAFLD was found in 68 (49.3%) of patients. Colon polyps were found to be more among patients with NAFLD than in those without NAFLD (44.1% vs. 27.1%; OR: 2.119; 95% CI: 1.040-4.318). Colon polyps were found in 30 (44.1%) NAFLD patients, where 18 (26.5%) patients had adenomatous polyp, and from this subset of patients with adenomatous polyp, 6 (8.8%) patients had mild dysplasia, 8 (11.8%) had moderate dysplasia, 1 (1.5%) had severe dysplasia, and 3 (4.4%) had adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

NAFLD is associated with increased risk of any colon polyp, regardless of the histopathological type, compared with patients without NAFLD. This finding implies the necessity to perform screening colonoscopy in patients with NAFLD in the future.

Managing liver cirrhotic complications: Overview of esophageal and gastric varices

Managing liver cirrhosis in clinical practice is still a challenging problem as its progression is associated with serious complications, such as variceal bleeding that may increase mortality. Portal hypertension (PH) is the main key for the development of liver cirrhosis complications. Portal pressure above 10 mmHg, termed as clinically significant portal hypertension, is associated with formation of varices; meanwhile, portal pressure above 12 mmHg is associated with variceal bleeding. Hepatic vein pressure gradient measurement and esophagogastroduodenoscopy remain the gold standard for assessing portal pressure and detecting varices. Recently, non-invasive methods have been studied for evaluation of portal pressure and varices detection in liver cirrhotic patients. Various guidelines have been published for clinicians’ guidance in the management of esophagogastric varices which aims to prevent development of varices, acute variceal bleeding, and variceal rebleeding. This writing provides a comprehensive review on development of PH and varices in liver cirrhosis patients and its management based on current international guidelines and real experience in Indonesia.

Clinical significance of isolated gastric varices in liver cirrhotic patients: A single‐referral‐centre retrospective cohort study

Introduction

Gastric varices (GVs) occur in 10–30% of liver cirrhotic patients, with a mortality rate of up to 45%. Rupture of isolated GVs (IGVs) is less prevalent but often results in more severe hemorrhage and a higher risk of mortality than rupture of esophageal varices (EVs). However, there is no clear consensus yet about the optimal management for incidentally discovered IGVs.

Objective

To determine the clinical significance of IGVs in liver cirrhotic patients.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort endoscopy database study within a 2‐year period (2016–2017). All study subjects were liver cirrhotic patients with OVs or GVs. The exclusion criteria were noncirrhotic portal hypertension, presence of malignancy, absence of varices, and incomplete data. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 23.

Results

A total of 153 patients were included in this study. IGVs were found in 13 (8.49%) patients, whereas OVs were found in 112 (73.20%) patients and gastro‐OVs were found in 28 (18.30%) patients. Child‐Pugh class C (CP C) score was the strongest independent risk factor for variceal bleeding in bivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR]: 10.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.15–25.12, P = 0.001) and multivariate analysis (HR: 12.49, 95% CI: 4.95–31.54, P 0.001); however, the presence of IGVs was not an independent risk factor. CP C score was also the only significant risk factor associated with 1‐year mortality in liver cirrhotic patients on multivariate analysis (HR: 26.77, 95% CI: 6.01–119.34, P 0.001).

Conclusion

The presence of IGVs has no clinical significance in the occurrence of 1‐year rebleeding and in patient survival.

Palliative Endoscopic Ultrasound Biliary Drainage for Advanced Malignant Biliary Obstruction: Should It Replace the Percutaneous Approach?

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) are the standard of care in malignant biliary obstruction cases. Recently, endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) has been widely used after unsuccessful ERCP. However, the patient's clinical impact of EUS-BD over PTBD is still not obvious. Therefore, this case series study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with advanced malignant biliary obstruction who underwent EUS-BD after failed ERCP. A retrospective database study was performed between January 2016 and June 2018 in patients with advanced malignant biliary obstruction. Patients were consecutively enrolled without randomization. Treatment options consisted of ERCP and PTBD or EUS-BD if ERCP failed. Based on 144 biliary obstruction cases, 38 patients were enrolled; 24 (63.2%) were men. The patients' mean age was 66.8 ± 12.36 years. The most common cause of malignant biliary obstruction was pancreatic cancer (44.7%). Biliary drainage was achieved by ERCP (39.5%), PTBD (39.5%), and EUS-BD (21.1%). The technical success rate was 86.7% by PTBD and 87.5% by EUS-BD (p = 1.000), while the clinical success rate was 93.3% by PTBD and 62.5% by EUS-BD (p = 0.500). The median survival in patients who underwent PTBD versus those wo underwent EUS-BD was 11 versus 3 months (log-rank p = 0.455). In conclusion, there is no significant advantage of EUS-BD when compared to PTBD in terms of clinical success and survival benefit in advanced malignant biliary obstruction.

The role of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) patients evaluated using Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) Transient Elastography (TE): a tertiary referral center experience

BACKGROUND

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging disease, where it can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and lead to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) has been hypothesized to play an important role in NAFLD development and progression, however, there is still conflicting data about this phenomenon. Transient Elastography (TE) examination using controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) has been validated for liver disease progression assessment in NAFLD. It is non-invasive method and easy to perform in clinical practice. Therefore, we would like to know the role of SIBO in NAFLD and its possible impact on disease progression.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design study performed at outpatient's Hepatobiliary clinic at tertiary referral university hospital in Jakarta. All recruited study subjects based on inclusions criteria underwent laboratory examination, transabdominal ultrasound examination, CAP-TE 502 (by Echosens, France), and glucose hydrogen breath test (GHBT) using portable hydrogen breath test apparatus (Gastro+™ Gastrolyzer by Bedfont Scientific Ltd). Stool sample examination was performed using RT-PCR.

RESULTS

This study recruited 160 subjects with median age of 58 (22-78) years and 108 (67.5%) of them are female. SIBO (65,5%), DM (70.8%), dyslipidemia (75.2%), obesity (76.6%), and metabolic syndrome (73%) were more prevalent in NAFLD than non-NAFLD population. Bivariate analysis showed no significant association between SIBO and NAFLD development (p = 0.191; PR 0.871; CI 95% [0.306-1.269]). SIBO was also not associated with significant hepatic steatosis (p = 0.951; PR = 0.951; CI 95% [0.452-2.239]) and fibrosis (p = 0.371; PR = 1.369; CI 95% [0.608-3.772]). However, the presence of central obesity has significantly associated with the presence of SIBO (p = 0.001; PR = 0.378; CI 95% [0.021-0.478]). Based on stool sample analysis from 60 NAFLD patients, there is a significant correlation using Spearmen test between the presence of Bacteroides and the stage of fibrosis (p .037). Further analysis between obese NAFLD patients and non-obese NAFLD patients showing that there is a significant decrease of Bifidobacteria (p .047) and Lactobacillus (p .038) in obese NAFLD patients and a tendency of increase Bacteroides in obese NAFLD patients (p .572).

CONCLUSIONS

SIBO is not associated with NAFLD development and progression.

Gut Microbiota Profiles in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Its Possible Impact on Disease Progression Evaluated with Transient Elastography: Lesson Learnt from 60 Cases

Background

Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota has been considered to have a role in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression. However, there is still lack of studies regarding this phenomenon.

Aim

To find the difference in the proportion of gut microbiota in NAFLD patients based on the stages of liver fibrosis.

Patients and Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, which is the largest tertiary referral center. Human fecal samples from NAFLD patients who came to the outpatient clinic were collected consecutively. The stool sample examination was performed using an isolation DNA kit (Tiangen) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Fast 7500). Clinical and laboratory data were also collected. The stage of fibrosis was diagnosed based on transient elastography (FibroScan® 502 Touch; Echosens, France).

Results

Of 60 NAFLD human fecal samples, 35 patients had nonsignificant fibrosis and 25 patients had significant fibrosis (46.7% male and 53.3% female; median age 56 years). Most patients had diabetes (85%), dyslipidemia (58.3%), obesity (58.3%), and central obesity (90%). The proportion of Bacteroides was higher when compared to Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria. Of these 3 microbiota, the proportion of Bacteroides was significantly higher in the significant fibrosis group when compared to the nonsignificant fibrosis group.

Conclusion

There is a change in the composition of gut microbiota in NAFLD patients. The proportion of Bacteroides is significantly higher in significant liver fibrosis, which may play a role in NAFLD progression.

Hyperuricemia as an independent risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression evaluated using controlled attenuation parameter-transient elastography: Lesson learnt from tertiary referral center

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Hyperuricemia is one of the metabolic parameter which has been considered to play an important role in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, there is still lack of studies about association between serum uric acid with liver disease progression in NAFLD. This study aimed to know the association between hyperuricemia with moderate to severe steatosis and significant fibrosis along with other metabolic factors in NAFLD patients evaluated using Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) - Transient Elastography (TE).

METHODS

This is a prospective study in NAFLD patients who came to our tertiary referral center University hospital hepatobiliary outpatient's clinic. All patients underwent metabolic parameters measurement including serum uric acid level and CAP-TE examination. Cutoff value used for significant liver fibrosis ≥7 kPa and ≥285 dB/m for moderate-severe steatosis.

RESULTS

Of 113 NAFLD patients, there were 45 patients with moderate-severe steatosis and 34 patients with significant fibrosis. Multivariate analysis showed only high level of fasting blood glucose (OR 2756; 95% CI 1.131-6.717) and low HDL level (OR 4.196, 95% CI 1.22-14.430) to be independent risk factors of moderate-severe steatosis. High level of fasting blood glucose (OR 3.98, 95% CI 1.105-14.389) and hyperuricemia (OR 2.501, 95% CI 1.095-5.714) were found to be independent risk factors for significant liver fibrosis.

CONCLUSION

Hyperuricemia is found to be an independent risk factor for significant liver fibrosis.

Non-alcoholic fatty pancreas disease as a risk factor for pancreatic cancer based on endoscopic ultrasound examination among pancreatic cancer patients: A single-center experience

Background and Aim

Non‐alcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) is a disease that ranges from simple steatosis and can further lead to chronic pancreatitis and possible pancreatic cancer development. Its exact pathogenesis and impact on clinical practice are still largely unknown. Pancreatic cancer is still the most lethal malignancy in the world. Studies about the relationship between NAFPD and pancreatic cancer are still lacking. This study aims to find the possible role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) examination as a screening tool in NAFPD patients based on EUS examination among pancreatic cancer patients.

Methods

EUS hospital data were collected within a 2‐year period, and all patients who underwent EUS procedures were analyzed. Pancreatic malignancy was diagnosed based on imaging and tumor markers and cytopathology using the endoscopic ultrasound fine needle aspiration (EUS‐FNA) procedure. Patients with pre‐existing pancreatic diseases, significant alcohol consumption, or other primary cancer with metastasis to the pancreas were excluded. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23.0.

Results

In total, 162 patients (75 females and 87 males) were recruited for database analysis.^ Pancreatic malignancy was found in 43 (26.5%) patients, whereas fatty pancreas was found in 53 (32.7%) patients, and this was commonly found among pancreatic cancer patients.^ Based on logistic regression analysis, factors such as age, gender, diabetes, and chronic pancreatitis were not found to be significant risk factors for pancreatic malignancy where fatty pancreas is the only significant risk factor for pancreatic cancer (odds ratio: 18.027 [95% CI: 7.288–44.588]).

Conclusion

Prevalence of NAFPD among pancreatic cancer patients is high. Future studies can be conducted to show whether EUS can be considered a screening tool for the early detection of pancreatic malignancy in NAFPD patients; a cohort prospective study might also be needed to show clear causality between fatty pancreas and pancreatic cancer.

Therapeutic Interventional Endoscopic Ultrasound Based on Rare Cases in Indonesia: A Single-Center Experience in Unselected Patients

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is still not widely available and has a barrier in most Southeast Asian countries due to lack of training program, high cost, and hospital investment. In this study, we would like to show the impact of therapeutic interventional EUS procedures in gastroenterology practice in Indonesia, which represents the biggest Southeast Asian country.

METHODS

Patients who underwent interventional EUS procedure in Medistra Hospital were prospectively recruited within 1 year.

RESULTS

Of 147 patients who underwent EUS procedures, 39 patients underwent fine needle aspiration. Most of the cases suffered from pancreatic cancer (47.5%) followed by ampullary cancer (20%), gastric subepithelial mass (10%), and other conditions. There were 4 rare cases that underwent therapeutic interventional EUS procedures. Patients with large mesenteric cyst attached to the gastric wall and large left liver lobe cyst with gastric compression who were previously suspected with gastrointestinal stromal tumor were successfully managed by cyst aspiration. One patient with a large pseudocyst due to chronic pancreatitis was successfully managed by plastic stent placement. Another patient with duodenal duplication cyst causing duodenal obstruction was managed by inserting a plastic stent through the cyst. No complications were observed during and after the therapeutic EUS procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

Innovation in interventional EUS has a high impact in gastroenterology practice as well as in a developing country like Indonesia, which represents the biggest Southeast Asian country. Further developments are needed regarding the cost, investment, and especially the necessary training curriculum to make this technology available in tertiary referral centers.

Efficacy of Prothrombin Complex Concentrate Treatment in Patients with Liver Coagulopathy Who Underwent Various Invasive Hepatobiliary and Gastrointestinal Procedures

Background

Prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) containing prothrombin, factors VII, IX, and X, as well as the inhibitors protein C and S have been used as an emergent reversal for oral anticoagulation therapy. The use of PCCs in hepatobiliary disorder patients or patients with liver coagulopathy who need to undergo invasive procedures has not been well studied.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of PCC treatment in order to control or prevent bleeding complications in patients with liver coagulopathy who undergo various invasive procedures.

Methods

This was a prospective, open-label, non-randomized, before-and-after study in patients with hepatobiliary disorders who underwent invasive procedures accompanied by liver impairment and received PCC injection (Cofact^®, Sanquin, The Netherlands). Patients with coagulopathy from various causes were recruited consecutively. Data collected were the episodes of bleeding, liver function test and the international normalized ratio (INR) before and after PCC therapy. The primary endpoint was INR change after treatment, while secondary endpoints included bleeding control and bleeding event after treatment.

Results

Thirty patients (17 men, 13 women) were enrolled. Patients’ mean age was 57.0 + 15.5 years. Liver cirrhosis was found in 14 patients (46.7%). The procedures consisted of liver biopsy, liver abscess aspiration, abdominal paracentesis, therapeutic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, abdominal surgery, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. After treatment, 25 patients (83.3%) showed a decreased median INR (from 1.6 to 1.3) (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon's signed-rank test). Five patients failed to show INR reduction. No new bleeding event related to the invasive procedures was observed.

Conclusion

PCC treatment is effective to control and prevent bleeding complications in patients with liver coagulopathy who undergo invasive procedures.

Prevalence of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Pancreas Disease (NAFPD) and its risk factors among adult medical check-up patients in a private hospital: a large cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

The clinical significance of non-alcoholic fatty pancreatic disease (NAFPD) or fatty pancreas is largely unknown. It is often an incidental finding on abdominal ultrasound, which is not explored further, especially its association with metabolic condition and the risk of pancreatic malignancy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the presence of NAFPD and its associated risk factors among adult medical check-up patients.

METHOD

A large cross-sectional study was done among adult medical check-up patients underwent abdominal ultrasound between January and December 2013 in Medistra Hospital, Jakarta. Data was obtained from the patients' medical record and include demographic data, blood pressures, fasting blood glucose level, and lipid profile. The presence of fatty pancreas was diagnosed by ultrasound. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were done to find associated risk factors for NAFPD. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 17.

RESULTS

A total of 1054 cases were included in this study; pancreas cannot be visualized in 153 cases and were excluded from the analysis. Fatty pancreas was present in 315 (35.0%) patients. Bivariate analyses found associations among fatty pancreas and several risk factors such as gender, age, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglycerides (TG) and cholesterol levels.

CONCLUSION

Fatty pancreas is a common finding during medical check-up with a prevalence of 35%. Fatty pancreas has significant association with metabolic factors and it might have an important role in risk of malignancy.