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Alsaeid M, Sung S, Bai W, Tam M, Wong YJ, Cortes J, Cobo E, Gonzalez JA, Abraldes JG. Heterogeneity of treatment response to beta-blockers in the treatment of portal hypertension: A systematic review. Hepatol Commun 2024; 8:e0321. [PMID: 38285880 PMCID: PMC10830085 DOI: 10.1097/hc9.0000000000000321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been suggested that a relevant proportion of patients do not respond to nonselective beta-blockers (NSBB)s, which raises questions regarding the need for individualized therapy. The existence of potential heterogeneity in the treatment response can be assessed using the variability ratio (VR) of the outcome measurement (in this case, HVPG) between the treated and placebo groups. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to assess the potential heterogeneity in the portal pressure response to NSBBs. METHODS After a systematic search, we quantified the heterogeneity of treatment response with the VR between the treatment and control groups, with VR > 1 indicating potential heterogeneity. We used a similar approach to compare carvedilol with propranolol and statins with placebo. RESULTS We identified 18 studies that included 965 patients. A comparison between beta-blockers and placebo showed a pooled VR of 0.99 (95% CI:0.87-1.14), which suggests a homogeneous HVPG response to NSBB at the individual patient level (ie, no evidence to support that some patients responded to beta-blockers and others did not). For the comparison between carvedilol and propranolol, pooled VR was 0.97 (95% CI 0.82-1.14), suggesting that carvedilol achieves a greater average response (rather than an increase in the proportion of responders). There was no evidence of a heterogeneous response to statins. CONCLUSION Our analysis did not support the existence of a heterogeneous patient-by-patient response to NSBBs in cirrhosis. These findings challenge the concept of personalized therapy based on portal pressure response and indicate that routine portal pressure measurement may not be necessary to guide NSBB therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Alsaeid
- Liver Unit, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
| | - Shuen Sung
- Liver Unit, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
| | - Wayne Bai
- Waikato District Health Board, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Matthew Tam
- Liver Unit, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yu Jun Wong
- Liver Unit, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jordi Cortes
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona-Tech (UPC), Barcelona-Tech, Spain
| | - Erik Cobo
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona-Tech (UPC), Barcelona-Tech, Spain
| | - Jose Antonio Gonzalez
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona-Tech (UPC), Barcelona-Tech, Spain
| | - Juan G. Abraldes
- Liver Unit, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
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Elfeki MA, Singal AK, Kamath PS. Pharmacotherapies for Portal Hypertension: Current Status and Expanding Indications. CURRENT HEPATOLOGY REPORTS 2023; 22:44-50. [PMID: 38106987 PMCID: PMC10723787 DOI: 10.1007/s11901-023-00600-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Non-selective beta blockers remain pharmacotherapy of choice for prevention of first episode of variceal bleeding (primary prevention) and for prevention of its recurrence after initial hemostasis (secondary prophylaxis). This review will update the current and emerging pharmacological therapies for portal hypertension. Recent findings Data have emerged on carvedilol in preventing hepatic decompensation and improving patient survival among patients with clinically significant portal hypertension. Because measurement of WHVP is invasive and not feasible in routine practice, non-invasive tests with liver stiffness measurement in combination with platelet count may be accurate in identifying clinically significant portal hypertension. Summary Carvedilol is more effective in reducing portal pressure compared to nadolol or propranolol. Its use has expanded to reduce risk of hepatic decompensation among patients with CSPH, which can be identified non-invasively using liver stiffness and platelet count. Studies are needed on non-invasive biomarkers to guide and optimize pharmacological treatment of portal hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ashwani K. Singal
- Avera McKennan University Hospital, Sioux Falls, SD
- University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine Sioux Falls, SD
- VA Medical Center, Sioux Falls, SD
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Ferral H, Schepis F, Gaba RC, Garcia-Tsao G, Zanetto A, Perez-Campuzano V, Haskal ZJ, Garcia-Pagan JC. Endovascular Assessment of Liver Hemodynamics in Patients with Cirrhosis Complicated by Portal Hypertension. J Vasc Interv Radiol 2023; 34:327-336. [PMID: 36516940 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvir.2022.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is currently considered the gold standard to assess portal hypertension (PH) in patients with cirrhosis. A meticulous technique is important to achieve accurate and reproducible results, and values obtained during measurement are applied in risk stratification of patients with PH, allocating treatment options, monitoring follow-up, and deciding management options in surgical patients. The use of portosystemic pressure gradients in patients undergoing placement of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts has been studied extensively and has great influence on decisions on shunt diameter. The purpose of this study was to describe the recommended technique to measure HVPG and portosystemic pressure gradient and to review the existing literature describing the importance of these hemodynamic measurements in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hector Ferral
- Section of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Filippo Schepis
- Hepatic Hemodynamic Laboratory, Division of Gastroenterology, AOU of Modena and University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Ron C Gaba
- Division of Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao
- Digestive Disease Section, Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; VA-Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Alberto Zanetto
- Gastroenterology and Multivisceral Transplant Unit, Department of Surgery, Oncology, and Gastroenterology, Padova University Hospital, Italy
| | - Valeria Perez-Campuzano
- Barcelona Hepatic Hemodynamic Laboratory, Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institut de Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Madrid, Spain; Health Care Provider of the European Reference Network on Rare Liver Disorders, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ziv J Haskal
- Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging/Interventional Radiology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Juan Carlos Garcia-Pagan
- Barcelona Hepatic Hemodynamic Laboratory, Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institut de Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Madrid, Spain; Health Care Provider of the European Reference Network on Rare Liver Disorders, Hamburg, Germany.
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Noureddin M, Goodman Z, Tai D, Chng ELK, Ren Y, Boudes P, Shlevin H, Garcia-Tsao G, Harrison SA, Chalasani NP. Machine learning liver histology scores correlate with portal hypertension assessments in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2023; 57:409-417. [PMID: 36647687 PMCID: PMC10107331 DOI: 10.1111/apt.17363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In cirrhotic nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) clinical trials, primary efficacy endpoints have been hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), liver histology and clinical liver outcomes. Important histologic features, such as septa thickness, nodules features and fibrosis area have not been included in the histologic assessment and may have important clinical relevance. We assessed these features with a machine learning (ML) model. METHODS NASH patients with compensated cirrhosis and HVPG ≥6 mm Hg (n = 143) from the Belapectin phase 2b trial were studied. Liver biopsies, HVPG measurements and upper endoscopies were performed at baseline and at end of treatment (EOT). A second harmonic generation/two-photon excitation fluorescence provided an automated quantitative assessment of septa, nodules and fibrosis (SNOF). We created ML scores and tested their association with HVPG, clinically significant HVPG (≥10 mm Hg) and the presence of varices (SNOF-V). RESULTS We derived 448 histologic variables (243 related to septa, 21 related to nodules and 184 related to fibrosis). The SNOF score (≥11.78) reliably distinguished CSPH at baseline and in the validation cohort (baseline + EOT) [AUC = 0.85 and 0.74, respectively]. The SNOF-V score (≥0.57) distinguished the presence of varices at baseline and in the same validation cohort [AUC = 0.86 and 0.73, respectively]. Finally, the SNOF-C score differentiated those who had >20% change in HVPG against those who did not, with an AUROC of 0.89. CONCLUSION The ML algorithm accurately predicted HVPG, CSPH, the development of varices and HVPG changes in patients with NASH cirrhosis. The use of ML histology model in NASH cirrhosis trials may improve the assessment of key outcome changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mazen Noureddin
- Houston Methodist Hospital and Houston Research Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Dean Tai
- HistoIndex Pte. Ltd., Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Yayun Ren
- HistoIndex Pte. Ltd., Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pol Boudes
- Galectin Therapeutics Inc., Norcross, USA
| | | | - Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao
- Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale University and CT-VA Healthcare System, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Naga P Chalasani
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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Turco L, García‐Tsao G. Portal pressure reductions induced by nonselective beta-blockers improve outcomes and decrease mortality in patients with cirrhosis with and without ascites. Clin Liver Dis (Hoboken) 2022; 20:1-4. [PMID: 35899241 PMCID: PMC9306434 DOI: 10.1002/cld.1210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Content available: Audio Recording.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Turco
- 1Internal Medicine Unit for the Treatment of Severe Organ FailureIRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero‐Universitaria di BolognaItaly
| | - Guadalupe García‐Tsao
- Section of Digestive DiseasesYale School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Section of Digestive DiseasesVA Connecticut Healthcare SystemWest HavenConnecticutUSA
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Endoscopic Ultrasound Evaluation of Portal Pressure. Clin Liver Dis 2022; 26:e1-e10. [PMID: 34802666 DOI: 10.1016/j.cld.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Portal hypertension is a complex syndrome with multiple clinical manifestations that develop in a variety of conditions and diseases. The spectrum of portal hypertension manifestations is wide and dependent on the physiologic site of increased portal resistance (pre-, post-, and sinusoidal or intrahepatic), as well as the presence of hepatocellular dysfunction.
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