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Woodland H, Buchanan RM, Pring A, Dancox M, McCune A, Forbes K, Verne J. Inequity in end-of-life care for patients with chronic liver disease in England. Liver Int 2023; 43:2393-2403. [PMID: 37519025 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The World Health Assembly recommends integration of palliative care into treatment of patients with any life-limiting condition, yet patients with non-malignant disease are less likely to receive specialist palliative care (SPC). This study compares SPC offered to patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) versus patients with chronic liver disease without HCC (CLD without HCC). METHODS Patients who died from CLD or HCC over 5 years (2013-2017) in England were identified using a dataset linking national data on all hospital admissions (Hospital Episode Statistics - HES) with national mortality data from the Office for National Statistics (HES - ONS). The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who received inpatient SPC in their last year of life (LYOL). Secondary outcomes were (1) early inpatient SPC input and (2) the proportion dying in a hospice. The outcomes were compared between patients with HCC and CLD without HCC. RESULTS 29 669 patients were identified, 8143 of whom had HCC. Patients with HCC were significantly more likely to receive inpatient SPC input-adjusted OR 3.74 (95% CI 3.52-3.97) and early inpatient SPC input-adjusted OR 7.26 (95% CI 6.38-8.25) and die in a hospice OR 8.23 (95% CI 7.33-9.24) than patients with CLD without HCC. CONCLUSIONS These data highlight the stark inequity in access to SPC services between patients with HCC and patients with CLD without HCC in England. Addressing these inequities will improve end-of-life care for patients with CLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazel Woodland
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Gastrointestinal Unit, Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Salisbury, UK
| | - Ryan M Buchanan
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Andy Pring
- Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department of Health and Social Care, London, UK
| | - Mark Dancox
- Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department of Health and Social Care, London, UK
| | - Anne McCune
- Department of Hepatology, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Karen Forbes
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Julia Verne
- Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department of Health and Social Care, London, UK
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2
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Theodoreson MD, Aithal GP, Allison M, Brahmania M, Forrest E, Hagström H, Johansen S, Krag A, Likhitsup A, Masson S, McCune A, Rajoriya N, Thiele M, Rowe IA, Parker R. Extra-hepatic morbidity and mortality in alcohol-related liver disease: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Liver Int 2023; 43:763-772. [PMID: 36694995 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use increases the risk of many conditions in addition to liver disease; patients with alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) are therefore at risk from both extra-hepatic and hepatic disease. AIMS This review synthesises information about non-liver-related mortality in persons with ALD. METHODS A systematic literature review was performed to identify studies describing non-liver outcomes in ALD. Information about overall non-liver mortality was extracted from included studies and sub-categorised into major causes: cardiovascular disease (CVD), non-liver cancer and infection. Single-proportion meta-analysis was done to calculate incidence rates (events/1000 patient-years) and relative risks (RR) compared with control populations. RESULTS Thirty-seven studies describing 50 302 individuals with 155 820 patient-years of follow-up were included. Diabetes, CVD and obesity were highly prevalent amongst included patients (5.4%, 10.4% and 20.8% respectively). Outcomes varied across the spectrum of ALD: in alcohol-related fatty liver the rate of non-liver mortality was 43.4/1000 patient-years, whereas in alcoholic hepatitis the rate of non-liver mortality was 22.5/1000 patient-years. The risk of all studied outcomes was higher in ALD compared with control populations: The RR of death from CVD was 2.4 (1.6-3.8), from non-hepatic cancer 2.2 (1.6-2.9) and from infection 8.2 (4.7-14.3). CONCLUSION Persons with ALD are at high risk of death from non-liver causes such as cardiovascular disease and non-hepatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guruprasad P Aithal
- Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre, Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Michael Allison
- Liver Unit, Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Stine Johansen
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Fibrosis, Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis Research Center Odense (FLASH), Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Aleksander Krag
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Fibrosis, Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis Research Center Odense (FLASH), Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Alisa Likhitsup
- St Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- University of Missouri School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | | | | | - Neil Rajoriya
- The Liver Unit, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Maja Thiele
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Fibrosis, Fatty Liver and Steatohepatitis Research Center Odense (FLASH), Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Ian A Rowe
- Leeds Liver Unit, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
- Leeds Institute for Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Richard Parker
- Leeds Liver Unit, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
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3
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Dhanda A, Bodger K, Hood S, Henn C, Allison M, Amasiatu C, Burton R, Cramp M, Forrest E, Khetani M, MacGilchrist A, Masson S, Parker R, Sheron N, Simpson K, Vergis N, White M, Boyd A, Brind A, Joshi A, Rund A, Srivastava A, McCune A, Gartland A, Hudson B, Stableforth B, John C, Maxan E, Unitt E, Beetteridge F, Lewis H, Fellows H, Haq I, Patel J, Ryan J, Cobbold J, Pohl K, Raeburn K, Corless L, Johnston M, Subhani M, Shah N, Ali N, Rajoriya N, Bendall O, Saeed O, Berry P, Moodley P, Abdelbadiee S, Davies S, Kotha S, Ryder S, Verma S, Manship T, Kumar V, Haddadin Y. The Liverpool alcohol-related liver disease algorithm identifies twice as many emergency admissions compared to standard methods when applied to Hospital Episode Statistics for England. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2023; 57:368-377. [PMID: 36397658 PMCID: PMC10099257 DOI: 10.1111/apt.17307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency admissions in England for alcohol-related liver disease (ArLD) have increased steadily for decades. Statistics based on administrative data typically focus on the ArLD-specific code as the primary diagnosis and are therefore at risk of excluding ArLD admissions defined by other coding combinations. AIM To deploy the Liverpool ArLD Algorithm (LAA), which accounts for alternative coding patterns (e.g., ArLD secondary diagnosis with alcohol/liver-related primary diagnosis), to national and local datasets in the context of studying trends in ArLD admissions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We applied the standard approach and LAA to Hospital Episode Statistics for England (2013-21). The algorithm was also deployed at 28 hospitals to discharge coding for emergency admissions during a common 7-day period in 2019 and 2020, in which eligible patient records were reviewed manually to verify the diagnosis and extract data. RESULTS Nationally, LAA identified approximately 100% more monthly emergency admissions from 2013 to 2021 than the standard method. The annual number of ArLD-specific admissions increased by 30.4%. Of 39,667 admissions in 2020/21, only 19,949 were identified with standard approach, an estimated admission cost of £70 million in under-recorded cases. Within 28 local hospital datasets, 233 admissions were identified using the standard approach and a further 250 locally verified cases using the LAA (107% uplift). There was an 18% absolute increase in ArLD admissions in the seven-day evaluation period in 2020 versus 2019. There were no differences in disease severity or mortality, or in the proportion of admissions with decompensation of cirrhosis or alcoholic hepatitis. CONCLUSIONS The LAA can be applied successfully to local and national datasets. It consistently identifies approximately 100% more cases than the standard coding approach. The algorithm has revealed the true extent of ArLD admissions. The pandemic has compounded a long-term rise in ArLD admissions and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwin Dhanda
- University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.,South West Liver Unit, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Plymouth, UK
| | - Keith Bodger
- University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Steve Hood
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Clive Henn
- Addiction and Inclusion Directorate, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department for Health and Social Care, London, UK
| | - Michael Allison
- Cambridge Liver Unit, Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Chioma Amasiatu
- Addiction and Inclusion Directorate, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department for Health and Social Care, London, UK
| | - Robyn Burton
- Addiction and Inclusion Directorate, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department for Health and Social Care, London, UK
| | - Matthew Cramp
- University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.,South West Liver Unit, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Plymouth, UK
| | | | - Meetal Khetani
- Addiction and Inclusion Directorate, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department for Health and Social Care, London, UK
| | | | - Steven Masson
- Liver Unit, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle, UK
| | - Richard Parker
- Leeds Liver Unit, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
| | - Nick Sheron
- Addiction and Inclusion Directorate, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department for Health and Social Care, London, UK
| | - Ken Simpson
- Liver Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nikhil Vergis
- Imperial College London, London, UK.,Research and Development, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Martin White
- Addiction and Inclusion Directorate, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department for Health and Social Care, London, UK
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4
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Harris F, McCune A, Murphy S, Smadbeck J, Ali M, Penheiter A, Karagouga G, Sadeghian D, Cucinella G, Mariani A, Vasmatzis G. Personalized Liquid Biopsy May Predict Relapse in Aggressive Endometrial Cancer. Am J Clin Pathol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqac126.178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction/Objective
High-grade endometrial cancer (EC) recurs in 50% of patients following surgery and first-line chemotherapy. There are no established blood-based biomarkers with sufficient specificity and sensitivity to monitor EC patients for residual disease and recurrence. The ability to detect and monitor EC currently relies on serial imaging based approaches. Liquid biopsies via blood-based tests for cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) are becoming increasingly popular, but none have been FDA approved for EC and current approaches have not been validated in patients with uncommon tumor mutations. We hypothesized that personalized testing panels based on tumor-specific chromosomal rearrangements would allow ctDNA to be monitored and that ctDNA presence correlates with other clinical indicators of recurrence.
Methods/Case Report
Twelve patients with FIGO Stage I-IV and biopsy confirmed high-grade EC were prospectively enrolled and underwent primary tumor resection. DNA was isolated from tumor tissue and sequenced on Illumina NGS platforms [San Diego, CA]. BIMA algorithm and SVAtools identified junctions of somatic chromosomal rearrangements and 4-5 junctions were chosen per patient, based primarily on copy number/amplification level. Blood was collected before surgery, and longitudinally between 1 and 7 timepoints. Total cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was extracted from platelet poor plasma with the Qiagen CNA kit [Germany]. Personalized ctDNA qPCR Taqman [IDT, Coralville, Iowa] probe assays were developed with pooled pre-amplification to maximize sensitivity for the multiple junctions and normalized to input.
Results (if a Case Study enter NA)
ctDNA was detected in 9/12 and 5/12 cases pre- and post-surgery, respectively. The detection or absence of measurable ctDNA following surgery showed high correlation with cancer recurrence as detected by CT or MRI scans.
Conclusion
The detection of ctDNA in high-grade EC using personalized junction panels shows promise for a blood-based assay that may help physicians better monitor and treat patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Harris
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
| | - A McCune
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
| | - S Murphy
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
| | - J Smadbeck
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
| | - M Ali
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
| | - A Penheiter
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
| | - G Karagouga
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
| | - D Sadeghian
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
| | - G Cucinella
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
| | - A Mariani
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
| | - G Vasmatzis
- Mayo Clinic , Rochester, Minnesota , United States
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5
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Mansfield A, Reddy Mallareddy J, Yang L, Lin WH, Feathers R, Ayers-Ringler J, Tolosa E, Kizhake S, Kubica S, Boghean L, Alvarez S, Naldrett M, Singh S, Rana S, Zahid M, Smadbeck J, Johnson S, Harris F, Sotiriou S, Karagouga G, McCune A, Schaefer-Klein J, Quiñones-Hinojosa A, Roden A, Kosari F, Cheville J, Vasmatzis G, Anastasiadis P, Borad M, Natarajan A. P2.14-03 Restored Ubiquitination and Degradation of Exon 14 Skipped MET with Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras. J Thorac Oncol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2022.07.259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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6
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Abbas N, Culver EL, Thorburn D, Halliday N, Crothers H, Dyson JK, Phaw A, Aspinall R, Khakoo SI, Kallis Y, Smith B, Patanwala I, McCune A, Chimakurthi CR, Hegade V, Orrell M, Jones R, Mells G, Thain C, Thain RM, Jones D, Hirschfield G, Trivedi PJ. UK-Wide Multicenter Evaluation of Second-line Therapies in Primary Biliary Cholangitis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 21:1561-1570.e13. [PMID: 35961518 DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2022.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Thirty-to-forty percent of patients with primary biliary cholangitis inadequately respond to ursodeoxycholic acid. Our aim was to assemble national, real-world data on the effectiveness of obeticholic acid (OCA) as a second-line treatment, alongside non-licensed therapy with fibric acid derivatives (bezafibrate or fenofibrate). METHODS This was a nationwide observational cohort study conducted from August 2017 until June 2021. RESULTS We accrued data from 457 patients; 349 treated with OCA and 108 with fibric acid derivatives. At baseline/pre-treatment, individuals in the OCA group manifest higher risk features compared with those taking fibric acid derivatives, evidenced by more elevated alkaline phosphatase values, and a larger proportion of individuals with cirrhosis, abnormal bilirubin, prior non-response to ursodeoxycholic acid, and elastography readings >9.6kPa (P < .05 for all). Overall, 259 patients (OCA) and 80 patients (fibric acid derivatives) completed 12 months of second-line therapy, yielding a dropout rate of 25.7% and 25.9%, respectively. At 12 months, the magnitude of alkaline phosphatase reduction was 29.5% and 56.7% in OCA and fibric acid groups (P < .001). Conversely, 55.9% and 36.4% of patients normalized serum alanine transaminase and bilirubin in the OCA group (P < .001). The proportion with normal alanine transaminase or bilirubin values in the fibric acid group was no different at 12 months compared with baseline. Twelve-month biochemical response rates were 70.6% with OCA and 80% under fibric acid treatment (P = .121). Response rates between treatment groups were no different on propensity-score matching or on sub-analysis of high-risk groups defined at baseline. CONCLUSION Across the population of patients with primary biliary cholangitis in the United Kingdom, rates of biochemical response and drug discontinuation appear similar under fibric acid and OCA treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadir Abbas
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Centre for Liver and Gastroenterology Research, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom; Liver Unit, University Hospitals Birmingham Queen Elizabeth. Birmingham, United Kingdom; Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Emma L Culver
- Oxford Liver Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas Thorburn
- Institute of Liver and Digestive Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Neil Halliday
- Institute of Liver and Digestive Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Crothers
- Department of Informatics, University Hospitals Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica K Dyson
- Department of Hepatology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust, Newcastle, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health and Care Research, Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - April Phaw
- Department of Hepatology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust, Newcastle, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health and Care Research, Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Aspinall
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
| | - Salim I Khakoo
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Yiannis Kallis
- Department of Hepatology, Barts Health National Health Service Trust and Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Belinda Smith
- Department of Digestive Diseases, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Imran Patanwala
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals National Health Service Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Anne McCune
- Department of Liver Medicine, University Hospitals Bristol National Health Service Foundation Trust, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Chenchu R Chimakurthi
- Department of Hepatology, Leeds Teaching Hospital National Health Service Trust, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Vinod Hegade
- Department of Hepatology, Leeds Teaching Hospital National Health Service Trust, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Orrell
- Oxford Liver Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Jones
- Department of Hepatology, Leeds Teaching Hospital National Health Service Trust, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - George Mells
- Academic Department of Medical Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - David Jones
- Department of Hepatology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust, Newcastle, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health and Care Research, Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom
| | - Gideon Hirschfield
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, University of Toronto and University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Palak J Trivedi
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Centre for Liver and Gastroenterology Research, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom; Liver Unit, University Hospitals Birmingham Queen Elizabeth. Birmingham, United Kingdom; Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom; Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
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7
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Bureau C, Adebayo D, Chalret de Rieu M, Elkrief L, Valla D, Peck-Radosavljevic M, McCune A, Vargas V, Simon-Talero M, Cordoba J, Angeli P, Rosi S, MacDonald S, Malago M, Stepanova M, Younossi ZM, Trepte C, Watson R, Borisenko O, Sun S, Inhaber N, Jalan R. Corrigendum to 'Alfapump® system vs. large volume paracentesis for refractory ascites: A multicenter randomized controlled study' [J Hepatol 67 (2017) 940-949]. J Hepatol 2020; 72:595-596. [PMID: 31928862 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2019.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Danielle Adebayo
- UCL Institute of Hepatology, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Laure Elkrief
- DHU UNITY, Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy and Université Paris Diderot and Inserm U1149, Paris, France
| | - Dominique Valla
- DHU UNITY, Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy and Université Paris Diderot and Inserm U1149, Paris, France
| | - Markus Peck-Radosavljevic
- Department of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt, Austria
| | - Anne McCune
- Department of Hepatology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Victor Vargas
- Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, VHIR, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CIBERehd, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Macarena Simon-Talero
- Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, VHIR, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CIBERehd, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Cordoba
- Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, VHIR, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CIBERehd, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paolo Angeli
- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Rosi
- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Stewart MacDonald
- UCL Institute of Hepatology, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Massimo Malago
- Hepato-pancreatic-biliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Stepanova
- Center for Outcomes Research in Liver Disease, Washington DC
| | | | | | | | | | - Sun Sun
- Synergus AB, Danderyd, Sweden; Health Outcomes and Economic Evaluation Research Group, Department of Learning, Information, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden and Division of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Rajiv Jalan
- UCL Institute of Hepatology, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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8
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Woodland H, Hudson B, Forbes K, McCune A, Wright M. Palliative care in liver disease: what does good look like? Frontline Gastroenterol 2019; 11:218-227. [PMID: 32419913 PMCID: PMC7223359 DOI: 10.1136/flgastro-2019-101180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The mortality rate from chronic liver disease in the UK is rising rapidly, and patients with advanced disease have a symptom burden comparable to or higher than that experienced in other life-limiting illnesses. While evidence is limited, there is growing recognition that care of patients with advanced disease needs to improve. Many factors limit widespread provision of good palliative care to these patients, including the unpredictable trajectory of chronic liver disease, the misconception that palliative care and end-of-life care are synonymous, lack of confidence in prescribing and lack of time and resources. Healthcare professionals managing these patients need to develop the skills to ensure effective delivery of core palliative care, with referral to specialist palliative care services reserved for those with complex needs. Core palliative care is best delivered by the hepatology team in parallel with active disease management. This includes ensuring that discussions about disease trajectory and advance care planning occur alongside active management of disease complications. Liver disease is strongly associated with significant social, psychological and financial hardships for patients and their carers; strategies that involve the wider multidisciplinary team at an early stage in the disease trajectory help ensure proactive management of such issues. This review summarises the evidence supporting palliative care for patients with advanced chronic liver disease, presents examples of current best practice and provides pragmatic suggestions for how palliative and disease-modifying care can be run in parallel, such that patients do not miss opportunities for interventions that improve their quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazel Woodland
- Department of Hepatology, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Ben Hudson
- Department of Hepatology, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter, UK
| | - Karen Forbes
- Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Anne McCune
- Department of Liver Medicine, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK
| | - Mark Wright
- Department of Hepatology, University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, UK
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9
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Forrest EH, Storey N, Sinha R, Atkinson SR, Vergis N, Richardson P, Masson S, Ryder S, Thursz MR, Allison M, Fraser A, Austin A, McCune A, Dhanda A, Katarey D, Potts J, Verma S, Parker R, Hayes PC. Baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts response to corticosteroids and is associated with infection and renal dysfunction in alcoholic hepatitis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2019; 50:442-453. [PMID: 31313853 DOI: 10.1111/apt.15335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treating severe alcoholic hepatitis involves the exposure of patients to corticosteroids for 7 days to assess "response". AIM To assess the prognostic and therapeutic implications of baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis. METHODS Patients recruited to the STOPAH trial and an independent validation group were analysed retrospectively. Area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) analysis was performed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess survival. Log-rank test and odds ratio (OR) were used for comparative analysis. RESULTS Baseline NLR was available for 789 STOPAH patients. The AUC for NLR was modest for 90-day outcome (0.660), but was associated with infection, acute kidney injury (AKI) and severity of alcoholic hepatitis. Ninety-day survival was not affected by prednisolone treatment if NLR < 5 or > 8 but mortality was reduced with prednisolone treatment when the NLR was 5-8 (21.0% cf. 34.5%; P = 0.012). Prednisolone treatment increased the chance of Lille response if the NLR was ≥ 5 (56.5% cf. 41.1%: P = 0.01; OR 1.86) but increased the risk of day 7 infection (17.3% cf. 7.4%: P = 0.006; OR 2.60) and AKI (20.8% cf. 7.0%: P = 0.008; OR 3.46) if the NLR was > 8. Incorporation of NLR into a modified Glasgow alcoholic hepatitis score (mGAHS) improved the AUC to 0.783 and 0.739 for 28-day and 90-day outcome, respectively. CONCLUSION The NLR is associated with AKI and infection in severe alcoholic hepatitis. The NLR identifies those most likely to benefit from corticosteroids at baseline (NLR 5-8). The mGAHS has a good predictive value for 28- and 90-day outcomes.
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Parker R, Kim SJ, Im GY, Nahas J, Dhesi B, Vergis N, Sinha A, Ghezzi A, Rink MR, McCune A, Aithal GP, Newsome PN, Weston CJ, Holt A, Gao B. Obesity in acute alcoholic hepatitis increases morbidity and mortality. EBioMedicine 2019; 45:511-518. [PMID: 31278069 PMCID: PMC6642069 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.03.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol and obesity synergise to increase the risk of liver-related mortality. We examined the influence of adiposity on clinical outcomes in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) and the underlying inflammatory crosstalk between adipose tissue (AT) and the liver. METHODS A cohort of 233 patients with AH from the UK and USA provided data to analyse the effects of obesity in AH. Body mass index was corrected for the severity of ascites, termed cBMI. Inflammatory and metabolic profiling was undertaken by proteome analysis of human serum samples. The effect of alcohol on adipose tissue and CXCL11 expression was studied in 3 T3-derived adipocytes and in mice using the high-fat diet-plus-binge ethanol model. FINDINGS Obesity was common amongst patients with AH, seen in 19% of individuals. Obesity (HR 2.22, 95%CI 1.1-4.3, p = .022) and underweight (HR 2.38, 1.00-5.6, p = .049) were independently associated with mortality at 3 months. Proteome analysis demonstrated multiple metabolic and inflammatory factors differentially expressed in obese AH verse lean AH, with CXCL11 being the most elevated factor in obese AH. In vitro analysis of cultured adipocytes and in vivo analysis of mouse models showed that alcohol induced CXCL11 expression in AT, but not in liver. INTERPRETATION Obesity is common in AH and associated with a greater than two-fold increase in short-term mortality. Obese AH is associated with a different inflammatory phenotype, with the greatest elevation in CXCL11. These data confirm that adiposity is clinically important in acute alcohol-related liver disease and illustrate the adipose-liver inflammatory axis in AH. FUND: This work was supported in part by an EASL Sheila Sherlock Physician Scientist Fellowship. The funder played no role in gathering or analysing data or writing the manuscript. This paper presents independent research supported by the NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Birmingham. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Parker
- Liver and Hepatobiliary Unit, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Liver Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA.
| | - S J Kim
- National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - G Y Im
- Mount Sinai Medical Centre, New York, NY, USA
| | - J Nahas
- Mount Sinai Medical Centre, New York, NY, USA
| | - B Dhesi
- Liver and Hepatobiliary Unit, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - N Vergis
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - A Sinha
- Department of Liver Medicine, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - A Ghezzi
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University Of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - M R Rink
- Centre for Liver Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - A McCune
- Department of Liver Medicine, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - G P Aithal
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and the University Of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - P N Newsome
- Liver and Hepatobiliary Unit, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Liver Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - C J Weston
- Centre for Liver Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - A Holt
- Liver and Hepatobiliary Unit, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - B Gao
- National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
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Stepanova M, Nader F, Bureau C, Adebayo D, Elkrief L, Valla D, Peck-Radosavljevic M, McCune A, Vargas V, Simon-Talero M, Cordoba J, Angeli P, Rossi S, MacDonald S, Capel J, Jalan R, Younossi ZM. Patients with refractory ascites treated with alfapump® system have better health-related quality of life as compared to those treated with large volume paracentesis: the results of a multicenter randomized controlled study. Qual Life Res 2018; 27:1513-1520. [DOI: 10.1007/s11136-018-1813-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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12
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Bureau C, Adebayo D, Chalret de Rieu M, Elkrief L, Valla D, Peck-Radosavljevic M, McCune A, Vargas V, Simon-Talero M, Cordoba J, Angeli P, Rosi S, MacDonald S, Malago M, Stepanova M, Younossi ZM, Trepte C, Watson R, Borisenko O, Sun S, Inhaber N, Jalan R. Alfapump® system vs. large volume paracentesis for refractory ascites: A multicenter randomized controlled study. J Hepatol 2017. [PMID: 28645737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Patients with refractory ascites (RA) require repeated large volume paracenteses (LVP), which involves frequent hospital visits and is associated with a poor quality-of-life. This study assessed safety and efficacy of an automated, low-flow pump (alfapump® [AP]) compared with LVP standard of care [SoC]. METHODS A randomized controlled trial, in seven centers, with six month patient observation was conducted. Primary outcome was time to first LVP. Secondary outcomes included paracentesis requirement, safety, health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL), and survival. Nutrition, hemodynamics, and renal injury biomarkers were assessed in a sub-study at three months. RESULTS Sixty patients were randomized and 58 were analyzed (27 AP, 31 SoC, mean age 61.9years, mean MELD 11.7). Eighteen patients were included in the sub-study. Compared with SoC, median time to first LVP was not reached after six months in the AP group, meaning a significant reduction in LVP requirement for the AP patients (AP, median not reached; SoC, 15.0days (HR 0.13; 95%CI 13.0-22.0; p<0.001), and AP patients also showed significantly improved Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ) scores compared with SoC patients (p<0.05 between treatment arms). Improvements in nutritional parameters were observed for hand-grip strength (p=0.044) and body mass index (p<0.001) in the sub-study. Compared with SoC, more AP patients reported adverse events (AEs; 96.3% vs. 77.4%, p=0.057) and serious AEs (85.2 vs. 45.2%, p=0.002). AEs consisted predominantly of acute kidney injury in the immediate post-operative period, and re-intervention for pump related issues, and were treatable in most cases. Survival was similar in AP and SoC. CONCLUSIONS The AP system is effective for reducing the need for paracentesis and improving quality of life in cirrhotic patients with RA. Although the frequency of SAEs (and by inference hospitalizations) was significantly higher in the AP group, they were generally limited and did not impact survival. Lay summary: The alfapump® moves abdominal fluid into the bladder from where it is then removed by urination. Compared with standard treatment, the alfapump reduces the need for large volume paracentesis (manual fluid removal by needle) in patients with medically untreatable ascites. This can improve life quality for these patients. www.clinicaltrials.gov#NCT01528410.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Danielle Adebayo
- UCL Institute of Hepatology, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Laure Elkrief
- DHU UNITY, Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy and Université Paris Diderot and Inserm U1149, Paris, France
| | - Dominique Valla
- DHU UNITY, Service d'hépatologie, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy and Université Paris Diderot and Inserm U1149, Paris, France
| | - Markus Peck-Radosavljevic
- Department of Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt, Austria
| | - Anne McCune
- Department of Hepatology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Victor Vargas
- Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, VHIR, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CIBERehd, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Macarena Simon-Talero
- Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, VHIR, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CIBERehd, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Cordoba
- Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, VHIR, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, CIBERehd, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paolo Angeli
- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Rosi
- Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Stewart MacDonald
- UCL Institute of Hepatology, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Massimo Malago
- Hepato-pancreatic-biliary and Liver Transplantation Surgery, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Stepanova
- Center for Outcomes Research in Liver Disease, Washington DC, United States
| | - Zobair M Younossi
- Department of Medicine, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Sun Sun
- Synergus AB, Danderyd, Sweden; Health Outcomes and Economic Evaluation Research Group, Department of Learning, Information, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Epidemiology and Global Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Rajiv Jalan
- UCL Institute of Hepatology, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Vergis N, Atkinson SR, Knapp S, Maurice J, Allison M, Austin A, Forrest EH, Masson S, McCune A, Patch D, Richardson P, Gleeson D, Ryder SD, Wright M, Thursz MR. In Patients With Severe Alcoholic Hepatitis, Prednisolone Increases Susceptibility to Infection and Infection-Related Mortality, and Is Associated With High Circulating Levels of Bacterial DNA. Gastroenterology 2017; 152:1068-1077.e4. [PMID: 28043903 PMCID: PMC6381387 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2016.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Infections are common in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH), but little information is available on how to predict their development or their effects on patients. Prednisolone is advocated for treatment of SAH, but can increase susceptibility to infection. We compared the effects of infection on clinical outcomes of patients treated with and without prednisolone, and identified risk factors for development of infection in SAH. METHODS We analyzed data from 1092 patients enrolled in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of treatment with prednisolone (40 mg daily) or pentoxifylline (400 mg 3 times each day) in patients with SAH. The 2 × 2 factorial design led to 547 patients receiving prednisolone; 546 were treated with pentoxifylline. The trial was conducted in the United Kingdom from January 2011 through February 2014. Data on development of infection were collected at evaluations performed at screening, baseline, weekly during admission, on discharge, and after 90 days. Patients were diagnosed with infection based on published clinical and microbiologic criteria. Risk factors for development of infection and effects on 90-day mortality were evaluated separately in patients treated with prednisolone (n = 547) and patients not treated with prednisolone (n = 545) using logistic regression. Pretreatment blood levels of bacterial DNA (bDNA) were measured in 731 patients. RESULTS Of the 1092 patients in the study, 135 had an infection at baseline, 251 developed infections during treatment, and 89 patients developed an infection after treatment. There was no association between pentoxifylline therapy and the risk of serious infection (P = .084), infection during treatment (P = .20), or infection after treatment (P = .27). Infections classified as serious were more frequent in patients treated with prednisolone (odds ratio [OR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27-2.92; P = .002). There was no association between prednisolone therapy and infection during treatment (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.78-1.37; P = .80). However, a higher proportion (10%) of patients receiving prednisolone developed an infection after treatment than of patients not given prednisolone (6%) (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.07-2.69; P = .024). Development of infection was associated with increased 90-day mortality in patients with SAH treated with prednisolone, independent of model for end-stage liver disease or Lille score (OR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.41-4.30; P = .002). High circulating bDNA predicted infection that developed within 7 days of prednisolone therapy, independent of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease and white blood cell count (OR, 4.68; 95% CI, 1.80-12.17; P = .001). In patients who did not receive prednisolone, infection was not independently associated with 90-day mortality (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.54-1.62; P = .82) or levels of bDNA (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.39-1.75; P = .62). CONCLUSIONS Patients with SAH given prednisolone are at greater risk for developing serious infections and infections after treatment than patients not given prednisolone, which may offset its therapeutic benefit. Level of circulating bDNA before treatment could identify patients at high risk of infection if given prednisolone; these data could be used to select therapies for patients with SAH. EudraCT no: 2009-013897-42; Current Controlled Trials no: ISRCTN88782125.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stephen R. Atkinson
- Imperial College, London, United Kingdom,Reprint requests Address requests for reprints to: Stephen Atkinson, PhD, St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College, London, W2 1NY, UK. fax: +4420 7724 9369.
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Steven Masson
- Freeman Hospital, The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals, National Health Service Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Anne McCune
- Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | | | - Paul Richardson
- Royal Liverpool University National Health Service Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Dermot Gleeson
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen D. Ryder
- NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases at Nottingham University Hospitals National Health Service Trust and The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Wright
- Southampton University Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
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14
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Parker R, Im G, Jones F, Hernández OP, Nahas J, Kumar A, Wheatley D, Sinha A, Gonzalez-Reimers E, Sanchez-Pérez M, Ghezzi A, David MD, Corbett C, McCune A, Aithal GP, Holt A, Stewart S. Clinical and microbiological features of infection in alcoholic hepatitis: an international cohort study. J Gastroenterol 2017; 52:1192-1200. [PMID: 28389732 PMCID: PMC5666044 DOI: 10.1007/s00535-017-1336-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have described the clinical impact of infection in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) but none have comprehensively explored the aetiopathogenesis of infection in this setting. We examined the causes, consequences and treatment of infection in a cohort of patients with AH. METHODS We undertook a retrospective cohort study of patients with AH admitted between 2009 and 2014 to seven centres in Europe and the USA. Clinical and microbiological data were extracted from medical records. Survival was analysed with Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards analysis to control the data for competing factors. Propensity score matching was used to examine the efficacy of prophylactic antibiotics administered in the absence of infection. RESULTS We identified 404 patients with AH. Of these, 199 (49%) showed clinical or culture evidence of infection. Gut commensal bacteria, particularly Escherichia coli and Enterobacter species, were most commonly isolated in culture. Fungal infection was rarely seen. Cultured organisms and antibiotic resistance differed markedly between centres. Infection was an independent risk factor for death (hazard ratio for death at 90 days 2.33, 95% confidence interval 1.63-3.35, p < 0.001). Initiation of antibiotic therapy on admission in the absence of infection did not reduce mortality or alter the incidence of subsequent infections. Corticosteroid use increased the incidence of infection but this did not impact on survival. CONCLUSIONS In this large real-world cohort of patients with AH, infection was common and was associated with reduced short-term survival. Gram-negative, gut commensal bacteria were the predominant infective organisms, consistent with increased translocation of gut bacteria in AH; however, the characteristics of infection differ between centres. Infection should be actively sought and treated, but we saw no benefits of prophylactic antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Parker
- Centre for Liver Research, Institute of Biomedical Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, 5th Floor, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK ,University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham, B15 2TH UK
| | - Gene Im
- Mount Sinai Medical Center, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Fiona Jones
- Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
| | - Onan Pérez Hernández
- Hospital Universitario de Canarias Carretera de Ofra, 38320 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain
| | - Jonathan Nahas
- Mount Sinai Medical Center, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Aditi Kumar
- New Cross Hospital, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton Rd, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, WV10 0QP UK
| | - Daniel Wheatley
- New Cross Hospital, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton Rd, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, WV10 0QP UK
| | - Ashish Sinha
- University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Marlborough Street, Bristol, BS1 3NU UK
| | - Emilio Gonzalez-Reimers
- Hospital Universitario de Canarias Carretera de Ofra, 38320 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain
| | - María Sanchez-Pérez
- Hospital Universitario de Canarias Carretera de Ofra, 38320 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain
| | - Antonella Ghezzi
- NIHR Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, Queen′s Medical Centre, E Floor, West Block, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UK
| | - Miruna Delia David
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham, B15 2TH UK
| | - Christopher Corbett
- New Cross Hospital, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton Rd, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, WV10 0QP UK
| | - Anne McCune
- New Cross Hospital, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Wolverhampton Rd, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, WV10 0QP UK
| | - Guruprasad Padur Aithal
- NIHR Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, Queen′s Medical Centre, E Floor, West Block, Nottingham, NG7 2UH UK
| | - Andrew Holt
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Mindelsohn Way, Birmingham, B15 2TH UK
| | - Stephen Stewart
- Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Eccles Street, Dublin 7, Ireland
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Thursz M, Forrest E, Roderick P, Day C, Austin A, O'Grady J, Ryder S, Allison M, Gleeson D, McCune A, Patch D, Wright M, Masson S, Richardson P, Vale L, Mellor J, Stanton L, Bowers M, Ratcliffe I, Downs N, Kirkman S, Homer T, Ternent L. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of STeroids Or Pentoxifylline for Alcoholic Hepatitis (STOPAH): a 2 × 2 factorial randomised controlled trial. Health Technol Assess 2015; 19:1-104. [PMID: 26691209 PMCID: PMC4781103 DOI: 10.3310/hta191020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a distinct presentation of alcoholic liver disease arising in patients who have been drinking to excess for prolonged periods, which is characterised by jaundice and liver failure. Severe disease is associated with high short-term mortality. Prednisolone and pentoxifylline (PTX) are recommended in guidelines for treatment of severe AH, but trials supporting their use have given heterogeneous results and controversy persists about their benefit. OBJECTIVES The aim of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of STeroids Or Pentoxifylline for Alcoholic Hepatitis trial was to resolve the clinical dilemma on the use of prednisolone or PTX. DESIGN The trial was a randomised, double-blind, 2 × 2 factorial, multicentre design. SETTING Sixty-five gastroenterology and hepatology inpatient units across the UK. PARTICIPANTS Patients with a clinical diagnosis of AH who had a Maddrey's discriminant function value of ≥ 32 were randomised into four arms: A, placebo/placebo; B, placebo/prednisolone; C, PTX/placebo; and D, PTX/prednisolone. Of the 5234 patients screened for the trial, 1103 were randomised and after withdrawals, 1053 were available for primary end-point analysis. INTERVENTIONS Those allocated to prednisolone were given 40 mg daily for 28 days and those allocated to PTX were given 400 mg three times per day for 28 days. OUTCOMES The primary outcome measure was mortality at 28 days. Secondary outcome measures included mortality or liver transplant at 90 days and at 1 year. Rates of recidivism among survivors and the impact of recidivism on mortality were assessed. RESULTS At 28 days, in arm A, 45 of 269 (16.7%) patients died; in arm B, 38 of 266 (14.3%) died; in arm C, 50 of 258 (19.4%) died; and in arm D, 35 of 260 (13.5%) died. For PTX, the odds ratio for 28-day mortality was 1.07 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77 to 1.40; p = 0.686)] and for prednisolone the odds ratio was 0.72 (95% CI 0.52 to 1.01; p = 0.056). In the logistic regression analysis, accounting for indices of disease severity and prognosis, the odds ratio for 28-day mortality in the prednisolone-treated group was 0.61 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.91; p = 0.015). At 90 days and 1 year there were no significant differences in mortality rates between the treatment groups. Serious infections occurred in 13% of patients treated with prednisolone compared with 7% of controls (p = 0.002). At the 90-day follow-up, 45% of patients reported being completely abstinent, 9% reported drinking within safety limits and 33% had an unknown level of alcohol consumption. At 1 year, 37% of patients reported being completely abstinent, 10% reported drinking within safety limits and 39% had an unknown level of alcohol consumption. Only 22% of patients had attended alcohol rehabilitation treatment at 90 days and 1 year. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that prednisolone reduces the risk of mortality at 28 days, but this benefit is not sustained beyond 28 days. PTX had no impact on survival. Future research should focus on interventions to promote abstinence and on treatments that suppress the hepatic inflammation without increasing susceptibility to infection. TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial is registered as EudraCT 2009-013897-42 and Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN88782125. FUNDING This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 19, No. 102. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. The NIHR Clinical Research Network provided research nurse support and the Imperial College Biomedical Research Centre also provided funding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Thursz
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ewan Forrest
- Department of Gastroenterology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK
| | - Paul Roderick
- Primary Care & Population Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Christopher Day
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Andrew Austin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Derby Royal Hospital, Derby, UK
| | - John O'Grady
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, UK
| | - Stephen Ryder
- Department of Hepatology, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Unit, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
| | - Michael Allison
- Department of Hepatology, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dermot Gleeson
- Department of Hepatology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - Anne McCune
- Department of Hepatology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, UK
| | - David Patch
- Sheila Sherlock Liver Centre, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
| | - Mark Wright
- Department of Hepatology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Steven Masson
- Institute of Cellular Medicine, The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Paul Richardson
- Department of Hepatology, Royal Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| | - Luke Vale
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Louise Stanton
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Megan Bowers
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Ian Ratcliffe
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Nichola Downs
- Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Scott Kirkman
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Tara Homer
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Laura Ternent
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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Thursz MR, Richardson P, Allison M, Austin A, Bowers M, Day CP, Downs N, Gleeson D, MacGilchrist A, Grant A, Hood S, Masson S, McCune A, Mellor J, O'Grady J, Patch D, Ratcliffe I, Roderick P, Stanton L, Vergis N, Wright M, Ryder S, Forrest EH. Prednisolone or pentoxifylline for alcoholic hepatitis. N Engl J Med 2015; 372:1619-28. [PMID: 25901427 DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa1412278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 461] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholic hepatitis is a clinical syndrome characterized by jaundice and liver impairment that occurs in patients with a history of heavy and prolonged alcohol use. The short-term mortality among patients with severe disease exceeds 30%. Prednisolone and pentoxifylline are both recommended for the treatment of severe alcoholic hepatitis, but uncertainty about their benefit persists. METHODS We conducted a multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial with a 2-by-2 factorial design to evaluate the effect of treatment with prednisolone or pentoxifylline. The primary end point was mortality at 28 days. Secondary end points included death or liver transplantation at 90 days and at 1 year. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis and severe disease were randomly assigned to one of four groups: a group that received a pentoxifylline-matched placebo and a prednisolone-matched placebo, a group that received prednisolone and a pentoxifylline-matched placebo, a group that received pentoxifylline and a prednisolone-matched placebo, or a group that received both prednisolone and pentoxifylline. RESULTS A total of 1103 patients underwent randomization, and data from 1053 were available for the primary end-point analysis. Mortality at 28 days was 17% (45 of 269 patients) in the placebo-placebo group, 14% (38 of 266 patients) in the prednisolone-placebo group, 19% (50 of 258 patients) in the pentoxifylline-placebo group, and 13% (35 of 260 patients) in the prednisolone-pentoxifylline group. The odds ratio for 28-day mortality with pentoxifylline was 1.07 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77 to 1.49; P=0.69), and that with prednisolone was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.52 to 1.01; P=0.06). At 90 days and at 1 year, there were no significant between-group differences. Serious infections occurred in 13% of the patients treated with prednisolone versus 7% of those who did not receive prednisolone (P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS Pentoxifylline did not improve survival in patients with alcoholic hepatitis. Prednisolone was associated with a reduction in 28-day mortality that did not reach significance and with no improvement in outcomes at 90 days or 1 year. (Funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment program; STOPAH EudraCT number, 2009-013897-42 , and Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN88782125 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Thursz
- From Imperial College (M.R.T., N.V.), King's College Hospital (J.O.), and the Royal Free Hospital (D.P.), London, Royal Liverpool Hospital (P. Richardson) and Aintree Hospital (S.H.), Liverpool, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge (M.A.), Derby Royal Hospital, Derby (A.A.), Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton (M.B., N.D., J.M., I.R., P. Roderick, L.S.), and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (M.W.), Southampton, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University (C.P.D.), and Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (S.M.), Newcastle upon Tyne, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, Sheffield (D.G.), Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh (A. MacGilchrist), Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester (A.G.), Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol (A. McCune), Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Unit, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham (S.R.), and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow (E.H.F.) - all in the United Kingdom
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Forrest E, Mellor J, Stanton L, Bowers M, Ryder P, Austin A, Day C, Gleeson D, O’Grady J, Masson S, McCune A, Patch D, Richardson P, Roderick P, Ryder S, Wright M, Thursz M. Steroids or pentoxifylline for alcoholic hepatitis (STOPAH): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials 2013; 14:262. [PMID: 23958271 PMCID: PMC3766225 DOI: 10.1186/1745-6215-14-262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholic hepatitis is the most florid presentation of alcohol-related liver disease. In its severe form, defined by a Maddrey's discriminant function (DF) ≥32, the 28-day mortality rate is approximately 35%. A number of potential treatments have been subjected to clinical trials, of which two, corticosteroids and pentoxifylline, may have therapeutic benefit. The role of corticosteroids is controversial as trial results have been inconsistent, whereas the role of pentoxifylline requires confirmation as only one previous placebo-controlled trial has been published. METHODS/DESIGN STOPAH is a multicentre, double-blind, factorial (2 × 2) trial in which patients are randomised to one of four groups:1. Group A: placebo / placebo2. Group B: placebo / prednisolone3. Group C: pentoxifylline / placebo4. Group D: pentoxifylline / prednisoloneThe trial aims to randomise 1,200 patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis, in order to provide sufficient power to determine whether either of the two interventions is effective. The primary endpoint of the study is mortality at 28 days, with secondary endpoints being mortality at 90 days and 1 year. DISCUSSION STOPAH aims to be a definitive study to resolve controversy around the existing treatments for alcoholic hepatitis. Eligibility criteria are based on clinical parameters rather than liver biopsy, which are aligned with standard clinical practice in most hospitals. The use of a factorial design will allow two treatments to be evaluated in parallel, with efficient use of patient numbers to achieve high statistical power. TRIAL REGISTRATION EudraCT reference number: 2009-013897-42 ISRCTN reference number: ISRCTN88782125.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewan Forrest
- Department of Gastroenterology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Castle Street, Glasgow G4 0SF, UK
| | - Jane Mellor
- University of Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, MP 131, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Louise Stanton
- University of Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, MP 131, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Megan Bowers
- University of Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, MP 131, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Priscilla Ryder
- Department of Gastroenterology, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Castle Street, Glasgow G4 0SF, UK
- Newcastle University Medical School Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Andrew Austin
- Royal Derby Hospital, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Uttoxeter Road, Derby DE22 3NE, UK
| | - Christopher Day
- Newcastle University Medical School Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | | | - John O’Grady
- Institute of Liver Studies, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK
| | - Steven Masson
- Liver Unit, Freeman Hospital, Freeman Road High Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne NE7 7DN, UK
| | - Anne McCune
- Department of Hepatology, Level 2, Old Building, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Marlborough Street, Bristol BS2 8HW, UK
| | - David Patch
- The Royal Free, Sheila Sherlock Liver Centre, The Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Paul Richardson
- The Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool L7 8XP, UK
| | - Paul Roderick
- Public Health Sciences and Medical Statistics, University of Southampton, C floor South Academic Block, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Stephen Ryder
- Department of Gastroenterology, Queen’s Medical Centre campus, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Mark Wright
- Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Mark Thursz
- Hepatology Section, Imperial College, Norfolk Place, London, Paddington W2 1NY, UK
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di Mambro AJ, Parker R, McCune A, Gordon F, Dayan CM, Collins P. In vitro steroid resistance correlates with outcome in severe alcoholic hepatitis. Hepatology 2011; 53:1316-22. [PMID: 21400552 DOI: 10.1002/hep.24159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2010] [Accepted: 12/21/2010] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Steroids improve the outcome in alcoholic hepatitis (AH), but up to 40% of patients fail to respond adequately. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) exacerbates steroid resistance in vitro. We performed a prospective study to determine if intrinsic steroid sensitivity correlates with response to steroids in individuals with severe AH and if IL-2 receptor blockade can reverse this. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from 20 patients with AH and a Maddrey's score >32. Patients were treated with oral prednisolone plus full supportive measures. Clinical resistance to oral steroid treatment was defined as a drop in serum bilirubin of <25% within 7 days or death within 6 months. In vitro steroid resistance was measured in PBMC using the dexamethasone suppression of lymphocyte proliferation assay and repeated after the addition of the anti-IL-2 receptor (anti-CD25) monoclonal antibody, basiliximab. Suppression of lymphocyte proliferation <60% was considered to indicate steroid resistance. In all, 82% (9/11) of in vitro steroid-resistant patients were dead at 6 months as compared to 21% (2/9) of steroid-sensitive patients (P = 0.03). Similarly, 91% (10/11) of in vitro steroid-resistant patients failed to show a significant fall in bilirubin at day 7 as compared to 44% (4/9) of steroid-sensitive patients (P < 0.05). Basiliximab improved the maximal proliferation count in 91% (10/11) of in vitro steroid-resistant patients (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION Clinical outcome of steroid therapy in this patient cohort correlated with in vitro steroid resistance. IL-2 blockade improved in vitro steroid sensitivity. This suggests that intrinsic lack of steroid sensitivity may contribute to poor clinical response to steroids in severe AH. IL-2 receptor blockade represents a possible mechanism to overcome this.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J di Mambro
- Henry Wellcome Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience and Endocrinology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK; Department of Liver Medicine, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, UK
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood infections may be necessary to prime the developing immune system in an appropriate manner. In developed countries, the incidence of childhood infections is decreasing, which might explain the observed rise in the prevalence of asthma and other atopic disorders in recent years. AIM To determine whether Helicobacter pylori gastritis, a chronic bacterial infection that is usually acquired in early childhood and then persists throughout life, affects the risk of developing asthma and other atopic disorders. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study of the prevalence of three atopic disorders in 3244 subjects participating in a community-based, prospective, randomized, controlled trial of H. pylori eradication, the Bristol Helicobacter Project. The presence or absence of active H. pylori infection was determined by the 13C-urea breath test. The prevalence of asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis was measured by assessing the use of appropriate medications as surrogate markers for these conditions. RESULTS There was a 30% reduction in the prevalence of all three atopic disorders in people who had active H. pylori infection, although for each individual atopic disorder the numbers were not quite large enough to reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS H. pylori infection is associated with a substantially reduced risk of three common atopic disorders. This is further indirect evidence of the importance of childhood infections in influencing the development of a normal immune response. As such infections become progressively less common in developed countries such as the UK, other methods will need to be developed to try to reduce the risk of atopic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne McCune
- Department of Medicine, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, UK.
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Affiliation(s)
- A McCune
- Hospitals of the University Health Center of Pittsburgh, Pa
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