Human Herpesvirus 6 Reactivation Associated With Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction in a Renal Transplant Recipient

Human herpesvirus 6 infection is common after organ transplant. Generally, infection is asymptomatic or is associated with a mild illness. However, human herpesvirus 6 infection in these patients may as well be life threatening as a result of severe end-stage organ disease. Here, we have reported a case of a severe human herpesvirus 6 infection with cerebral, hepatic, and gastrointestinal involvement, which presented as intestinal pseudo-obstruction. The patient was a renal transplant recipient who was successfully treated with ganciclovir. We also reviewed the literature on human herpesvirus 6 diagnosis and the associated colitis and encephalitis with its infection in solid-organ transplant recipients.

Proactive therapeutic drug monitoring is more effective than conventional management in inducing fecal calprotectin remission in inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

Proactive therapeutic drug monitoring (pTDM) may improve treatment outcomes in inflammatory bowel disease.

AIMS AND METHODS

We compared 135 patients following a prospective pTDM protocol aiming at an infliximab trough level (IFXTL) between 5 and 10 μg/ml with sequential measurements of Fc, with 108 patients from a retrospective group under conventional management. We evaluated the rates of Fc remission (<250 μg/g) and other clinical outcomes at 2-year of follow-up.

RESULTS

pTDM associated with higher rates of Fc remission (69.6% vs. 50.0%; P = 0.002), and steroid-free clinical remission (78.4% vs. 55.2%, P = 0.028) with a trend for clinical remission (79.3% vs. 68.5%, P = 0.075). There was no difference in treatment discontinuation (P = 0.195), hospitalization (P = 0.156), and surgery (P = 0.110). Higher IFXTL associated with Fc remission at week 14 (6.59 vs. 2.96 μg/ml, P < 0.001), and at the end of follow-up (8.10 vs. 5.03 μg/ml, P = 0.001). In patients reaching Fc remission after week 14, IFXTL increased from week 14 to the end of follow-up (2.71 vs. 8.54 μg/ml, P < 0.001). Fc remission associated with higher rates of clinical (85.8% vs. 56.8% P < 0.001) and steroid-free clinical remission (86.9% vs. 50.0% P < 0.001), lower IFX discontinuation (8.8% vs. 36.8%, P < 0.001), and hospitalization (13.5% vs. 33.7%, P < 0.001), without significance for surgery (6.1% vs. 12.6%, P = 0.101).

CONCLUSION

pTDM was more effective than conventional management in inducing Fc remission which was associated with improved outcomes.

Diagnosis and treatment of iron-deficiency anemia in gastrointestinal bleeding: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Anemia is considered a public health issue and is often caused by iron deficiency. Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) often originates from blood loss from lesions in the gastrointestinal tract in men and postmenopausal women, and its prevalence among patients with gastrointestinal bleeding has been estimated to be 61%. However, few guidelines regarding the appropriate investigation of patients with IDA due to gastrointestinal bleeding have been published.

AIM

To review current evidence and guidelines concerning IDA management in gastrointestinal bleeding patients to develop recommendations for its diagnosis and therapy.

METHODS

Five gastroenterology experts formed the Digestive Bleeding and Anemia Workgroup and conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and professional association websites. MEDLINE (via PubMed) searches combined medical subject headings (MeSH) terms and the keywords “gastrointestinal bleeding” with “iron-deficiency anemia” and “diagnosis” or “treatment” or “management” or “prognosis” or “prevalence” or “safety” or “iron” or “transfusion” or “quality of life”, or other terms to identify relevant articles reporting the management of IDA in patients over the age of 18 years with gastrointestinal bleeding; retrieved studies were published in English between January 2003 and April 2019. Worldwide professional association websites were searched for clinical practice guidelines. Reference lists from guidelines were reviewed to identify additional relevant articles. The recommendations were developed by consensus during two meetings and were supported by the published literature identified during the systematic search.

RESULTS

From 494 Literature citations found during the initial literature search, 17 original articles, one meta-analysis, and 13 clinical practice guidelines were analyzed. Based on the published evidence and clinical experience, the workgroup developed the following ten recommendations for the management of IDA in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding: (1) Evaluation of hemoglobin and iron status; (2) Laboratory testing; (3) Target treatment population identification; (4) Indications for erythrocyte transfusion; (5) Treatment targets for erythrocyte transfusion; (6) Indications for intravenous iron; (7) Dosages; (8) Monitoring; (9) Indications for intravenous ferric carboxymaltose treatment; and (10) Treatment targets and monitoring of patients. The workgroup also proposed a summary algorithm for the diagnosis and treatment of IDA in patients with acute or chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, which should be implemented during the hospital stay and follow-up visits after patient discharge.

CONCLUSION

These recommendations may serve as a starting point for clinicians to better diagnose and treat IDA in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, which ultimately may improve health outcomes in these patients.

Interventional Algorithm in Gastrointestinal Bleeding-An Expert Consensus Multimodal Approach Based on a Multidisciplinary Team

The approach to the patient with gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) can be very complex. A multidisciplinary panel of physicians with expertise in Gastroenterology, Anesthesiology, and Transfusion Medicine worked together to provide the best knowledge and guide clinical practitioners in the real setting of health institutions, characterized by disparate availability of human and technical resources. The authors propose a global and personalized approach according to different clinical scenarios to improve the outcomes of patients with GIB, for whom the reduction of inappropriate transfusions is crucial. The goal of this document is to provide clear and objective guidance through interventional algorithms toward a goal-directed approach according to the clinical situation and supported by the latest available scientific data on GIB management in different settings.

Proactive Infliximab Drug Monitoring Is Superior to Conventional Management in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence supports the use of reactive therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) following secondary loss of response. It is still unknown if proactive TDM can improve clinical outcomes.

METHODS

Consecutive patients completing infliximab (IFX) induction therapy were prospectively allocated into a proactive TDM protocol (pTDM). Before the fourth infusion and every 2 infusions, IFX trough levels and antidrug antibodies were measured using a drug-sensitive assay (Theradiag, Lisa Tracker). Treatment was proactively escalated aiming at an IFX trough level between 3 and 7 ug/mL (CD) and 5 and 10 ug/mL (UC). A retrospective cohort treated with IFX but without TDM served as the reference group. End points included the need for surgery, hospitalization, treatment discontinuation, and mucosal healing at 2 years of follow-up.

RESULTS

Two hundred five patients were included, 56 in the proactive regimen. Treatment escalation was more common in pTDM patients (76.8% vs 25.5%; P < 0.001), who also required less surgery (8.9% vs 20.8%; P = 0.032) and presented higher rates of mucosal healing (73.2% vs 38.9%; P < 0.0001). Proactive TDM significantly decreased the odds of reaching any unfavorable outcome (odds ratio, 0.358; 95% confidence interval, 0.188-0.683; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Proactive TDM is associated with fewer surgeries and higher rates of mucosal healing than conventional non-TDM-based management.

Predicting the Course of Disease in Hospitalized Patients With Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis

BACKGROUND

Up to one-third of patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) will fail intravenous steroid (IVS) treatment, requiring rescue therapy with cyclosporin (Cys), infliximab (IFX), or colectomy. Although several scores for predicting response to IVS exist, formal comparison is lacking.

METHODS

We performed a single-center retrospective analysis including 489 patients with ulcerative colitis. In patients with ASUC, the Mayo endoscopic subscore and the Oxford, Edinburgh, and Lindgren scores were assessed. Outcomes included IVS failure, need for rescue medical therapy, and surgery.

RESULTS

One hundred twelve patients presented with ASUC. Forty-two percent showed an incomplete or absent response to IVS, 28.6% received rescue therapy (22 with IFX, 10 with Cys, and 1 with sequential treatment), and 26.8% required surgery. The Lindgren score showed the highest performance in predicting IVS failure (are under the curve [AUC], 0.856; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.784-0.928), need for medical rescue therapy (AUC, 0.826; 95% CI, 0.749-0.902), and surgery (AUC, 0.836; 95% CI, 0.712-0.960; all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

In our series, the Lindgren score was superior to the Mayo, Oxford, and Edinburgh scores in predicting major clinical outcomes in ASUC.

Intrahepatic clear cell cholangiocarcinoma - An uncommon histologic subtype: case report and literature review

Clear-cell cholangiocarcinoma is a very uncommon variant of cholangiocarcinoma with a largely unknown natural history and prognosis. We report a case of a 51-year-old previously healthy woman presenting with a large liver nodule found on routine imaging. Needle biopsy of the lesion suggested a non-hepatocellular carcinoma. After extensive workup for other primary neoplasms, the patient underwent a partial hepatectomy. Histopathology was compatible with a moderately differentiated clear-cell cholangiocarcinoma. There was no evidence of liver disease in the remaining tissue. The patient underwent chemotherapy and remains in clinical remission after two years.

The use of a segmental endoscopic score may improve the prediction of clinical outcomes in acute severe ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND

Acute severe colitis (ASC) remains a challenging complication of ulcerative colitis. The early identification of patients who will not respond to optimal therapy is warranted. Increasing evidence suggests that endoscopy may play a role in predicting important outcomes in acute severe colitis.

METHODS

The endoscopic activity of consecutive patients with acute severe colitis was evaluated using the Mayo endoscopic sub-score (Mayo) and the ulcerative colitis endoscopic index of severity (UCEIS). Two segmental indexes were also produced by summing the scores of the rectum and sigmoid (seg-Mayo and seg-UCEIS, respectively). Endpoints included the need for salvage therapy with infliximab or cyclosporine, refractoriness to corticosteroids, and colectomy.

RESULTS

Of one hundred and eight patients enrolled in the study, 60 (55.6%) were male; with a median age of 34.5 years (range 15-80). All patients received intravenous steroids. Fifty-nine patients (55.6%) showed an incomplete or absent response to steroids, 35 patients (34.3%) received salvage therapy with infliximab or cyclosporine and 38 patients (33.3%) were colectomized during the index hospitalization or within the first year of follow-up. All scores were able to predict the need for surgery, but only the seg-UCEIS significantly predicted refractoriness to steroids.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a strong correlation between endoscopic severity and unfavorable outcomes. The UCEIS outperformed the Mayo endoscopic sub-score in all important outcomes. Segmental scoring further improved the performance of the UCEIS.

Ascitic Calprotectin is a Novel and Accurate Marker for Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis

BACKGROUND

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a known complication of advanced cirrhosis and presents a high mortality rate. A polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell count >250/μl in the ascitic fluid is the current gold standard for diagnosing SBP.

AIM

We evaluated the accuracy of a point-of-care test (POCT) for ascitic calprotectin in diagnosing patients with SBP.

METHODS

Eighty-eight patients admitted with decompensation of liver cirrhosis were studied including 41 patients (46.6%) with SBP. Ascitic calprotectin was measured using a quantitative POCT developed by Bühlmann^® .

RESULTS

Calprotectin levels correlated with PMN cell count and other inflammatory markers and were significantly higher in patients with SBP. An optimal cutoff of calprotectin above 1.57 μg/ml presented high sensitivity (87.8%), specificity (97.9%), and positive (97.3%) and negative (90.2%) predictive values for diagnosing SBP. Using calprotectin selectively in patients with a serum albumin-ascites gradient above 11 g/l further increased the sensitivity and negative predictive values of the test.

CONCLUSION

Ascitic calprotectin appears to be a reliable method for diagnosing SBP in patients with liver cirrhosis. It may present an alternative to other conventional diagnostic methods.

Case of acute hepatitis E with concomitant signs of autoimmunity

Sporadic cases of acute viral hepatitis E have been described in developed countries, despite the more common occurrence in endemic areas and developing countries. We present the case of a 58 years old Portuguese female, with no epidemiological relevant factors, admitted with acute hepatitis with positive anti-nuclear antibodies, anti-smooth muscle antibody and high serum gamma globulin (> 1.5 fold increase). Serologies for hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, hereditary sensory neuropathy and varicella zoster virus were negative. Liver biopsy histology revealed changes compatible with autoimmune hepatitis. Prednisolone and azathioprine was started. She tested positive for immunoglobulin M anti hepatitis E virus (HEV) with detectable viremia by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. HEV-RNA was confirmed through RT-PCR in a liver specimen, establishing the diagnosis of acute hepatitis E. Immunosuppression was stopped. She clinically improved, with resolution of laboratory abnormalities. Therefore, we confirmed acute hepatitis E as the diagnosis. We review the literature to elucidate about HEV infection and its autoimmune effects.

Severe intrahepatic cholestasis, erythrocytosis and hypoglycemia: unusual presenting features of systemic AL amyloidosis

We report the case of a 68-year-old African woman who presented with jaundice, hepatomegaly and anasarca. Clinical investigation disclosed severe intrahepatic cholestasis, nephrotic syndrome, erythrocytosis and hypoglycemia. Diagnosis of systemic AL amyloidosis was established by percutaneous liver biopsy. Bone marrow biopsy showed 32% of myeloma cells. The patient started treatment with melphalan and prednisolone, but liver function deteriorated and she died in hepatic failure complicated by septic shock three weeks after the diagnosis. We present possible explanations for the unusual clinical and laboratory findings, which required a multidisciplinary approach and posed challenging problems in differential diagnosis and management.

The effect of Helicobacter pylori infection on apoptosis and cell proliferation in gastric epithelium

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Helicobacter pylori (Hp) may affect the normal balance between gastric epithelial cell proliferation and epithelial cell death, interfering thus with the maintenance of gastric mucosa integrity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Hp infection on cell proliferation index (PI) and apoptotic index (AI) in gastric epithelium of the antrum and corpus.

METHODOLOGY

Prospective study in forty-one patients with functional dyspepsia (14 males, 27 females, average age = 54+/-16.1 years). Day one: upper digestive endoscopy with biopsies of the antrum and corpus, and a cytological smear of the antral area for AgNOR (argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region) analysis. Biopsies for the programmed tests were sent in separate labeled containers: to study AI (antibody anti-M30), PI (antibody anti-Ki 67) and histology (Sydney criteria and the detection of Hp). Detection of the AgNORs through the Giménez-Mas et al. technique, using Visilog-Microptic Software. Day two: a blood sample was drawn from each patient for the serologic detection of the status CagA and VacA, and a breath test was carried out with 13C-Urea.

STATISTICS

SPSS program with the application of Student's t, chi-square and Fisher tests.

RESULTS

24 patients were Hp(+) and 17 Hp(-). The PI (Ki 67 and AgNORs) in the antral area was significantly increased in the Hp(+) patients. AI showed no significant difference in the subgroups Hp(+) and Hp(-). Both subgroups showed increased PI in the antrum and increased AI in the gastric corpus. There was significantly higher PI in CagA(+), without an increase in the AI. The AI was significantly higher in CagA(-), when compared with CagA(+). The VacA protein had no influence on PI and AI. Acute and chronic gastritis was more frequent and more severe in Hp(+) patients. This group lacked any correlation between the histological findings and the PI, but the opposite was the case between AI and the degree of cellular infiltration.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with functional dyspepsia, Hp infection induces an increase of PI, with significant presence in the antrum area, without the corresponding increase in AI. Cag A(+) promotes the increase of PI, and Cag A(-) promotes the increase of AI. The Vac A status has no influence on the PI or AI. The degree of cellular infiltration interferes with AI.

Gastric pseudotumor

The authors present a case report of a pseudotumor of the stomach and a brief discussion about this very unusual entity. A 75-year-old female patient was admitted with melena and a large epigastric tumor; she underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, guided needle aspiration and angiography. Preoperative diagnostic hypothesis included a partially thrombosed aneurysm of the splenic artery, pancreatic cystic neoplasm with gastric invasion and pancreatic pseudocyst complicated with hemorrhage. Laparotomy revealed a gastric tumor and the patient was submitted to a radical subtotal Billroth II gastrectomy. Only the pathologic examination revealed the unexpected definitive diagnosis of an organized intramural gastric hematoma. There were no postoperative complications and she remains asymptomatic 10 months after surgery.