Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Marc A. Judson
Summary: Many granulomatous diseases can histologically and clinically mimic sarcoidosis, including infectious, occupational, drug-related, and idiopathic conditions. Differentiating between sarcoidosis and its mimics requires a thorough review of various factors, which can lead to more accurate diagnoses and treatment of granulomatous disorders. However, due to the lack of standardized diagnostic criteria, some sarcoidosis mimics may actually represent varied clinical presentations of sarcoidosis itself.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Omar Y. Mousa, Brian D. Juran, Bryan M. McCauley, Mette N. Vesterhus, Trine Folseraas, Coleman T. Turgeon, Ahmad H. Ali, Erik M. Schlicht, Elizabeth J. Atkinson, Chang Hu, Denise Harnois, Elizabeth J. Carey, Andrea A. Gossard, Devin Oglesbee, John E. Eaton, Nicholas F. LaRusso, Gregory J. Gores, Tom H. Karlsen, Konstantinos N. Lazaridis
Summary: In patients with PSC, alterations in plasma BA consistent with cholestasis, UDCA treatment, and IBD were observed. BA profiles were able to predict future hepatic decompensation, demonstrating the clinical potential of BA profiling for use in clinical trials.
Article
Ophthalmology
Kaveh Vandani, Geoffrey E. Rose
Summary: This study retrospectively reviewed 61 patients with sarcoid-like granulomatous orbitopathy (SLGO), finding that systemic sarcoidosis may be discovered in about two-thirds of patients, and that the treatment response appears similar among patients with known sarcoidosis and those with newly-diagnosed systemic disease after orbital presentation.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Pitcha Chompoopong, Teerin Liewluck
Summary: Non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation is a rare but easily recognizable histopathological finding in skeletal muscle biopsy. There are limited diseases associated with non-necrotizing granulomatous myopathy, with sarcoid myopathy and inclusion body myositis being the two main causes. Identifying the etiology of granulomatous myopathy is important for guiding appropriate treatment.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Mercedes Robles-Diaz, Lana Nezic, Vesna Vujic-Aleksic, Einar S. Bjornsson
Summary: UDCA may have some benefits in the treatment and prevention of DILI according to available data, but a well designed RCT is needed to draw a firm conclusion on its efficacy in DILI.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Guochao Song, Fengyi Weng, Bin Zou, Jing Zhao, Jingyi Jin, Dongming Yan, Kai Huang, Xin Sun, Chenghai Liu, Yiyang Hu, Yue Li, Furong Qiu
Summary: In this study, it was found that TUDCA protected against cholestatic liver injury by activating Fxr and Nrf2, as well as by inhibiting the CHOP-DR5-caspase-8 pathway to reduce apoptosis.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Rozanne C. de Veer, Maria C. van Hooff, Christophe Corpechot, Douglas Thorburn, Pietro Invernizzi, Willem J. Lammers, Harry L. A. Janssen, Pier M. Battezzati, Frederik Nevens, Keith D. Lindor, Annarosa Floreani, Cyriel Y. Ponsioen, Marlyn J. Mayo, Albert Pares, Andrew L. Mason, Kris V. Kowdley, Palak J. Trivedi, Gideon M. Hirschfield, Jorn C. Goet, Tony Bruns, George N. Dalekos, Nikolaos K. Gatselis, Xavier Verhelst, Bettina E. Hansen, Maren H. Harms, Adriaan J. van der Meer, Global PBC Study Grp
Summary: A study found an association between changes in the GLOBE score in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and LT-free survival. The study assessed the risk of LT or death in UDCA-treated PBC patients based on changes in the GLOBE score.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Respiratory System
Janne Moller, Ole Hilberg, Elisabeth Bendstrup
Summary: This study investigated the frequency of fatigue in Danish patients with sarcoidosis and found that 51% of patients experienced significant fatigue. It also found that fatigue was not significantly correlated with relevant disease parameters and that most patients had mild disease at diagnosis and were older.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fangfang Xu, Jun Wang, Pan Wang, Tao Hou, Han Zhou, Yaopeng Zhao, Jixia Wang, Yanfang Liu, Xinmiao Liang
Summary: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a safe and effective bile acid for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study identified that UDCA acts as an agonist of the free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFA4), which plays a protective role in NAFLD treatment.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Peijie Wu, Ling Qiao, Han Yu, Hui Ming, Chao Liu, Wenjun Wu, Baixue Li
Summary: The study demonstrates that arbutin has a protective effect on cholestatic liver injury induced by ANIT by upregulating FXR and downstream enzymes associated with bile acid homeostasis. Furthermore, the findings suggest that arbutin may be a potential chemical molecule for cholestatic diseases by partly acting through the FXR pathway.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Mael Richard, Yvan Jamilloux, Pierre-Yves Courand, Laurent Perard, Cecile-Audrey Durel, Arnaud Hot, Carole Burillon, Isabelle Durieu, Mathieu Gerfaud-Valentin, Laurent Kodjikian, Pascal Seve
Summary: This study aimed to describe the frequency and type of cardiac complications associated with sarcoidosis in a large cohort of patients with sarcoid uveitis. The prevalence of cardiac sarcoidosis was found to be low among patients with sarcoid uveitis, but those with previously diagnosed systemic sarcoidosis or who developed systemic sarcoidosis during follow-up appeared to be at higher risk.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eleanna Kaffe, Manolis Roulis, Jun Zhao, Rihao Qu, Esen Sefik, Haris Mirza, Jing Zhou, Yunjiang Zheng, Georgia Charkoftaki, Vasilis Vasiliou, Daniel F. Vatner, Yuval Kluger, Richard A. Flavell
Summary: Metabolic functions of hepatocytes are regulated by non-parenchymal cells in their microenvironment, revealing the importance of microenvironmental regulation in liver metabolism.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Sahar H. H. Elhini, Engy A. A. Wahsh, Ahmed A. A. Elberry, Nadia F. F. El Ameen, Ahmed Abdelfadil Saedii, Shereen Mahmoud Refaie, Asmaa A. A. Elsayed, Hoda M. M. Rabea
Summary: The study compared the efficacy of empagliflozin and ursodeoxycholic acid in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The results showed that empagliflozin had better effects in reducing liver fat content, while ursodeoxycholic acid showed more significant reductions in liver fibrosis scores. Both drugs had similar safety profiles in managing liver steatosis.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Dong Wang, Jing Wang, Yingchao Wu, Caixia Liu, Yuzhe Huang, Yan Chen, Zhifeng Ding, Yixin Guan, Qingxi Wu
Summary: UDCA-zein nanoparticles and their inclusion microcapsules with good water solubility were successfully designed and prepared in this study, and their potential for the treatment of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) was demonstrated through animal experiments.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Ophthalmology
Amde Selassie Shifera, Karen Sun, Charles Eberhart, Jennifer E. Thorne
Summary: This study presents a rare case of corneal stromal involvement in a patient with ocular and pulmonary sarcoidosis. Interestingly, the donor cornea tissue was also affected by granulomas after a keratoprosthesis implantation.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Marina Serper, Ethan M. Weinberg, Jordana B. Cohen, Peter P. Reese, Tamar H. Taddei, David E. Kaplan
Summary: The study found that warfarin and DOACs were associated with reduced all-cause mortality in patients with cirrhosis and atrial fibrillation. In secondary analysis, DOACs had a lower incidence of bleeding compared to warfarin. Future studies should further investigate these observed associations.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ethan M. Weinberg, Huy N. Trinh, Roberto J. Firpi, Kalyan Ram Bhamidimarri, Samuel Klein, Jonathan Durlam, Stephanie Watkins, K. Rajender Reddy, Michael Weiss, Richard C. Zink, Anna S. Lok
Summary: More than 10% of NAFLD patients in the United States are lean, with Asians accounting for almost half of them. Lean patients have lower prevalence of cirrhosis, CVD, and metabolic abnormalities compared to non-lean patients. Asian participants have significantly lower prevalence of these conditions than non-Asians across all BMI categories.
CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Catherine Frenette, Zeid Kayali, Edward Mena, Parvez S. Mantry, Kathryn J. Lucas, Guy Neff, Miguel Rodriguez, Paul J. Thuluvath, Ethan Weinberg, Bal R. Bhandari, James Robinson, Nicole Wedick, Jean L. Chan, David T. Hagerty, Kris Kowdley
Summary: Emricasan was found to be safe but ineffective in treating decompensated NASH cirrhosis in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 217 participants. This study may provide guidance for future clinical trials in patients with decompensated cirrhosis related to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Brian P. Lee, Gene Y. Im, John P. Rice, Ann Lazar, Ethan Weinberg, Hyosun Han, Haripriya Maddur, R. Mark Ghobrial, George Therapondos, Christine Hsu, Oren K. Fix, Sheila Eswaran, Kirti Shetty, Jag Chhatwal, Ozden O. Dalgic, Neha Jakhete, Constance Mobley, David W. Victor, Neil Mehta, Lisanne Dinges, Mary Rinella, Thomas D. Schiano, Michael R. Lucey, Norah Terrault
Summary: Early liver transplantation for alcoholic hepatitis can save lives, but concerns about continued alcohol use exist. This study identified distinct patterns of alcohol use post-transplantation and found that early alcohol use was associated with higher risk of mortality at 3 and 5 years. Pre-transplant characteristics were associated with post-transplant alcohol use patterns, which can inform candidate selection and addiction care after transplantation.
CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ethan M. Weinberg, Michael P. Curry, Catherine T. Frenette, Fredric G. Regenstein, Eugene R. Schiff, Zachary D. Goodman, James M. Robinson, Jean L. Chan, Joanne C. Imperial, K. Rajender Reddy
Summary: The study found that Emricasan can reduce or prevent the progression of hepatic fibrosis in HCV liver transplant recipients, especially showing significant improvement in fibrosis stability and improvement in the F3 to F5 subgroup.
LIVER TRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Mina Bakhtiar, Kimberly A. Forde, Gregory J. Nadolski, Michael C. Soulen, Ethan M. Weinberg
Summary: The study compared patients treated with different methods for ascites and found that the survival rates in the PVS and TIPS groups were similar, with lower healthcare utilization, and PVS was a satisfactory alternative.
JOURNAL OF VASCULAR AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Surgery
Brian P. Lee, Nitzan Roth, Prathik Rao, Gene Y. Im, Alexander S. Vogel, Johann Hasbun, Yoel Roth, Akhil Shenoy, Antonios Arvelakis, Laura Ford, Inga Dawe, Thomas D. Schiano, Jordan P. Davis, John P. Rice, Sheila Eswaran, Ethan Weinberg, Hyosun Han, Christine Hsu, Oren K. Fix, Haripriya Maddur, R. Mark Ghobrial, George Therapondos, Bistra Dilkina, Norah A. Terrault
Summary: We developed a model using a multidisciplinary approach and artificial intelligence to predict harmful alcohol use after liver transplantation, identifying specific variables related to social support and substance use as highly important. This model has the potential to inform the selection and management of patients with alcohol-associated hepatitis undergoing early liver transplantation.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Therese Bittermann, Nadim Mahmud, Ethan M. Weinberg, K. Rajender Reddy
Summary: The number of patients with alcoholic hepatitis (AH) in the liver transplant waitlist has been increasing in recent years. AH patients have a shorter waiting time and higher survival and transplant rates compared to other patients with high Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Muhammad I. Jalal, Mihir Brahmbhatt, Kelsey Green, Ethan M. Weinberg, Craig Lammert, Therese Bittermann
Summary: This study found that patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) are at a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome-associated diseases (MSADs), possibly due to the long-term use of corticosteroid therapy and general population trends. The initial treatment regimen was found to affect the development of new-onset diabetes, and the presence of MSADs was associated with lower rates of biochemical remission in AIH patients.
ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ethan M. M. Weinberg, Matthew Dukewich, Neha Jakhete, Elizabeth Stonesifer, Gene Y. Y. Im, Michael R. R. Lucey, Kirti Shetty, John P. P. Rice, David W. W. Victor III, Mark R. R. Ghobrial, Akshay Shetty, Stephanie M. M. Rutledge, Sander S. S. Florman, Christine Hsu, Mohamed Shoreibah, Mahmoud Aryan, Babak J. J. Orandi, Hyosun Han, Norah Terrault, Brian P. P. Lee
Summary: Prior liver decompensation is associated with higher risk of post-liver transplantation mortality and harmful alcohol use, suggesting it as a preliminary safety signal for consideration in early liver transplantation for alcohol-associated hepatitis patients.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Surgery
Sasha Deutsch-Link, Therese Bittermann, Lauren Nephew, Katherine Ross-Driscoll, Ethan M. Weinberg, Robert M. Weinrieb, Kim M. Olthoff, Senayish Addis, Marina Serper
Summary: This study aimed to investigate racial and ethnic inequities in liver transplantation (LT) waitlisting for medical and psychosocial reasons. The findings showed that Black race and Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity were associated with not being waitlisted for psychosocial reasons. Health systems and LT centers should develop programs to address these disparities and promote equity in LT access.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Christine C. Hsu, Jennifer L. Dodge, Ethan Weinberg, Gene Im, Jimin Ko, William Davis, Stephanie Rutledge, Matthew Dukewich, Mohamed Shoreibah, Mahmoud Aryan, Aidan Vosooghi, Michael Lucey, John Rice, Norah A. Terrault, Brian P. Lee
Summary: Early liver transplantation for alcohol-associated hepatitis is controversial due to the potential for patient recovery and thus avoiding the need for transplantation. This retrospective study found that recompensation of liver function is rare among severe alcohol-associated hepatitis patients declined for transplantation, with higher MELD-Na values and older age associated with short-term mortality, and a history of failed alcohol rehabilitation associated with long-term mortality.
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Samuel h. Sigal, Arun j. Sanyal, R. todd Frederick, Ethan m. Weinberg, S. chris Pappas, Khurram Jamil
CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Matthew Dukewich, Chung-Heng Liu, Ethan M. Weinberg, Nadim Mahmud, K. Rajender Reddy
Summary: This study found that clinical factors associated with the need for ICU care in patients with cirrhosis include worsened kidney function, anemia, hyponatremia, leukocytosis, and the decision to obtain a lactate level. The study also found significant differences in mortality among different groups of patients with cirrhosis.
DIGESTIVE DISEASES AND SCIENCES
(2023)
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Therese Bittermann, Nadim Mahmud, Ethan M. Weinberg, K. Rajender Reddy
LIVER TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)