Medical Specialties Commons^™

Accuracy Of Noninvasive Diagnostic Tests For The Detection Of Significant And Advanced Fibrosis Stages In Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Literature Review Of The Us Studies, Dhaval Gosalia, Vlad Ratziu, Filip Stanicic, Djurdja Vukicevic, Vladimir Zah, Nadege Gunn, Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, Tram Tran

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: The purpose of this systematic literature review (SLR) was to evaluate the accuracy of noninvasive diagnostic tools in detecting significant or advanced (F2/F3) fibrosis among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) in the US healthcare context.

Methods: The SLR was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science, with an additional hand search of public domains and citations, in line with the PRISMA statement. The study included US-based original research on diagnostic test sensitivity, specificity and accuracy.

Results: Twenty studies were included in qualitative evidence synthesis. Imaging techniques with the highest diagnostic accuracy in F2/F3 detection and differentiation were magnetic …

Alpha-Fetoprotein (Afp) And Afp-L3 Is Most Useful In Detection Of Recurrence Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Patients After Tumor Ablation And With Low Afp Level, Madison Force, Grace Park, Divya Chalikonda, Christopher G. Roth, Micah Cohen, Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, Hie-Won Hann

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver and is a leading cause of mortality worldwide. While there are many risk factors for HCC including alcohol, obesity, and diabetes, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection still account for the majority of HCC worldwide. Globally, HBV is the leading risk factor for HCC. Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and advanced liver disease are at high risk for HCC. Screening for HCC is done routinely with ultrasound with or without alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) at six-month intervals. The combination of ultrasound and AFP has been …

Longitudinal Analysis Of The Impact Of Oral Contraceptive Use On The Gut Microbiome, Xinwei Hua, Yueming Cao, David M Morgan, Kaia Miller, Samantha M Chin, Danielle Bellavance, Hamed Khalili

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Introduction. Evidence has linked exogenous and endogenous sex hormones with the human microbiome.Hypothesis/Gap statement. The longitudinal effects of oral contraceptives (OC) on the human gut microbiome have not previously been studied.Aim. We sought to examine the longitudinal impact of OC use on the taxonomic composition and metabolic functions of the gut microbiota and endogenous sex steroid hormones after initiation of OC use.Methodology. We recruited ten healthy women who provided blood and stool samples prior to OC use, 1 month and 6 months after starting OC. We measured serum levels of sex hormones, including estradiol, progesterone, sex hormone-binding …

Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma And Chronic Stress, Nicholas Noverati, Rukaiya Bashir, Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, Hie-Won Hann

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The Hepatitis B virus is one of the most significant hepatocarcinogens globally. The carcinogenic mechanisms of this virus are complex, and may include interactions with the host's immune system. Certain factors, such as stress on the body, can also potentiate these mechanisms. Stress, although adaptive in an acute form, is deleterious to health when chronic and can both suppress and activate the host's defense system. In hepatocellular carcinoma, this can lead to tumor initiation and progression. Those that are more prone to stress, or exposed to situations that incite stress, may be at higher risk of developing cancer. Racial disparities, …