Hepatology Commons^™

Cholestasis And Fluid Flow Are Biomechanic Regulators Of Cholangiocarcinoma Progression, Andrew Oleksijew

Theses & Dissertations

Cholestasis, altered or absent bile flow, is associated with poor survival in patients with cholangiocarcinoma, an aggressive cancer of the biliary epithelium. Changes in bile flow often result in stricture or obstruction. Experimental cholestasis promoted tumor growth and progression. However, studies are needed that directly assess the mechanical interaction between bile flow, or bile shear stress, and cholangiocarcinoma signaling. We hypothesized that cholestasis and absent bile shear stress activated cancer signaling and increased aggressive cellular behaviors such as proliferation and migration. Fluid shear stress approximating bile flow was applied by orbital culture plate method and compared to identical static culture …

Wilson’S Disease Presenting As Acute Hepatitis In Pregnancy With Successful Maternal And Neonatal Outcomes: A Case Report, Paribesh Gyawali, Ranjan Regmi, Shambu Khanal, Rajan Bhandari, Shivani Gupta, Gunjan Arora

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Background: Wilson’s disease is a rare genetic disorder characterized by copper accumulation, leading to multi-organ symptoms. It affects between 1 in 30,000 to 1 in 100,000 individuals, with a mean age at diagnosis of 13.2 years. The diagnosis may be overlooked due to its numerous presentations, which can range from non-specific symptoms such as fever, fatigue, and behavioral changes to fulminant hepatic failure. Its clinical manifestations vary widely, making diagnosis during pregnancy particularly challenging. Wilson’s disease complicates pregnancy, as untreated cases can lead to significant morbidity and mortality; excess copper can disrupt metabolic processes and contribute to recurrent miscarriages.

Case: …

Trends, Predictors, And Outcomes Of Hepatic Encephalopathy Treatment At A Quaternary Transplant Center From 2012-2022, Patrick Twohig, Thoetchai Peeraphatdit, Kaeli Samson, Makayla Schissel, Lynette M. Smith, Kyaw Min Tun, Ellen Tan, Kyle Scholten, Jason Barbaretta, Kevin Brittan, Timothy Mccashland

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a devastating complication of cirrhosis that increases mortality. Many patients do not receive guideline recommended HE treatment.

Our aim is to evaluate trends in HE treatment over time, variables associated with receiving treatment, and outcomes based on the type of treatment received.

Methods: Retrospective single-center cohort study of hospitalized patients with HE from July 2012 – June 2022. HE treatment was defined as receiving lactulose, rifaximin, or combination therapy.

Results: A total of 1,683 unique patients were included, 72% of patients received HE treatment. Fewer HE patients received any treatment in 2022 (65.9%) compared to …

Evaluation Of Awareness, Knowledge, And Preventive Intervention Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Among Chinese Young Adults, Yi Du

Theses & Dissertations

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among Chinese young adults (CYA) aged 18-25 years ranges from 4.7% to 15.1% and has kept increasing in recent years. Previous studies reported limited awareness and knowledge of NALFD among middle-aged and older Chinese populations, however, they have not investigated awareness in CYA, for which there is no well-validated questionnaire. There is currently no efficacious educational intervention on NAFLD for CYA.

The objectives were 1) to develop and validate a questionnaire which can be used to assess the awareness and knowledge of NAFLD among CYA; 2) to assess the awareness and knowledge …

Preventing Bleeding Complications Of Paracentesis Using Point-Of-Care Ultrasound: An N-Of-1 Case Study, Adam Karevoll, Willie Talbert, Christopher J. Smith

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Abdominal paracentesis is a common bedside procedure, and the advent of point-of-care ultrasound has provided an opportunity to reduce the associated risks. Multiple society guidelines now recommend both site and vascular marking to avoid potential complications. This case illustrates the importance of vascular marking specifically to avoid damage to adjacent blood vessels.

Post-Transplant Hepatic Graft Fibrosis In Pediatric Liver-Inclusive Transplant Recipients, Hanh D. Vo

Theses & Dissertations

Hepatic graft fibrosis is a common histologic finding following pediatric liver transplant (LT) that may affect the long-term graft outcome. Hence, it is essential to identify hepatic graft fibrosis at a stage where fibrosis is not yet clinically apparent but has the potential for progression to initiate appropriate intervention and prevent its progression. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for fibrosis staging, but it is invasive, requires general anesthesia in children, and has potential complications. Our long-term goal is to implement non-invasive tests to assess and monitor the progression of hepatic graft fibrosis in liver-inclusive transplant children. The work presented …

Urinary Bile Acid Indices As Prognostic Biomarkers For The Complications Of Liver Diseases, Wenkuan Li

Theses & Dissertations

Hepatobilary diseases cause the accumulation of toxic bile acids (BA) in the liver, blood, and other tissues, which may lead to an unfavorable prognosis. In this study, we compared the urinary BA profile in 257 patients with hepatobilary diseases during a 7-year follow-up period. We investigated the use of the urinary BA profile to develop logistic regression models to predict the prognosis of hepatobiliary diseases in terms of developing disease-related complications, especially for ascites. The urinary BA profile was characterized by calculating BA indices, which quantify the composition, metabolism, hydrophilicity, and toxicity of the BA profile. All patients had high …

Urinary Bile Acid Indices As Diagnostic And Prognosic Biomarkers For Liver Diseases, Jawaher Alamoudi

Theses & Dissertations

Hepatobiliary diseases result in the accumulation of toxic bile acids (BA) in the liver, blood, and other tissues which may contribute to an unfavorable prognosis. We compared the urinary BA profile between 300 patients with hepatobiliary diseases vs. 103 healthy controls. Also, we investigated the use of the urinary BA profile to develop survival models to predict the prognosis of hepatobiliary diseases. The urinary BA profile, a set of non-BA parameters, and the adverse events of liver transplant and/or death were monitored in patients with cholestatic liver diseases for up to 7 years. The BA profile was characterized by calculating …

Surveillance, Prevention And Surgical Treatments For Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Kerui Xu

Theses & Dissertations

Liver cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death, representing roughly 9.1% of all cancer mortality. Of all primary cancers of the liver, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for roughly 85%. HCC has been increasing in the U.S. and other countries. In particular, HCC places a huge burden on the Chinese population, as China alone consists of approximately 50% of the total HCC cases and deaths. In China, chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause for developing HCC. The two challenges in prevention and control of HCC experienced in China are low rates of HCC screening among the …