Gastroenterology Commons^™

Employment And Patient Satisfaction After Liver Transplantation, Christopher Cao, Dina Halegoua-De Marzio, Shady Guirguis, Crystal Chen, Jonathan M. Fenkel, Steven Herrine

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Background and Aims: This study serves to revisit the effects of liver transplantation (LT) on employment in an era of improving survival outcomes post-transplant, and to identify areas of improvement in the transplant process to better op-timize post-LT employment and patient satisfaction. Methods: Prospectively, patients who had undergone LT at a single tertiary LT center were surveyed in person and by e-mail. Primary outcomes included employment rate pre-and post-LT, annual salary, weekly hours worked, barriers to re-employment, and patient satisfaction. Results: Responses were collected and analyzed from 121 patients who underwent LT. Pre-LT, 68 (56.1%) reported full-time employ-ment, 13 (10.7%) …

Complicated Isolated Liver Abscess Caused By Viridans Group Streptococci Leading To Right Hepatectomy, Muhammad F Ahmed, Zainab Abbasi, Sajan Das, Alok Aggarwal, Sonu Sahni

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (New York) Publications and Research

Pyogenic liver abscesses (PLAs) secondary to bacterial etiologies are most often seen in developing countries and are less common in North America. The predominant etiology is infection occurring in the setting of direct extension of hepatobiliary or intestinal infection. The most common pathogen isolated from a PLA in the United States is

Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Is Associated With Lower Prevalence Of Asymptomatic Diverticulosis: A Cross-Sectional Colonoscopy-Based Study., Benjamin Maxner, Jessica Mcgoldrick, Danielle Bellavance, Po-Hong Liu, Ramnik J Xavier, Joseph C Yarze, Rocco Ricciardi, Kyle Staller, Daniel C Chung, Hamed Khalili

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of the relationship between dietary factors and risk of diverticulosis have yielded inconsistent results. We therefore sought to investigate the association between consumption of fruit and vegetables and prevalent diverticulosis.

METHODS: Our study population included participants in the Gastrointestinal Disease and Endoscopy Registry (GIDER), a colonoscopy-based longitudinal cohort at the Massachusetts General Hospital, who provided comprehensive information on dietary intake and lifestyle factors using validated questionnaires prior to colonoscopy. Information on presence and location of diverticula was obtained from the endoscopist at the end of each procedure. We used Poisson regression modeling to calculate the prevalence ratios …

Immunotherapy In Hepatocellular Cancer Patients With Mild To Severe Liver Dysfunction: Adjunctive Role Of The Albi Grade, David J Pinato, Takahiro Kaneko, Anwaar Saeed, Tiziana Pressiani, Ahmed Kaseb, Yinghong Wang, David Szafron, Tomi Jun, Sirish Dharmapuri, Abdul Rafeh Naqash, Mahvish Muzaffar, Musharraf Navaid, Chieh-Ju Lee, Anushi Bulumulle, Bo Yu, Sonal Paul, Neil Nimkar, Dominik Bettinger, Hannah Hildebrand, Yehia I Abugabal, Celina Ang, Thomas U Marron, Uqba Khan, Nicola Personeni, Lorenza Rimassa, Yi-Hsiang Huang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have shown positive results in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As liver function contributes to prognosis, its precise assessment is necessary for the safe prescribing and clinical development of ICI in HCC. We tested the accuracy of the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade as an alternative prognostic biomarker to the Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP). In a prospectively maintained multi-centre dataset of HCC patients, we assessed safety and efficacy of ICI across varying levels of liver dysfunction described by CTP (A to C) and ALBI grade and evaluated uni- and multi-variable predictors of overall (OS) and post-immunotherapy survival (PIOS). We studied …

Neuroendocrine Tumor Of The Gallbladder, A Rare Incidental Finding, Alvaro Frometa, Yasna Chaudhary, Omar Ansari, Nigel Jagoo, Iqbal Kapadia

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background: Neuroendocrine tumors are a rare finding in the gallbladder. The incidence of this entity in the gallbladder is roughly 1.13 cases per 100,000 in the US, with a steady increase in the last decade. Gallbladder neuroendocrine tumors are generally asymptomatic; the majority of cases have been reported as incidental findings in specimens, resected due to secondary symptomatology, such as chronic cholecystitis. Treatment strategies are limited, in part due to the often advanced stage in which this disease presents. Furthermore, there is a restricted utility of diagnostic tools for early detection; these factors contribute to the poor prognosis of this …

Ruptured Splenic Hemangioma Presenting As Small Bowel Obstruction: A Case Report, Haya S. Raef, Karin L. Cole Md

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Splenic hemangioma is a rare vascular tumor of the spleen. Typically asymptomatic, these lesions can present with rupture and hemoperitoneum. Clinical Findings: We report the case of a patient with no previous abdominal surgery that presented with symptoms and imaging consistent with small bowel obstruction (SBO), and an incidental finding of a splenic lesion. Main diagnoses, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes: At diagnostic laparoscopy, a ruptured splenic hemangioma was identified, with obstructive ileus due to hemoperitoneum. The patient subsequently underwent splenectomy to prevent recurrent bleeding. Conclusions: Splenic hemangiomas are rare vascular neoplasms of the spleen, which can be complicated by …

Perianal Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Common Cancer In An Uncommon Location., Ed Hagen, Nathan Hite, John A Griffin, Rodney Kratz

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

This is a case of a perianal basal cell carcinoma, a common skin cancer in an unusual location. Our patient is a 67-year-old male with a perianal lesion. He first noticed this painless lesion 5 years prior to presentation and was having fecal incontinence and weight loss. He had a fully encompassing ulcerated lesion involving the entirety of the anal margin. We performed a biopsy that returned on pathology as a basal cell carcinoma. Due to the size of the lesion and his current nutritional status, it was determined to be unresectable. We were able to provide him with a …

Medicine And Media: The Ranitidine Debate., Jennifer A. Wagner, Jennifer Colombo

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Ranitidine has been the topic of recent media reports. Current findings, confirmed by the US Food and Drug Administration, indicate that some ranitidine products contain a substance that may be carcinogenic. Providers and patients require additional information on the risks of continuing therapy vs. the benefits of the medication. This article comments on what is currently known about the evolving situation of elevated N-nitrosodimethylamine levels in ranitidine and the limits of the existing information to assess best practices.

Renal Trajectory Patterns Are Associated With Postdischarge Mortality In Patients With Cirrhosis And Acute Kidney Injury, Ayse L Mindikoglu, Ruben Hernaez, Yan Liu, Jennifer R Kramer, Thomas Taylor, Abbas Rana, Fasiha Kanwal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Little is known about long-term outcomes of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with cirrhosis. Outcomes can vary with stage of AKI, chronic kidney disease, and trajectory of renal function.

METHODS: We collected data from the Department of Veterans Affairs and identified 6917 patients with cirrhosis who developed AKI during hospitalization at any of its 127 hospitals, from 2004 through 2014. We used latent class analysis of serial creatinine measurements during the index hospitalization to determine trajectories of renal function.

RESULTS: Overall, 32% of patients died within 90 days of discharge from the hospital and 48% of …

Low Yield Of Hepatitis C Infection In An Outreach Screening Program In Harris County, Texas, Hyun-Seok Kim, Rosalia Guerrero, Shane W Reader, Maria Daheri, Maya Balakrishnan, Catherine L Troisi, Hashem B El-Serag, Aaron P Thrift

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A community outreach hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection screening program provided low yield of detecting HCV-infected patients, linking them to our hepatology clinic for treatment. Our data underscore that most of the yield was related to addiction centers and birth cohort; these groups should be targeted by future interventions.

Impact Of Covid-19 On Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellow Training In North America, Daniel Mallon, John F Pohl, Uma P Phatak, Melissa Fernandes, John M Rosen, Sarah S Lusman, Cade M Nylund, Candi S Jump, Aliza B Solomon, Arvind Srinath, Andrew Singer, Rula Harb, Norberto Rodriguez-Baez, Kristin L Whitfield Van Buren, Shifra Koyfman, Riha Bhatt, Dellys M Soler-Rodriguez, Mamata Sivagnanam, Christine K Lee, Naspghan Training Committee Covid-19 Survey Working Group

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed healthcare systems and training around the world. The Training Committee of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition sought to understand how COVID-19 has affected pediatric gastroenterology fellowship training.

METHODS: A 21 question survey was distributed to all 77 pediatric gastroenterology fellowship program directors (PDs) in the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition program director database via email on April 7. Responses collected through April 19, 2020 were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: Fifty-one of 77 (66%) PDs from the United States, Canada, and Mexico responded to …

Timely Diagnosis And Staging Of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Using Transient Elastography And Clinical Parameters., Christine Shieh, Dina L. Halegoua-De Marzio, Matthew L. Hung, Jonathan M. Fenkel, Steven K. Herrine

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

Background and Aim: There is no standardized guideline to screen, image, or refer patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to a specialist. In this study, we used transient elastography (TE) to examine the fibrosis stages at which patients are first diagnosed with NAFLD. Subsequently, we analyzed metabolic markers to establish cut-offs beyond which noninvasive imaging should be considered to confirm NAFLD/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis fibrosis in patients.

Methods: Charts spanning July 2015-April 2018 for 116 NAFLD patients who had TE performed were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analysis of metabolic markers was conducted.

Results: At the first hepatology visit, TE showed 73% …

Spermine Synthase And Myc Cooperate To Maintain Colorectal Cancer Cell Survival By Repressing Bim Expression, Yubin Guo, Qing Ye, Pan Deng, Yanan Cao, Daheng He, Zhaohe Zhou, Chi Wang, Yekaterina Y. Zaytseva, Charles E. Schwartz, Eun Young Lee, B. Mark Evers, Andrew J. Morris, Side Liu, Qing-Bai She

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Dysregulation of polyamine metabolism has been linked to the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the underlying mechanism is incompletely characterized. Here, we report that spermine synthase (SMS), a polyamine biosynthetic enzyme, is overexpressed in CRC. Targeted disruption of SMS in CRC cells results in spermidine accumulation, which inhibits FOXO3a acetylation and allows subsequent translocation to the nucleus to transcriptionally induce expression of the proapoptotic protein Bim. However, this induction is blunted by MYC-driven expression of miR-19a and miR-19b that repress Bim production. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of MYC activity in SMS-depleted CRC cells dramatically induces Bim expression and apoptosis …

Unique Case Of Gastroenteritis Presenting As Pneumatosis Intestinalis With Emphysematous Gastritis And Portal Vein Gas: Do Not Take Gastroenteritis Lightly., Asif Mehmood, Rajesh Essrani Md, Swetha Parvataneni, Umair Iqbal

Department of Medicine

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) consists of multiple, thin, gas-filled cysts in the wall of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It is an uncommon entity that can involve any gastrointestinal site from the stomach to the rectum. Isolated stomach involvement is rare. PI can represent a broad spectrum of diseases with variable prognoses. We present the case of a patient who was admitted with gastroenteritis-like symptoms. He remained hemodynamically stable, and on further imaging with contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis, air was found in the portal vein and gastric wall, with minimal thickening of the proximal small bowel concerning for …

Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy: Effect Of H. Pylori Infection And Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth Treatment On Clinical Outcomes, Shahab Abid, Muhammad Kamran, Adeel Abid, Nazish Butt, Safia Awan, Zaigham Abbas

Section of Gastroenterology

The effect Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection and small intestinal bacterial over growth (SIBO) in minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is not well understood. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of eradication of Hp infection and SIBO treatment on MHE in patients with cirrhosis. Patients with cirrhosis were enrolled and MHE was determined by psychometric tests and critical flicker frequency analysis. Hp infection and SIBO were assessed by urea breath and Hydrogen breath tests respectively in patients with cirrhosis and in healthy volunteers. Patients with Hp infection and SIBO were given appropriate treatment. At six weeks follow-up, presence …

Opioid Use Disorders And Hospital Palliative Care Among Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancers: Ten-Year Trend And Associated Factors In The U.S. From 2005 To 2014, Jinwook Hwang, Jay J. Shen, Sun Jung Kim, Sung-Youn Chun, Pearl C. Kim, Se Won Lee, David Byun, Ji Won Yoo

School of Public Health Faculty Research

This study aimed to analyze the trends of opioid use disorders, cannabis use disorders, and palliative care among hospitalized patients with gastrointestinal cancer and to identify their associated factors. We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample data from 2005 to 2014 and included hospitalized patients with gastrointestinal cancers. The trends of hospital palliative care and opioid or cannabis use disorders were analyzed using the compound annual growth rates (CAGR) with Rao-Scott correction for χ2 tests. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the associated factors. From 2005 to 2014, among 4,364,416 hospitalizations of patients with gastrointestinal cancer, the average annual …

Longitudinal Analysis Reveals Transition Barriers Between Dominant Ecological States In The Gut Microbiome., Roie Levy, Andrew T Magis, John C Earls, Ohad Manor, Tomasz Wilmanski, Jennifer Lovejoy, Sean M Gibbons, Gilbert S Omenn, Leroy Hood, Nathan D Price

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

The Pioneer 100 Wellness Project involved quantitatively profiling 108 participants' molecular physiology over time, including genomes, gut microbiomes, blood metabolomes, blood proteomes, clinical chemistries, and data from wearable devices. Here, we present a longitudinal analysis focused specifically around the Pioneer 100 gut microbiomes. We distinguished a subpopulation of individuals with reduced gut diversity, elevated relative abundance of the genus Prevotella, and reduced levels of the genus Bacteroides We found that the relative abundances of Bacteroides and Prevotella were significantly correlated with certain serum metabolites, including omega-6 fatty acids. Primary dimensions in distance-based redundancy analysis of clinical chemistries explained 18.5% …

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation And Gut Microbiome Effects On Psychiatric Illnesses, Mona Seresht

Physician Assistant Studies | Student Authored Articles

Despite the medical advances that have been made in regards to mental health, psychiatric medications, and alternative therapies, many patients continue to suffer day in and day out, unable to live the type of life they desire. Many times, the medication route includes many episodes of trial and error, side effects, and no significant improvement in actual symptoms. Therapy, although effective, typically necessitates a supplemental medication for the best results. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a method where feces from a healthy donor is transferred to an affected patient, typically via colonoscopy. Theoretically, this alters the gut microbiome in a …

Systemic Proteome Alterations Linked To Early Stage Pancreatic Cancer In Diabetic Patients, Hong Peng, Sheng Pan, Yuanqing Yan, Randall E Brand, Gloria M Petersen, Suresh T Chari, Lisa A Lai, Jimmy K Eng, Teresa A Brentnall, Ru Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is a risk factor associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and new adult-onset diabetes can be an early sign of pancreatic malignancy. Development of blood-based biomarkers to identify diabetic patients who warrant imaging tests for cancer detection may represent a realistic approach to facilitate earlier diagnosis of PDAC in a risk population.

METHODS: A spectral library-based proteomic platform was applied to interrogate biomarker candidates in plasma samples from clinically well-defined diabetic cohorts with and without PDAC. Random forest algorithm was used for prediction model building and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was applied to evaluate the prediction …

Facing Real-World Challenges Of Immunogenicity In Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease., Kyle Gress, Julie A. Bass, Ryan S Funk, Ryan Morrow, Rachel Hasenkamp, Valentina Shakhnovich

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.