Active clinical trials for "Liver Diseases"

Sample size definition provides important information, allowing the groundwork for transparent reporting. The sample predefinition allows the trial to be large enough to be able to address the question that is being asked. The aim of the present study is to assess, in all the randomized controlled trials (RCT) included in the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group (CHBG) systematic reviews, the quality of reporting sample size the accuracy of the calculations, the accuracy of the a priori assumptions and the effect on the agreement with pooled results in meta-analyses.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common form of chronic liver disease. In the absence of chronic alcohol abuse or other liver diseases, NAFLD incorporates a wide spectrum of liver pathologies and is defined by fatty infiltration of the liver (simple hepatosteatosis). It can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and later fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventually some patients may develop hepatocellular carcinoma with or without cirrhosis. The exact cause of NAFLD is yet to be cleared and it is, therefore, an active area for research. The diagnosis of NAFLD is achieved through histological examination of liver biopsies (invasive), non-invasive markers using serum biomarkers and imaging techniques are still under development. Pathological diagnosis can be then subcategorized based on several scoring systems. More widely used are the Brunt Score or NAS (NAFLD activity score) and the Kleiner's modified NAS. Obesity is highly associated with NAFLD, as the epidemic of obesity has made NAFLD more prevalent. In addition insulin resistance has been linked to NAFLD and this is explained by the increased influx of free fatty acids (FFAs) into the liver. FFA undergoes either β-oxidation or esterification with glycerol to form triglycerides (TGs), resulting in an additional source of fat in the liver. Due to the strong association of NAFLD with obesity, weight reduction procedures are used for the management of NAFLD. In fact, this has been shown to be effective by several studies. However, other studies have reported liver deterioration after bariatric intervention. This conflict is what makes the effects of bariatric procedures a challenging field for further studies. Consequently in this study we are aimed to examine histologic, metabolic and liver function changes induced by the different therapeutic bariatric procedures.

Diabetes and heart associations continue to discourage high intakes of dietary fructose, a constituent part of the sucrose molecule that is found in fruits and vegetables as a natural sugar and in some processed foods and beverages as an added sweetener. The concern relates to its ability to increase certain blood fats and cholesterol, which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. The evidence for an adverse effect of fructose on these risk factors, however, is inconclusive. To improve the evidence on which nutrition recommendations for fructose are based, the investigators therefore propose to study the effect of fructose on blood fats, cholesterol, sugars, blood pressure, and body weight, by undertaking a systematic synthesis of the data taken from all available clinical studies in humans. This technique has the strength of allowing all of the available data to be pooled together and differences to be explored in groups of different study participants (healthy humans of different sex, weight, and age and in those with diseases which predispose to disturbances in metabolism, such as diabetes) with dietary fructose in different forms, doses, and with differing durations of exposure. The findings generated by this proposed knowledge synthesis will help improve the health of consumers through informing recommendations for the general public, as well as those at risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Enterococci, especially vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE), are increasing in prevalence in many hospitals in the United States. Patients undergoing liver transplantation are at particular risk for developing infection due to VRE. The effect of prior colonization with VRE on the outcome of liver transplantation is unknown. This prospective study will ascertain the prevalence of gastrointestinal colonization with vancomycin resistant enterococci among patients awaiting liver transplantation at the University of Michigan Health System. Risk factors for acquisition of the organism, natural history of colonization and outcome in colonized patients will also be determined. All patients currently listed on a priority waiting list for liver transplantation at UMHS will be invited to participate. Patients will receive a standardized letter from their primary gastroenterologist describing the rationale for the study. Patients will be contacted by telephone by a member of the study team in order to arrange an appointment in the GCRC at the time of their regularly scheduled Transplant Clinic appointment in order discuss their potential participation in the study. Patients who give informed consent, will be interviewed using a standard interview questionnaire. Demographic and historical data relevant to the risk of VRE colonization will be collected during the interview. A sample will be obtained via rectal swab for culture. Rectal swabs for culture and collection of information on the standardized questionnaire will be repeated every six months while the patient is awaiting liver transplantation. When a patient undergoes liver transplantation, a culture will be obtained at the time of admission and weekly after post-operatively until discharge. All patients will be followed for 60 days after transplantation to assess several primary outcomes, including operative and post-operative complications, VRE infection and mortality. Rectal swabs will be the only procedure performed for the purposes of this study. Culture results will not be made available to the transplant team in order to avoid bias in clinical care. All data will be entered into an electronic database. GCRC statisticians will assist in the analysis of risk factors and outcome analysis.

Chronic alcohol consumption is associated with intestinal bacterial dysbiosis, yet little is known about the role of intestinal fungi, or mycobiota in liver disease. Although the intestinal microbiome contains bacteria, fungi, and viruses, research in the field of liver disease has almost exclusively focused on the interaction between the host and gut bacteria. The fungal microbiota is an integral part of the gastrointestinal micro-ecosystem with up to 106 microorganisms per gram of faeces. Numerous interactions between fungi and bacteria and the complex immune response to gastrointestinal commensal or pathogenic fungi have been demonstrated in prior studies. Alcohol-dependent patients display a reduced intestinal fungal diversity and Candida overgrowth. Compared with healthy individuals and patients with non-alcohol-related cirrhosis, alcoholic cirrhosis patients also demonstrate systemic exposure and immune response to mycobiota. Thus, chronic alcohol consumption is associated with an altered mycobiota and translocation of fungal products. Manipulating the intestinal mycobiome might be an effective strategy for attenuating alcohol-related liver disease especially alcoholic hepatitis. In this study, we will attempt to find out the natural fungal mycobiome in Severe alcoholic hepatitis when compared with apparently healthy asymptomatic controls from their family. This will allow us to therapeutically modify the unbalanced gut microbiota and improve patient outcomes. Secondly, it will provide further insight as to why alcohol-associated hepatitis patients are particularly susceptible to fungal infections. In the age of frequent antibacterial drug therapy, the role of commensal and pathogenic fungi in the human gut has gained paramount importance.

One-third of the world's population suffers from Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), that is a disease with an accumulation of fat in the liver. Some patients with NAFLD will progress in their disease to develop inflammation, scarring of the liver tissue, and cirrhosis that can lead to liver failure. The mechanisms of the disease and its progression are still not fully understood. It is therefore critical to find early markers that can identify the patients that will progress so that they can be treated early. A compound called L-carnitine, synthesised in the body from two amino acids; lysine and methionine, is critical for fat metabolism. Some studies have shown that it is decreased in liver disease patients and that L-carnitine supplementation can protect the liver function. This study aims to increase the understanding of the mechanisms behind NAFLD disease progression through its different stages. This may help diagnostic methods to be developed to predict the patients at risk for developing severe liver disease. Furthermore, fat metabolism and L-carnitine levels will be established in the different disease stages to evaluate whether fat metabolism could be compromised. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) will be used for imaging of the whole liver and the heart to investigate metabolism and function non-invasively. Whole-body metabolism and how carbohydrates are taken up from diets are converted to fats in the body will be explored using stable isotope labelling. This study will recruit 30 participants with NAFLD; 10 each for low-risk NALFD, biopsy-proven NASH and compensated NASH cirrhosis. Participants will undergo MRI, followed by a stable isotope labelled study, where through blood- and breathe samples, metabolism will be investigated. An additional 10 healthy participants will be assessed using MR techniques to assess whether an injection of L-carnitine can lead to increase of L-carnitine in the liver such that it can be detected by MR. This is to validate a methodology prior to using it in NAFLD participants.

Non Alcohlic Fatty Liver (NAFLD) is a spectrum of diseases that ranges from accumulation of fat in the liver (Hepatosteatosis) that may be accompanied by inflammation (Steatohepatitis) to necrosis, fibrosis and even cirrhosis resembling alcoholic hepatitis in the absence of alcoholic abuse (Pardee et al., 2012). It has been estimated that the global prevalence of NAFLD is as high as one billion. In the United States, NAFLD is estimated to be the most common cause of chronic liver disease, affecting between 80 and 100 million individuals, among whom nearly 25% progress to NASH (Loomba et al., 2013). In general, the prevalence of NAFLD has increased over the last 20 years. The Middle East and South America have the highest NAFLD prevalence at 31% and 32% respectively with the lowest prevalence in Africa at 13.5% (Younossi et al., 2016). Liver biopsy (LB) is still the standard test of NAFLD diagnosis and the presence of early liver fibrosis. However, histologic lesions are not evenly distributed throughout the liver. A sampling error is the biggest limitation in the diagnosis of NAFLD by LB with inflammatory lesions and ballooning degeneration potentially resulting in misdiagnoses and staging inaccuracies (Lee et al., 2016). To overcome these limitations, several non-invasive markers have been used instead of liver biopsy. These methods are either laboratory markers or imaging modalities. Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a new technology based on the principle of the ultrasonic attenuation of transient elastography depending on the viscosity [fat] of the medium [liver] and the distance of propagation of the ultrasonic signals into the liver, providing a useful method for the quantitative detection of liver fat content and is considered a better assessment method for hepatic steatosis. Compared with ultrasound, this technology improves the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of fatty liver and can be used for universal screening, diagnosis, and follow-up in NAFLD patients (Sasso et al., 2016). NAFLD is known to be closely associated with metabolic conditions, including insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, dyslipidaemia and type 2 diabetes, and is thus regarded as the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome (Ballestri., 2016). In recent epidemiological studies, NAFLD was shown to be connected with diseases that are usually not dependent on obesity, such as sarcopenia and osteoporosis (Poggiogalle et al., 2017). Osteoporosis is becoming a public health problem all over the world. Disability resulting from low-energy fractures, e.g: hip or vertebral fractures, is the major concern for early detection and treatment. It is estimated that osteoporosis affects 200 million women worldwide (Kanis et al., 2007). Liver is the source of many proteins and is the regulator of several pathways involving bone metabolism; one of the most well-known of all is vitamin D metabolism pathway. Considering the role of liver in bone metabolism, the association between NAFLD and bone abnormalities is not surprising especially with substantial supporting evidences in recent years (Eshraghian et al., 2017). Besides its role in the calcium and bone metabolism, vitamin D may also exert pleiotropic effects in many tissues. NAFLD patients were reported to have a marked reduction in serum 25(OH) vitamin D when compared with controls (Yilmaz et al., 2011). In adults, bone is constantly being remodeled, first being broken down (bone resorption) and then being rebuilt (bone formation). The resorption and reformation of bone is important for repair of microfractures and to allow modification of structure in response to stress and other biomechanical forces. Bone formation is normally tightly coupled to bone resorption, so that bone mass does not change. Bone diseases occur when formation and resorption are uncoupled. Several assays are available that measure bone turnover markers (BTMs). These assays measure collagen breakdown products and other molecules released from osteoclasts and osteoblasts during the process of bone resorption and formation. Markers that are specific to bone formation include bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP), osteocalcin, and N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP); markers specific to bone resorption include N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX), C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX), and pyridinoline cross-links (Rosen et al., 2019).

Global prevalence of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases (NAFLD) ranges from 22% to 28%.The spectrum of these hepatic abnormalities extends from isolated steatosis to steatohepatitis (Non Alcoholic Steato-Hepatitis, NASH) and steatofibrosis leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD is one of the main causes of cirrhosis and increases the risk of liver-related death and hepatocellular carcinoma (developed in patients with or without cirrhosis). Despite this major public health concern, apart from lifestyle changes, treatment of NAFLD is still elusive as there is lack of efficacious pharmacological treatment. Alcoholic liver diseases are also frequent in Western countries. Alcoholic liver diseases and NAFLD share common pathological lesions and molecular pathways. This is illustrated by the emerging role of abnormalities of the microbiota (dysbiosis) in these 2 diseases leading to the concept of " liver-gut axis ". Whereas the molecular mechanisms responsible for the progression from a "safety" state to NASH or to a severe alcoholic steato-hepatitis are still unclear, hepatic inflammation is a key factor involved in the progression of NAFLD and alcoholic liver disease. The hypothesis is that cellular and molecular abnormalities and gut dysbiosis could be present in patients with simple steatosis or with steato-hepatitis and could be responsible for the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma particularly without cirrhosis. The main objective is to compare cellular and inflammatory pathways in liver with and without hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with alcoholic or non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases.

Recent years, the European Association for the Study of the Liver-chronic liver failure (EASL-CLIF) has defined and graded acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) based on CANONIC study which enrolled cirrhotic patients with acute decompensation. However, the characteristics and definitions of ACLF in non-cirrhotic patients with acute deterioration of liver function and organs injury or failure remain to be clear. As for patients who don't fulfil ACLF criteria, there might be a subgroup with high risk of progression (>25%) and a moderate 4-week mortality rate (>7%), which can be defined as "pre-ACLF", while the others are just chronic liver disease with "mere" liver injury or decompensation. This stratification system was primarily verified in a previous retrospective cohort which enrolled Hepatitis B patients only. The stratification criteria for chronic alcoholic liver disease needs to be further defined in detail. Therefore, investigators plan to prospectively recruit 3000 chronic alcoholic hospitalized patients with liver dysfunction from 24 hepatology departments in China, aiming to propose a stratified diagnostic system for chronic alcoholic patients based on organs injury. Meanwhile, risk factors of disease progression and short-term mortality will be analyzed, while characteristics and prognosis will be compared between patients with and without cirrhosis.

The overarching purpose of this study is to further understand the reasons for and clinical implications of persistent HBV infection in patients co-infected with HIV and HBV in the era of highly effective antiviral treatment against both viruses.