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BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C is an important health problem in Chile. In 2005, the Ministry of Health started a pilot treatment program with peg interferon and ribavirin, to be developed in public hospitals all over the country. AIM: To report the results of hepatitis C treatment obtained at our institution. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2005 and 2009, 63 patients were referred for treatment. In all, the viral load and genotype were determined. Peg interferon alpha-2a or alpha-2b plus ribavirin were used for therapy for up to 48 weeks in genotypes (G) 1 or 4 or 24 weeks in genotypes 2 or 3. If at the end of treatment, viral load measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was negative, it was repeated 6 months later. A negative viral load at that time was considered a sustained viral response (SVR). RESULTS: Among the 51 patients who started treatment, 42 (80.4%) were G1,1 was G2,1 was G4 and 7 were G3. A SVR was reached in 51.1% of G 1 and 4 and in 87.5% in G 3 and 2. In a univariate analysis, the variables significantly associated with a positive viral response were the degree of fibrosis and body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: These results are similar to those obtained in other international series, demonstrating that Hispanic ethnicity does not influence the response to treatment. Our good results could be explained by the excellent compliance of the patients to the treatment. A higher degree of fibrosis and a higher BMI were associated with a poor response.

Background: Varioliform gastritis (VG) is found in approximately 0.3 to 2.8% of upper gastrointestinal endoscopies. Its etiology is not known. We have observed a higher frequency of VG in patients with liver cirrhosis. Aim: To confirm if there is an association between VG and liver cirrhosis. Patients and Methods: Two case-control studies were done. A retrospective study, reviewing the endoscopy database of a gastroenterological unit. A prospective study, identifying cases with the endoscopic diagnosis of VG among all patients referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopies. The presence of liver cirrhosis, based on clinical, laboratory, ultrasonographic and endoscopic features was registered among patients with VG. Results: VG was found in 549 of 11.659 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies. Fourteen percent of patients with VG had cirrhosis compared to 5.6% in control patients (c² 29,8; p < 0.01). The odds ratio (OR) for having cirrhosis of patients with VG was 9.3 (95% confidence intervals 3.4-25.5, p < 0,01), according to a logistic regression analysis. In the prospective study, that included 1.498 upper gastrointestinal endoscopies, VG was also significantly more common among patients with liver cirrhosis. Conclusions: A higher frequency of VG was found among patients with liver cirrhosis. Therefore, the endoscopic finding of VG should alert physicians to look for the presence of a coexistent liver cirrhosis.

Although the use of cadaveric split or living donor liver transplantation is a valid option for liver transplants, they have several complications, being the "small-for-size syndrome" one of the most frequent. This entity is mainly due to the incapacity that the graft has to meet the blood drainage demands. We report a 61 year-old patient with sub-acute liver failure, transplanted with a partial liver graft that developed hyperbilirubinemia, ascites and liver function deterioration. A meso-caval shunt was performed, after which the ascites resolved, serum bilirubin normalized and the synthetic function of the liver improved. After one month, a follow-up CT seen showed the absence of blood flow in the shunt, possible due to the reduction of the hyper-perfusion of the liver. The clinical and biochemical condition of the patient continued improving despite the lack of flow through the shunt.