Search

Background: Impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL) contributes to the overall disease burden in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). This study aimed to evaluate HRQoL in people with AIH and to identify potentially modifiable factors associated with impaired HRQoL using validated patient-reported outcome measures., Methods: Adult AIH patients diagnosed at 12 European centers were enrolled in this prospective, cross-sectional study from July 2020-June 2023. HRQoL was assessed using the Physical Component Score (PCS) and Mental Component Score (MCS) of the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and the European Quality-of-life 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) utility index (UI) score. Mixed-model regression analyses identified factors associated with HRQoL and somatic symptom severity. Controls were recruited from the general population in five European countries., Results: A total of 882 patients with AIH (mean age: 51.0 y [SD 17.0]; 76.4% female) and 178 controls were included. Physical but not mental HRQoL was impaired in the AIH group compared with the control group (PCS: 46.3 vs. 51.9, p<0.001; EQ-5D UI: 0.87 vs. 0.95, p<0.001). HRQoL was associated with severe somatic symptoms (PCS β=-4.26, p<0.001), fatigue (PCS β=-0.25, p<0.001; MCS β=-0.25, p<0.001), and depression/anxiety (PCS β=-3.37, p<0.001; MCS β=-6.79, p<0.001). A complete biochemical response was associated with a lower somatic symptom severity (odds ratio 0.69, p<0.05)., Conclusions: People with AIH had impaired HRQoL compared with controls, particularly in terms of physical well-being. HRQoL scores are associated with symptom burden, encompassing both somatic and psychosocial dimensions., (Copyright © 2025 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.)

In Western countries, deceased donor liver transplantation remains the standard of care for patients with end-stage liver disease. Living donor liver transplantation is a viable and feasible strategy for patients with end-stage liver disease designed to mitigate the deceased organ shortage. Donor safety is the primary concern because liver donors, ideally, should not have any complication. We report a case of middle-aged woman without a history of chronic liver disease who developed autoimmune hepatitis more than 20 years after live liver donation. Changes in these patients' liver enzymes should prompt swift referral to an hepatologist for initial liver disease work-up., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American College of Gastroenterology.)

Background: Occult hepatitis C infection (OCI) is characterized by the detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in hepatocytes and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) without detection in serum. We aimed to evaluate OCI in drug and no drug users who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) after therapy with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and with HCV spontaneous resolution., Methods: Twenty-four patients in the AVP group (who achieved a SVR after DAAs therapy), 13 in the NAVP group (with HCV spontaneous resolution) and 7 HCV-RNA positive patients (CPP, control positive group) were included in the study. HCV/OCI-RNA was screened in serum and PBMCs samples of the patients by ddPCR for OCI patients' identification. Plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) samples of the patients were also evaluated for HCV/OCI-RNA detection by ddPCR., Results: OCI was presented in injection drug users (IDUs) in the AVP (20.8%) and NAVP (23.1%) groups by ddPCR with a higher statistically significant percentage detected in RBCs samples of the patients in the AVP group comparatively to NAVP (p<0.01) and CPP (p < 0.05) groups., Conclusion: OCI was identified in IDUs patients of the AVP and NAVP groups by ddPCR. These results suggest that OCI patients in the AVP group might not be entirely cured, and that OCI patients in the NAVP group were not identified at clinical evaluation time when just serum samples were analysed. A higher percentage of HCV/OCI-RNA was detected in RBCs samples. Overall results recommends that HCV/OCI identification in patients with DAAs therapy and spontaneous resolution of HCV infection should be studied more accurately in future and in larger patient groups if possible. Additionally, suggest also PBMCs and RBCs samples as predictors for HCV/OCI diagnosis and management., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is an emerging zoonosis caused by Rickettsia conorii . The MSF typically presents with a triad of fever, generalized cutaneous rash and inoculation eschar, but its clinical spectrum may range from a mild febrile illness to a potentially life-threatening condition, being central nervous system involvement highly rare. We report the clinical case of a 63-year-old male patient with MSF complicated by acute encephalitis and multi-organic failure., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)