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Background and Aims: The outcome of patients with HCC who achieved complete response (CR) to immune-checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based systemic therapies is unclear., Approach and Results: Retrospective study of patients with HCC who had CR according to modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (CR-mRECIST) to ICI-based systemic therapies from 28 centers in Asia, Europe, and the United States. Of 3933 patients with HCC treated with ICI-based noncurative systemic therapies, 174 (4.4%) achieved CR-mRECIST, and 97 (2.5%) had CR according to RECISTv1.1 (CR-RECISTv1.1) as well. The mean age of the total cohort (male, 85%; Barcelona-Clinic Liver Cancer-C, 70%) was 65.9±9.8 years. The majority (83%) received ICI-based combination therapies. Median follow-up was 32.2 (95% CI: 29.9-34.4) months. One- and 3-year overall survival rates were 98% and 86%. One- and 3-year recurrence-free survival rates were excellent in patients with CR-mRECIST-only and CR-RECISTv1.1 (78% and 55%; 70% and 42%). Among patients who discontinued ICIs for reasons other than recurrence, those who received immunotherapy for ≥6 months after the first mRECIST CR had a longer recurrence-free survival than those who discontinued immunotherapy earlier (p=0.008). Of 9 patients who underwent curative surgical conversion therapy, 8 (89%) had pathological CR (CR-RECISTv1.1, n= 2/2; CR-mRECIST-only, n= 6/7)., Conclusions: Overall survival and recurrence-free survival of patients with CR-mRECIST-only and CR-RECISTv1.1 were excellent, and 6 of 7 patients with CR-mRECIST-only who underwent surgical conversion therapy had pathological CR. Despite potential limitations, these findings support the use of mRECIST in the context of immunotherapy for clinical decision-making. When considering ICI discontinuation, treatment for at least 6 months beyond CR seems advisable., (Copyright © 2024 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.)

Background and Aims: Chronic hepatitis D is the most debilitating form of viral hepatitis frequently progressing to cirrhosis and subsequent decompensation. However, the HDV entry inhibitor bulevirtide is only approved for antiviral treatment of patients with compensated disease. We aimed for the analysis of real-world data on the off-label use of bulevirtide in the setting of decompensated liver cirrhosis., Approach and Results: We conducted a retrospective study in patients with HDV with decompensated liver disease at German, Austrian, and Italian centers. We included 19 patients (47% male, mean age: 51 years) with liver cirrhosis Child-Pugh B. The median MELD score was 12 (range 9-17) at treatment initiation. The median observation period was 41 weeks. Virologic response was achieved in 74% and normal alanine aminotransferase was observed in 74%. The combined response was achieved by 42%. The most relevant adverse events included self-limited alanine aminotransferase flares, an asymptomatic increase in bile acids, and the need for liver transplantation. Despite bile acid increases, adverse events were considered unrelated. Clinical and laboratory improvement from Child-Pugh B to A occurred in 47% (n = 9/19). Improvements in the amount of ascites were observed in 58% of the patients initially presenting with ascites (n = 7/12)., Conclusions: This report on off-label bulevirtide treatment in patients with decompensated HDV cirrhosis shows similar virologic and biochemical response rates as observed in compensated liver disease. Significant improvements were observed in surrogates of hepatic function and portal hypertension. However, this improvement was not seen in all patients. Controlled trials are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of bulevirtide in decompensated HDV cirrhosis., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Abstract: We report on a 70-year-old man affected with prostate carcinoma (PC) scheduled for prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT using 18 F-PSMA1007. Because of uptake in the liver and corresponding findings on magnetic resonance, diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, G1) was established. The patient was then scheduled for antihormonal treatment for PC and locoregional therapy due to HCC. On follow-up PSMA-targeted PET/CT, we observed durable response to PC-associated therapy, whereas hepatic lesions showed progressive disease. As such, we herein report on a dual-cancer targeting molecular imaging strategy to determine disease extent in a patient affected with both PC and HCC, along with potential of monitoring both systemic and locoregional treatment., Competing Interests: Disclosure: R.A.W. has received speaker honoraria from Novartis and reports advisory board work for Novartis and Bayer. All other authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background & Aims: Atezolizumab/bevacizumab (atezo/bev) and lenvatinib have demonstrated efficacy as first-line therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibition with these therapies may be associated with the risk of bleeding and thromboembolic events. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety with focus on the bleeding and thromboembolic events of atezo/bev vs . lenvatinib in a large, multicenter real-world population., Methods: This study is based on HCC cohorts from seven centers in Germany and Austria. Incidences of bleeding or thromboembolic events and efficacy outcomes were assessed and compared., Results: In total, 464 patients treated with atezo/bev (n = 325) or lenvatinib (n = 139) were analyzed. Both groups were balanced with respect to demographics, presence of liver cirrhosis, and variceal status. Duration of therapy did not differ between groups. Within 3 months of therapy, bleeding episodes were described in 57 (18%) patients receiving atezo/bev compared with 15 (11%) patients receiving lenvatinib ( p  = 0.07). Variceal hemorrhage occurred in 11 (3%) patients treated with atezo/bev compared with 4 (3%) patients treated with lenvatinib ( p  = 0.99). Thromboembolic events were reported in 19 (6%) of patients in the atezo/bev cohort compared with 5 (4%) patients in the lenvatinib cohort ( p  = 0.37). In addition, incidence of overall bleeding, variceal hemorrhage, and thromboembolic events did not differ significantly in patients who received either atezo/bev or lenvantinib for 6 months., Conclusions: Safety considerations related to bleeding and thromboembolic events may not be helpful in guiding clinical decision-making when choosing between atezo/bev and lenvatinib., Impact and Implications: The inhibition of VEGF by current first-line therapies for HCC, such as atezolizumab/bevacizumab or lenvatinib, may be associated with the risk of bleeding and thromboembolic events. Studies comparing the incidence of these side effects between atezolizumab/bevacizumab and lenvatinib, which are preferred treatments over sorafenib for HCC, are needed. Differences in this side effect profile may influence the choice of first-line therapy by treating physicians. Because no significant differences were observed regarding bleeding or thromboembolic events between both therapies in the present study, we conclude that safety considerations related to these events may not be helpful in guiding clinical decision-making when choosing between atezolizumab/bevacizumab and lenvatinib., Competing Interests: NBK has received reimbursement of meeting attendance fees and travel expenses from EISAI and lecture honoraria from the Falk Foundation and AstraZeneca. UE has received honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, the Falk Foundation, Ipsen, and Novartis and travel support from AstraZeneca and Biotest. She has served as an advisory board or steering committee member to AstraZeneca, Bayer, EISAI, and MSD. KB has received honoraria for lectures from Ipsen. MP served as a speaker and/or consultant and/or advisory board member for AstraZeneca, Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eisai, Ipsen, Lilly, MSD, and Roche and received travel support from Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ipsen, and Roche. BS received grant support from AstraZeneca and Eisai; speaker honoraria from Eisai; and travel support from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Ipsen and Gilead. OÖ received honorarium from Bayer. MV has received honoraria for her speaker, consultancy, and advisory roles from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, EISAI, Ipsen, Lilly, Merck Serono, MSD, Nordic Pharma, Roche, Servier, and Sirtex. SJG has received travel expenses from Gilead and Ipsen. FF has received honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, MSD, Pfizer, and Roche and reimbursement of meeting attendance fees and travel expenses from Merck KGaA and Servier. He has served as an advisory board or steering committee member to AstraZeneca, BMS, Eisai, and Roche. ENDT has served as a paid consultant for AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, EISAI, Eli Lilly & Co, Pfizer, Ipsen, and Roche. He has received reimbursement of meeting attendance fees and travel expenses from Arqule, AstraZeneca, BMS, Bayer, Celsion, and Roche and lecture honoraria from BMS and Falk Foundation. He has received third-party funding for scientific research from Arqule, AstraZeneca, BMS, Bayer, Eli Lilly, and Roche. AG is an advisory board or steering committee member to AbbVie, Alexion, Bayer, BMS, CSL Behring, Eisai, Falk, Gilead, Heel, Intercept, Ipsen, Merz, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, and Sequana and a speaker for Advanz. FPR has received honoraria for lectures, consulting activities, and travel support from the Falk Foundation, AbbVie, Gilead, Ipsen, AstraZeneca, Roche and Novartis. All other authors report no conflicts of interest. MM, LSJ, CL, LB, AW, HBL, VZ, LY, JS, IP, MR, FS, and JM have nothing to declare. Please refer to the accompanying ICMJE disclosure forms for further details., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: Data on the prevalence and characteristics of so-called rare HCV genotypes (GTs) in larger cohorts is limited. This study investigates the frequency of rare GT and resistance-associated substitutions and the efficacy of retreatment in a European cohort., Methods: A total of 129 patients with rare GT1-6 were included from the European resistance database. NS3, NS5A, and NS5B were sequenced and clinical parameters and retreatment efficacies were collected retrospectively., Results: Overall 1.5% (69/4,656) of direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-naive and 4.4% (60/1,376) of DAA-failure patients were infected with rare GT. Although rare GTs were almost equally distributed throughout GT1-6 in DAA-naive patients, we detected mainly rare GT4 (47%, 28/60 GT4; of these n = 17, subtype 4r) and GT3 (25%, 15/60 GT3, of these n = 8, subtype 3b) among DAA-failures. A total of 62% (37/60) of DAA failures had not responded to first-generation regimes and the majority was infected with rare GT4 (57%, 21/37). In contrast, among patients with failure to pangenotypic DAA regimens (38%, 23/60), infections with rare GT3 were overrepresented (57%, 13/23). Although NS5A RASs were uncommon in rare GT2, GT5a, and GT6, we observed combined RASs in rare GT1, GT3, and GT4 at positions 28, 30, 31, which can be considered as inherent. DAA failures with completed follow-up of retreatment, achieved a high SVR rate (94%, 45/48 modified intention-to-treat analysis; 92%, 45/49 intention-to-treat). Three patients with GT4f, 4r, or 3b, respectively, had virological treatment failure., Conclusions: In this European cohort, rare HCV GT were uncommon. Accumulation of specific rare GT in DAA-failure patients suggests reduced antiviral activities of DAA regimens. The limited global availability of pangenotypic regimens for first line therapy as well as multiple targeted regimens for retreatment could result in HCV elimination targets being delayed., Impact and Implications: Data on the prevalence and characteristics of rare HCV genotypes (GT) in larger cohorts are still scarce. This study found low rates of rare HCV GTs among European HCV-infected patients. In direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-failure patients, rare GT3 subtypes accumulated after pangenotypic DAA treatment and rare GT4 after first generation DAA failure and viral resistance was detected at NS5A positions 28, 30, and 31. The limited global availability of pangenotypic DAA regimens for first line therapy as well as multiple targeted regimens for retreatment could result in HCV elimination targets being delayed., Competing Interests: JD: research support from Gilead. CG: speaking and/or consulting fees from AbbVie and travel support from AbbVie and Gilead. CPB: speaking and/or consulting fees: AbbVie, BMS, Gilead, Merck/MSD. KP: no conflicts to disclose. KD: speaking and/or consulting fees: Gilead, AbbVie, Alnylam. PB: speaking and/or consulting fees: AbbVie, BMS, Falk, Gilead, Janssen, Merz Pharma, Merck/MSD. K-HP: no conflicts to disclose. JV: speaking and/or consulting fees from Abbott, AbbVie, Bristol-Myers, Squibb, Gilead, Medtronic, Merck/MSD and Roche. GD: speaking and/or consulting fees from Abbvie, Gilead. AG: advisor and steering committee member for AbbVie, Advanz, Albireo, Alexion, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, BMS, CSL Behring, Eisai, Gilead, Heel, Intercept, Ipsen, Merz, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis and as speaker for AbbVie, Advanz, Alexion, BMS, Burgerstein, CSL Behring, Falk, Gilead, Intercept, Merz, MSD, Novartis, NovoNordisk, Roche; research support from Intercept and Falk (NAFLD CSG), Novartis. FPR: honoraria for lectures, consulting activities and travel support from the Falk Foundation, AbbVie, Gilead, Ipsen, Astra Zeneca, Roche and Novartis. TB: speaking and/or consulting fees or travel support from Abbvie, Gilead, SOBI, CSL Behring, Merck, Gore, Advanz. JMS: consultant: Akero, Alentis Therapeutics, Astra Zeneca, Apollo Endosurgery, 89Bio, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Ipsen, Inventiva Pharma, Madrigal, MSD, Northsea Therapeutics, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, Siemens Healthineers. Research Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim, Siemens Healthcare GmbH. Stock Options: AGED diagnostics, Hepta Bio. Speaker Honorarium: Gilead Sciences, Advanz, Echosens, MedPublico GmbH. ED: speaking fees: Abbvie, Gilead. TG: advisory board for GoLiver Therapeutics. CM: speaking and/or consulting fees from Abbvie, Gilead, MSD, Intercept. Research support: Abbvie, Gilead, MSD, Intercept. JT: speaking and/or consulting fees from Abbvie, Gilead, Viiv. TD: Speaking and/or consulting fees: Abbvie, BMS, Gilead, MSD, Roche. JF: no conflicts to disclose. TB: Speaking and/or consulting fees: AbbVie, Alexion, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, BMS, Gilead, GSK, Intercept, Janssen, MSD/Merck, Merz, Novartis, Sequana Medical and Roche. Research support: AbbVie, Roche, BMS, Gilead, Novartis, Merck/MSD, Intercept, Janssen, Novartis, Sequana Medical, and Pfizer. AEK: speaking and/or consulting fees: Abbvie, Advanz, Alentis, AlphaSigma, AOP Orphan, AstraZenca, Avior, Bayer, BMS, CMS, CymaBay, Eisai, Escient, Falk, Gilead, GSK, Guidepoint, Intercept, Ipsen, Lilly, Medscape, Mirum, MSD, Myr, Novartis, Roche, Takeda, Viofor, Zambon. Research support: Intercept, Gilead. BM: speaking and/or consulting fees: Merck/MSD, AbbVie, Intercept, Astra, Bayer, BMS, Gilead. Research support: Gilead. SZ: consultancy and/or speaker's bureau: Abbvie, BioMarin, Boehringer Ingelheim, Gilead, GSK, Ipsen, Madrigal, MSD/Merck, NovoNordisk, and SoBi. CS: speaking and/or consulting fees: AbbVie, Gilead, Merck/MSD. Research support: AbbVie, Gilead., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) represents a chronic liver disease characterized by poor prognosis and lacking causal treatment options. Yes-associated protein (YAP) functions as a critical mediator of fibrogenesis; however, its therapeutic potential in chronic biliary diseases such as PSC remains unestablished. The objective of this study is to elucidate the possible significance of YAP inhibition in biliary fibrosis by examining the pathophysiology of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) and biliary epithelial cells (BEC). Human liver tissue samples from PSC patients were analyzed to assess the expression of YAP/connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) relative to non-fibrotic control samples. The pathophysiological relevance of YAP/CTGF in HSC and BEC was investigated in primary human HSC (phHSC), LX-2, H69, and TFK-1 cell lines through siRNA or pharmacological inhibition utilizing verteporfin (VP) and metformin (MF). The Abcb4 -/- mouse model was employed to evaluate the protective effects of pharmacological YAP inhibition. Hanging droplet and 3D matrigel culture techniques were utilized to investigate YAP expression and activation status of phHSC under various physical conditions. YAP/CTGF upregulation was observed in PSC patients. Silencing YAP/CTGF led to inhibition of phHSC activation and reduced contractility of LX-2 cells, as well as suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in H69 cells and proliferation of TFK-1 cells. Pharmacological inhibition of YAP mitigated chronic liver fibrosis in vivo and diminished ductular reaction and EMT. YAP expression in phHSC was effectively modulated by altering extracellular stiffness, highlighting YAP's role as a mechanotransducer. In conclusion, YAP regulates the activation of HSC and EMT in BEC, thereby functioning as a checkpoint of fibrogenesis in chronic cholestasis. Both VP and MF demonstrate effectiveness as YAP inhibitors, capable of inhibiting biliary fibrosis. These findings suggest that VP and MF warrant further investigation as potential therapeutic options for the treatment of PSC.

Background and Aims: The treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is undergoing a historic transformation with the approval of several new systemic therapies in the last few years. This study aimed to examine the impact of this changing landscape on survival and costs in a Western nationwide, real-world cohort., Methods: A nationwide representative claims database (InGef) was screened for HCC cases between 2015 and 2020. Survival in an era with only sorafenib (period A, January 2015 to July 2018) and after approval of lenvatinib and other systemic treatments (period B, August 2018 to December 2020) was analysed. Health care costs were assessed., Results: We identified 2876 individuals with HCC in the study period. The proportion of patients receiving systemic therapy increased significantly over time, from 11.8% in 2015 to 15.1% in 2020 (p < 0.0001). The median overall survival in period B was 6.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.9-8.9) and in period A was 5.3 months (95% CI: 4.5-6.3; p = 0.046). In period B, the median overall survival with lenvatinib was 9.7 months (95% CI: 6.3-18.4) versus 4.8 months with sorafenib (95% CI: 4.0-7.1, p = 0.008). Costs for prescription drugs per patient increased from €6150 in 2015 to €9049 in 2020 (p < 0.0001), and costs for outpatient care per patient increased from €1646 to €2149 (p = 0.0240)., Conclusion: The approval of new systemic therapies resulted in a survival benefit in patients with HCC. The magnitude of the effect is modest and associated with a moderate increase in health costs., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships, which may be considered as potential competing interests: N.B.K. has received reimbursement of meeting attendance fees and travel expenses from EISAI and a lecture honorarium from Falk. B.M. has served as a paid consultant for Roche Diagnostics GmbH and Roche Pharma AG. D.B. and D.P.P. are employed by InGef, which received funding from LMU University for the contribution to the study. F.P.R. has received honoraria for lectures and travel support from the Falk Foundation, Gilead, Ipsen, and Novartis. A.T. has received honoraria, travel support, or/and scientific funding from Ipsen Pharma GmbH, Gilead Sciences, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Eisai GmbH, Bayer AG, Novartis AG, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Alpen Pharma (Schweiz), Dr. Falk Pharma GmbH, Astra Zeneca, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, and Orphalan. D.R. advises Bayer and advises and has received grants from Ipsen. I.K. served as a paid consultant for Alnylam and Roche and received lecture honorarium from Takeda. U.E. has received honoraria for lectures from AstraZeneca, the Falk Foundation, IPSEN, and Novartis and travel support from AstraZeneca. She has served as advisory board or steering committee member to AstraZeneca, Bayer, EISAI, and MSD. C.M.L. has received advisory and speaker honoraria from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, CSL Behring, Eisai, Falk, Gilead, MSD, Norgine, Novartis, Roche, Shionogi, and Sobi. K.B. received a research grant from Roche Pharma AG. E.D.T. has served as a paid consultant for AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, EISAI, Eli Lilly & Co, Pfizer, IPSEN, and Roche. He has received reimbursement of meeting attendance fees and travel expenses from Arqule, AstraZeneca, BMS, Bayer, Celsion, and Roche and lecture honoraria from BMS and Falk. In addition, he has received third-party funding for scientific research from Arqule, AstraZeneca, BMS, Bayer, Eli Lilly, and Roche. S.M. received a research grant from Ipsen, BMBF, and the Bavarian Ministry of economic affairs and media. All the other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) imposes a significant burden on Westernized regions. The Western diet, high in salt intake, significantly contributes to disease development. However, there are a lack of data on salt literacy and salt intake among MASLD patients in Germany. Our study aims to analyze daily salt intake and salt-intake-related behavior in MASLD patients., Methods: 234 MASLD patients were prospectively included. Daily salt intake and salt-intake-related behavior were assessed via a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ-DEGS) and a salt questionnaire (SINU). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS., Results: Mean daily salt intake was higher in men than in women (7.3 ± 5 g/d vs. 5.3 ± 4 g/d; p < 0.001). There was significant agreement between increased daily salt intake (>6 g/d) and the behavioral salt index (SI) ( p < 0.001). Men exhibited higher SI scores compared to women, indicating lower awareness of salt in everyday life. Multivariate analysis identified specific salt-intake-related behaviors impacting daily salt consumption., Conclusions: Our study reveals a strong link between daily salt intake and salt-intake-related behavior, highlighting sex-specific differences in an MASLD cohort. To enhance patient care in high-cardiovascular-risk populations, specific behavioral approaches may be considered, including salt awareness, to improve adherence to lifestyle changes, particularly in male patients.

Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based regimens are transforming the landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. We describe the effect of combined ipilimumab and nivolumab in patients with advanced HCC after the failure of prior ICI-based combination treatments., Methods: The clinical course of patients with advanced HCC who received combined ipilimumab and nivolumab after prior ICI-based combination therapies was assessed. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) per RECIST v1.1 and mRECIST, overall survival (OS), and safety were analyzed., Results: Of 109 patients treated with atezolizumab and bevacizumab or other ICI-based combination treatments, ten patients received subsequent therapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab. The majority of patients had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Stage C (80%) HCC and a preserved liver function as defined by Child-Pugh A (80%). At a median follow-up of 15.3 months, ORR for ipilimumab and nivolumab was 30% with a DCR of 40%. Median PFS was 2.9 months and the median OS was 7.4 months., Conclusion: This retrospective study demonstrates that combined ipilimumab and nivolumab can be effective and tolerable after prior ICI-based combination therapies and provides a rationale for the prospective clinical evaluation of this treatment sequencing., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Wilson disease (WD) is a rare, hereditary disorder of copper metabolism. Due to its variable symptoms and manifestations, diagnosis remains challenging. Affected patients must obtain lifelong medical treatment, as the disease is fatal if untreated. Patients require continuous monitoring, but little is known about the care of these patients in Germany. Therefore, we analyzed the medical care of WD patients at German university centers. We sent a questionnaire containing 20 questions to a total of 108 departments of pediatrics, neurology and gastroenterology in 36 university hospitals. Our questions referred to the characteristics of WD patients at the different sites and internal procedures regarding diagnosis, therapy and follow-up. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed., Results: Sixty-three departments (58%) returned our questionnaire. In total, approximately one-third of the estimated WD patients in Germany are seen annually in the outpatient clinics of these departments (approx. 950 patients). There are only a few departments which treat patients in a multidisciplinary setting (12%). Our survey revealed that for diagnosis, 51% of all departments used an algorithm based on the Leipzig score as recommended by international guidelines. Most departments apply essential parameters recommended by WD guidelines. Routine monitoring is performed at least biannually by 84% of the departments, and standard investigations for monitoring are regularly applied. A routine family screening is performed by 84% of all departments. A reduction in medical therapy during pregnancy is recommended by 46% of the departments. Only 14% suggested that WD patients should not breastfeed. Liver transplantation (LT) due to WD is a rare but repeatedly occurring event. Most departments of gastroenterology (72%) reported at least one patient with LT within the last decade., Conclusions: Medical care of WD patients at German university centers follows the recommendations set forth by international guidelines, but only a few centers treat significant numbers of patients. The surveillance of patients does not follow specified standards, but most departments adhere to the accepted guidelines. The formation of central units and networks in a multidisciplinary setting should be evaluated to improve the care of WD patients., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-iCCA) is a rare type of primary liver cancer displaying characteristics of both hepatocytic and cholangiocytic differentiation., Summary: Because of its aggressive nature, patients with cHCC-iCCA exhibit a poorer prognosis than those with HCC. Surgical resection and liver transplantation may be considered curative treatment approaches; however, only a minority of patients are eligible at the time of diagnosis, and postoperative recurrence rates are high. For cases that are not eligible for surgery, locoregional and systemic therapy are often administered based on treatment protocols applied for HCC or iCCA. Owing to the rarity of this cancer, there are still no established standard treatment protocols; therefore, the choice of therapy is often personalized and guided by the suspected predominant component. Further, the genomic and molecular heterogeneity of cHCC-iCCA can severely compromise the efficacy of the available therapies., Key Messages: In the present review, we summarize the latest advances in cHCC-iCCA and attempt to clarify its terminology and molecular biology. We provide an overview of the etiology of cHCC-iCCA and present new insights into the molecular pathology of this disease that could contribute to further studies aiming to improve the patient outcomes through new systemic therapies., Competing Interests: Florian Reiter received honoraria for lectures and travel support from the Falk Foundation, Novartis, Ipsen, Astra Zeneca, and Gilead. Najib Ben Khaled has received reimbursement for meeting attendance fees and travel expenses from EISAI and lecture honorarium from Falk. Andreas Geier is advisory board or steering committee member to AbbVie, Alexion, Bayer, BMS, EISAI, Gilead, Intercept, Ipsen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, and Sequana. Enrico De Toni has served as a paid consultant for AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, EISAI, Eli Lilly & Co., Pfizer, IPSEN, and Roche; received reimbursement of meeting attendance fees and travel expenses from Arqule, AstraZeneca, BMS, Bayer, Celsion, and Roche; received lecture honoraria from BMS and Falk; and received third-party funding for scientific research from Arqule, AstraZeneca, BMS, Bayer, Eli Lilly, and Roche. The funding agencies were not involved in the study design and the data collection, analysis, and interpretation. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) express somatostatin receptors (SSTRs), targets for therapy with either unlabeled or radioactively labeled somatostatin analogs (SSA). Associated with worse prognosis, dedifferentiated NET loose SSTR expression, which may be linked to deregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling on an intracellular level. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway alterations on SSTR expression and its function in NET., Methods: The NET cell lines BON-1 and QGP-1 were incubated with the Wnt-inhibitors 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-CdR), Quercetin, or Niclosamide, or the Wnt activator lithium chloride (LiCl). Expression of SSTR1, SSTR2, and SSTR5 was determined by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), immunocytomicroscopy and western blot. Changes in the Wnt pathway were analyzed by qRT-PCR of selected target genes and the TaqMan Array Human WNT Pathway. Receptor-associated function was determined by measuring the cellular uptake of [125I-Tyr3] octreotide., Results: The mRNAs of SSTRs 1-5 were expressed in both cell lines. Wnt inhibitors caused downregulation of Wnt target genes, while 5-aza-CdR had the highest inhibitory effect. LiCl lead to an upregulation of Wnt genes, which was more marked in QGP-1 cells. SSTR expression increased in both cell lines upon Wnt inhibition. All three Wnt inhibitors lead to a marked increase in the specific uptake of [125I-Tyr3]octreotide, with 5-aza-CdR showing the greatest effect (increase by more than 50% in BON-1 cells), while a decreased uptake of [125I-Tyr3]octreotide was seen upon activation of Wnt signaling by LiCl., Conclusions: We demonstrate here that Wnt signaling orchestrates SSTR expression and function in a preclinical NET model. Wnt inhibition increases [125I-Tyr3]octreotide uptake offering an opportunity to enhance the efficacy of SSTR-targeted theranostic approaches., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background & Aims: Bulevirtide is a first-in-class entry inhibitor of hepatitis B surface antigen. In July 2020, bulevirtide was conditionally approved for the treatment of hepatitis D, the most severe form of viral hepatitis, which frequently causes end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Herein, we report the first data from a large multicenter real-world cohort of patients with hepatitis D treated with bulevirtide at a daily dose of 2 mg without additional interferon., Methods: In a joint effort with 16 hepatological centers, we collected anonymized retrospective data from patients treated with bulevirtide for chronic hepatitis D., Results: Our analysis is based on data from 114 patients, including 59 (52%) with cirrhosis, receiving a total of 4,289 weeks of bulevirtide treatment. A virologic response defined as an HDV RNA decline of at least 2 log or undetectable HDV RNA was observed in 87/114 (76%) cases with a mean time to virologic response of 23 weeks. In 11 cases, a virologic breakthrough (>1 log-increase in HDV RNA after virologic response) was observed. After 24 weeks of treatment, 19/33 patients (58%) had a virologic response, while three patients (9%) did not achieve a 1 log HDV RNA decline. No patient lost hepatitis B surface antigen. Alanine aminotransferase levels improved even in patients not achieving a virologic response, including five patients who had decompensated cirrhosis at the start of treatment. Treatment was well tolerated and there were no reports of drug-related serious adverse events., Conclusions: In conclusion, we confirm the safety and efficacy of bulevirtide monotherapy in a large real-world cohort of patients with hepatitis D treated in Germany. Future studies need to explore the long-term benefits and optimal duration of bulevirtide treatment., Impact and Implications: Clinical trials proved the efficacy of bulevirtide for chronic hepatitis D and led to conditional approval by the European Medical Agency. Now it is of great interest to investigate the effects of bulevirtide treatment in a real-world setting. In this work, we included data from 114 patients with chronic hepatitis D who were treated with bulevirtide at 16 German centers. A virologic response was seen in 87/114 cases. After 24 weeks of treatment, only a small proportion of patients did not respond to treatment. At the same time, signs of liver inflammation improved. This observation was independent from changes in hepatitis D viral load. The treatment was generally well tolerated. In the future, it will be of interest to investigate the long-term effects of this new treatment., Competing Interests: CD has received travel support from Gilead. FT has received grants or contracts from any entity from Allergan, BMS, Inventiva, Gilead; consulting fees from Allergan, Bayer, Gilead, BMS, Boehringer, Intercept, Ionis, Inventiva, Merz, Pfizer, Alnylam, NGM, CSL Behring, Novo Nordisk, Novartis; payment for expert testimony from Alnylam; support for attending meetings and/or travel from Gilead; participation on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board from Pfizer. CZ has no COI. MD has received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Gilead and MYR, support for attending meetings and/or travel from Gilead; participation on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board from Gilead and MYR. HS has no COI. CS received support for attending meetings and/or travel from Abbvie and Gilead, participation on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board form Gilead. KW has no COI. CL has received consulting fees from CSL Behring, Boston Scientific, Astra Zeneca, Eisai, Shionogi, Sobi; payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from AbbVie, Gilead, Falk, BSL Behring, Eisai; support for attending meetings and/or travel from Gilead and Abbvie. SW received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events Falk and Abbvie; support for attending meetings and/or travel form Orphalan, Falk, Abbvie. GD received consulting fees from Alexion, Gilead, Intercept, Novartis, Orphalan, Univar; has received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Abbvie, Falk Foundation, Gilead, Intercept, Novartis, Orphalan; support for attending meetings and/or travel support form Gilead and Intercept. CB received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Gilead; and support for attending meetings and/or travel from Gilead. JG has no COI. UM received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from CSL Behring, MSD, Falk, Univar, Microbiotica; support for attending meetings and/or travel from Gilead; participation on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board from Takeda, Gilead, CSL Behring; AO has no COI; SZ reports speaker’s bureau and/or consultancy for Abbvie, BioMarin, Gilead, GSK, Intercept, Janssen, Madrigal, MSD/Merck, NovoNordisk, SoBi and Theratechnologies, GSK, Gilead, Intercept; payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Abbvie, BioMarin, Janssen, MSD/Merck; payment for expert testimony and support for attending meetings and/or travel from Gilead. KS received grants from Gilead; honoraria for lectures from Gilead, Abbvie and MSD; support for attending meetings and/or travel from Gilead and Abbvie; participated in advisory boards from Gilead. TB received grants or contracts from any entity from Abbvie, BMS, Gilead, MSD/Merck, Humedics, Intercept, Merz, Novartis, Sequana Medical, received consulting fees from Abbvie, Alexion, Bayer, Gilead, Eisai, GSK, Intercept, Ipsen, Janssen, MSD/Merck, Novartis, Roche, Sequana Medical, and Shionogi; received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Abbvie, Alexion, Bayer, Gilead, Eisai, Intercept, Ipsen, Janssen, MedUpdate GmbH, MSD/Merck, Novartis, and Sequana Medica; has received support for attending meetings and/or travel Gilead, Abbvie, Intercept, Janssen. FB received grants or contracts from any entity from Gilead, Ipsen, Roche, Janssen; consulting fees from Gilead, Janssen, Astra Zeneca, MSD, Janssen, Advanz Pharma; support for attending meetings and/or travel from Advanz Pharma and Gilead, reports participation on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board from Janssen. JW has no COI. TH received author honoraria from Falk. TS has no COI. EZ has no COI. ND has no COI. RT has no COI. CNH received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Abbvie, Gilead, GSK, MSD, Falk Foundation. PG has no COI. MS participated in advisory boards from Gilead. AL received consulting fees from Roche, reports participation in advisory boards from Roche, MSD and Genfit. JSW received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events and travel support from Gilead. JK has no COI. AG received payment for expert testimony from AbbVie, Alexion, Bayer, BMS, Eisai, Gilead, Intercept, Ipsen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Sequana. FR received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events and support for attending meetings and/or travel from Falk Foundation, Novartis, Ipsen and Gilead. BS received honoraria for lectures from Gilead and Alnylam, received consulting fees from Gilead and Univar, received travel support from Abbvie and Gilead. JG has no COI. WH received speakers honoraria from Gilead, Abbvie, Intercept, Norgine, Novo Nordisk, Falk; support for attending meetings and/or travel from Abbvie and Gilead. PB received consulting fees from Gilead; received payment for speakers bureau from AbbVie, Falk, Gilead, Roche, MSD, Myr; support for attending meetings and/or travel from Abbvie and Gilead. JK has no COI. KP has no COI. BM received grants or contracts from any entity from Roche Diagnostics and Fujirebio; consulting fees from Abbvie, Roche, Luvos; Payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Abbvie, Roche, Gilead, Norgine, Fujirebio, Merck/MSD, Medical Tribune Forum; support for attending meetings and/or travel from Abbvie and Gilead; holds stocks or stock options from Biontech. MC received consulting fees from Abbvie, AiCuris, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, MSD Sharp & Dohme, Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (SOBI); payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Abbvie, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, MSD Sharp & Dohme, Falk; reports participation on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board from Novartis; HW received grants or contracts from any entity from AbbVie, Biotest, BMS, Gilead, Merck/MSD, Novartis, Roche; payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Abbott, AbbVie, Altimmune, Biotest, BMS, BTG, Dicerna, Gilead, Janssen, Merck/MSD, MYR GmbH, Novartis, Roche, Siemens. KD has received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Gilead, Falk, Abbvie, MSD/Merck and Alnylam. Please refer to the accompanying ICMJE disclosure forms for further details., (.)

Introduction: Immunotherapy has been established as the standard treatment option for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). Despite the increased efficacy, disease progression occurs in a relevant proportion of patients even after an objective response. Combination concepts with locoregional therapy are currently under investigation for hepatic disease but are also in discussion for the control of distant metastasis. Radiotherapy is a highly effective treatment modality for local tumor control. It is also thought to increase the efficacy of checkpoint inhibition and sensitize distant lesions to the effects of immunotherapy, but may potentially increase adverse effects. In our center, few patients with aHCC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) received concomitant radiotherapy for symptom or disease control. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze adverse effects and efficacy of concomitant radiotherapy in patients with aHCC treated with checkpoint inhibition., Methods: To this aim, patients who received a combination of ICI and radiotherapy in our institution were retrospectively considered for analysis. The predefined inclusion criterion was radiotherapy after initiated checkpoint inhibition and continuation of ICI therapy for at least 8 weeks. Adverse effects and efficacy measurements were performed according to local standards., Results: The database search of 2016-2021 revealed six consecutive patients fulfilling the predefined criteria for concomitant ICI and radiotherapy. Three patients received high-dose-rate brachytherapy (15 Gy) to treat progredient hepatic lesions. Two patients received stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) (25-30 Gy) for symptom control, and 1 patient received brachytherapy and SBRT to treat metastases. No severe adverse events were reported in the period (&lt;6 months) after concomitant radiotherapy. In 5 out of 6 cases, long-term tumor control could be achieved by this therapeutic combination., Conclusion: A good efficacy of concomitant radiotherapy and checkpoint inhibition has been achieved with no safety concerns. Further investigations should evaluate the safety, appropriate clinical context, and efficacy of this promising approach., (© 2023 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Immunotherapy has become the standard of care in advanced HCC but is only approved in first- or second-line treatment. We report a patient with HCC refractory to several lines of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, who was treated with Ipilimumab and Nivolumab (Ipi/Nivo) as the fourth line. The tumor responded profoundly to Ipi/Nivo. Established biomarker-predicting responses to immunotherapy, such as a high PD-L1 staining, a high combined-positive score, microsatellite instability or a high tumor mutational burden, were not detected. Potential negative predictive markers for response to immunotherapy such as CTNNB1 and TERT were present. This constellation puts the spotlight on two mutations observed here in the SET domain-containing 2 (SETD2) and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1b (LRP1B) genes, which may explain the outstanding response. Our case demonstrates that immunotherapy can be efficient in a late-line scenario, resulting in long-term survival. Further studies should prospectively evaluate the value of SETD2 and LRP1B alterations as predictors for the success of immunotherapy in HCC., Competing Interests: F.P.R. has received honoraria for lectures and travel support from the Falk Foundation, Gilead, Ipsen and Novartis. A.S. Advisory Board/Speaker’s Bureau: AGCT, Aignostics, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, BMS, Eli Lilly, Illumina, Incyte, Janssen, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Seattle Genetics, Takeda, Thermo Fisher Grants: Bayer, BMS, Chugai, Incyte A.G. has received honoraria for lectures, teaching, advisory activities and travel support from AbbVie, Alexion, Bayer, BMS, CSL Behring, Eisai, Gilead, Intercept, Falk, Ipsen, MSD, Merz, Novartis, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Sequana and has received research support from Intercept und Falk (NAFLD CSG) and Novartis., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Chemotherapy, the standard treatment for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), has only a modest effect on the outcome of patients with late-stage disease. Investigations of the genetic features of PDAC have demonstrated a frequent occurrence of mutations in genes involved in homologous recombination (HR), especially in the breast cancer susceptibility gene 2 ( BRCA2 ). Olaparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, is approved as a maintenance treatment for patients with advanced PDAC with germline BRCA1/2 mutations following a platinum-containing first-line regimen. Limitations to the use of PARP inhibitors are represented by the relatively small proportion of patients with mutations in BRCA1/2 genes and the modest capability of these substances of inducing objective response. We have previously shown that pancreatic cancer with BRCA2 mutations exhibits a remarkably enhanced sensitivity towards tumor-necrosis-factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptor-stimulating agents. We thus aimed to investigate the effect of combined treatment with PARP inhibitors and TRAIL receptor-stimulating agents in pancreatic cancer and its dependency on the BRCA2 gene status. The respective effects of TRAIL-targeting agents and the PARP inhibitor olaparib or of their combination were assessed in pancreatic cancer cell lines and patient-derived organoids. In addition, BRCA2 -knockout and -complementation models were investigated. The effects of these agents on apoptosis, DNA damage, cell cycle, and receptor surface expression were assessed by immunofluorescence, Western blot, and flow cytometry. PARP inhibition and TRAIL synergized to cause cell death in pancreatic cancer cell lines and PDAC organoids. This effect proved independent of BRCA2 gene status in three independent models. Olaparib and TRAIL in combination caused a detectable increase in DNA damage and a concentration-dependent cell cycle arrest in the G2/M and S cell cycle phases. Olaparib also significantly increased the proportion of membrane-bound death receptor 5. Our results provide a preclinical rationale for the combination of PARP inhibitors and TRAIL receptor agonists for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and suggest that the use of PARP inhibitors could be extended to patients without BRCA2 mutations if used in combination with TRAIL agonists.

Bile salts accumulating during cholestatic liver disease are believed to promote liver fibrosis. We have recently shown that chenodeoxycholate (CDC) induces expansion of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in vivo, thereby promoting liver fibrosis. Mechanisms underlying bile salt-induced fibrogenesis remain elusive. We aimed to characterize the effects of different bile salts on HSC biology and investigated underlying signaling pathways. Murine HSCs (mHSCs) were stimulated with hydrophilic and hydrophobic bile salts. Proliferation, cell mass, collagen deposition, and activation of signaling pathways were determined. Activation of the human HSC cell line LX 2 was assessed by quantification of α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) expression. Phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3K)-dependent signaling was inhibited both pharmacologically and by siRNA. CDC, the most abundant bile salt accumulating in human cholestasis, but no other bile salt tested, induced Protein kinase B (PKB) phosphorylation and promoted HSC proliferation and subsequent collagen deposition. Pharmacological inhibition of the upstream target PI3K-inhibited activation of PKB and pro-fibrogenic proliferation of HSCs. The PI3K p110α-specific inhibitor Alpelisib and siRNA-mediated knockdown of p110α ameliorated pro-fibrogenic activation of mHSC and LX 2 cells, respectively. In summary, pro-fibrogenic signaling in mHSCs is selectively induced by CDC. PI3K p110α may be a potential therapeutic target for the inhibition of bile salt-induced fibrogenesis in cholestasis.

The optimal treatment sequence of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-based therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Therefore, sequential systemic therapy after first-line therapy with sorafenib or lenvatinib was compared in a retrospective real-world cohort. In total, 164 patients with HCC were included. Child B cirrhosis was present in 26 patients (16.5%), whereas 132 patients (83.5%) had preserved liver function. In total, 72 patients (44%) discontinued systemic therapy after first-line therapy while 51 (31%) and 31 (19%) patients received 2 or more treatment lines. Most notably, median overall survival (mOS) was influenced by liver functional status and patient performance status at the beginning of first-line therapy. Patients receiving a sequential therapy regimen had significantly longer mOS compared to patients that discontinued systemic therapy after omitting first-line treatment. The choice of the initial TKI did not impact mOS. A clear deterioration of liver function could be observed during the course of TKI-based treatment.

The combination of the anti-PD-L1 antibody atezolizumab and the anti-VEGF bevacizumab is the first approved immunotherapeutic regimen for first-line therapy in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), currently approved in more than 80 countries. The efficacy and tolerability of this regimen suggest that the use of atezolizumab + bevacizumab could be extended to the treatment of patients with intermediate-stage HCC in combination with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). The authors describe the rationale and design of the DEMAND study. This investigator-initiated, multicenter, randomized phase II study is the first trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of atezolizumab + bevacizumab prior to or in combination with TACE in patients with intermediate-stage HCC. The primary end point is the 24-month survival rate; secondary end points include objective response rate, progression-free survival, safety and quality of life. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT04224636 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Background: Due to the number of emerging new treatment options, the systemic treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rapidly changing. We provide here an overview of the current landscape of systemic treatment of HCC and discuss its potential future development., Summary: HCC is a leading cause of tumor-related death worldwide. Despite the efforts aimed at reducing the prevalence of HCC through vaccination and antiviral treatment, and the implementation of screening programs for early tumor detection, most patients are diagnosed with or progress to advanced HCC. For approximately 10 years, sorafenib has been the only effective systemic treatment available for these patients. Recently, however, a number of new systemic compounds, comprising several multi-kinase inhibitors and immune-checkpoint inhibitors, have been approved for treatment of HCC. These new agents are opening a plethora of therapeutic options for the future therapy of HCC., Key Messages: The rapid progress in the treatment of HCC raises the question of the optimal combination and sequence of these agents in the treatment of patients with advanced disease. The substantial improvements in terms of objective response and survival indicate that the use of immune-checkpoint inhibitors-based treatment combinations may be extended to patients with intermediate-stage HCC., (© 2021 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background & Aims: Progression of chronic liver disease (CLD) to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer is a major global cause of morbidity and mortality. Treatment options capable of inhibiting progression of liver fibrosis when etiological treatment of CLD is not available or fails have yet to be established. We investigated the role of serine/threonine kinase p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K) as checkpoint of fibrogenesis in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and as target for the treatment of liver fibrosis., Approach & Results: Immunohistochemistry was used to assess p70S6K expression in liver resection specimen. Primary human or murine HSCs from wild-type or p70S6K -/- mice as well as LX-2 cells were used for in vitro experiments. Specific small interfering RNA or CEP-1347 were used to silence or inhibit p70S6K and assess its functional relevance in viability, contraction and migration assays, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and Western blot. These results were validated in vivo by a chemical model of fibrogenesis using wild-type and p70S6K -/- mice. Expression of p70S6K was significantly increased in human cirrhotic vs noncirrhotic liver-tissue and progressively increased in vitro through activation of primary human HSCs. Conversely, p70S6K induced fibrogenic activation of HSCs in different models, including the small interfering RNA-based silencing of p70S6K in HSC lines, experiments with p70S6K -/- cells, and the pharmacological inhibition of p70S6K by CEP-1347. These findings were validated in vivo as p70S6K -/- mice developed significantly less fibrosis upon exposure to CCl 4 ., Conclusions: We establish p70S6K as a checkpoint of fibrogenesis in vitro and in vivo and CEP-1347 as potential treatment option that can safely be used for long-term treatment., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Due to the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, multiple measures have been implemented including social distancing and curfews. Both the disease and measures might cause stress, particularly in persons at risk, such as liver transplant (LT) recipients. Here, we evaluated the impact on psychosocial well-being of LT recipients., Methods: Seventy-nine LT recipients and 83 nontransplanted controls participated in this study. Questionnaires comprising the WHO-five well-being index (WHO-5), the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, and the preliminary COVID-19 Pandemic Mental Health Questionnaire (CoPaQ) were distributed among them. For the WHO-5 and UCLA Loneliness Scale, means of sum scores were compared between both groups, while a comparison on item level was conducted for the CoPaQ., Results: The general well-being was similar in LT recipients and controls (WHO-5: 64.0 ± 20.5% vs. 66.4 ± 17.3%), while the UCLA Loneliness Scale indicated a higher level of perceived social isolation (1.90 ± 0.51 vs. 1.65 ± 0.53, p = 0.001). The CoPaQ indicated higher risk perception regarding health issues, in particular concerning the fear of having severe consequences in case of a COVID-19 infection (3.1 ± 1.1 vs. 2.2 ± 1.3, p < 0.001), higher risk-avoiding behavior and stronger adherence to pandemic measures in LT recipients., Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, LT recipients displayed a higher risk perception, a more pronounced risk-avoiding behavior and a higher perception of loneliness, while the overall well-being was comparable to nontransplanted controls., Competing Interests: G.D. discloses that he has received honoraria for lectures, teaching, advisory activities, and travel support from AbbVie, Alexion, Falk Foundation, Gilead, GMP Orphan, Intercept, and Novartis. E.D.T. has received honoraria for lectures, teaching, advisory activities, and travel support from AstraZeneca, Bayer, BMS, EISAI, Eli Lilly & Co., Pfizer, IPSEN, Roche, Falk, research funding from Arqule, AstraZeneca, BMS, Bayer, Eli Lilly, and Roche and other reimbursements from Arqule, AstraZeneca, BMS, Bayer, Celsion, and Roche. S.W. declares that she has received travel support from AbbVie and Gilead. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2021 by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Congenital heart diseases (CHD) can be associated with liver dysfunction. The cause for liver impairment can result out of a wide spectrum of different causes, including liver congestion, hypoxemia or low cardiac output. Fortunately, most CHD show a good long-term outcome from a cardiac perspective, but great attention should be paid on non-cardiac health problems that develop frequently in patients suffering from CHD. The treatment of liver dysfunction in CHD requires a close multidisciplinary management in a vulnerable patient collective. Unfortunately, structured recommendations on the management of liver dysfunction in patients with CHD are scarce. The objective of this review is to provide insights on the pathophysiology and etiologies of liver dysfunction as one of the most relevant non-cardiac problems related to CHD. Furthermore, we advise here on the management of liver disease in CHD with special attention on assessment of liver dysfunction, management of portal hypertension as well as on surveillance and management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A multidisciplinary perspective may help to optimize morbidity and mortality in the long-term course in these patients. However, as evidence is low in many aspects, we encourage the scientific community to perform prospective studies to gain more insights in the treatment of liver dysfunction in patients with CHD., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/cdt-20-595). The series “Current Management Aspects in Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD): Part III” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. HK served as the unpaid Guest Editor of the series and serves as an unpaid editorial board member of Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy from Feb 2018 to Jan 2020. Dr. GD reports personal fees and non-financial support from AbbVie, personal fees from Falk Foundation, personal fees and non-financial support from Gilead, personal fees from GMP Orphan, personal fees and non-financial support from Intercept, personal fees from Novartis, outside the submitted work. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare., (2021 Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy. All rights reserved.)

Recurrent attacks of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) result in poor quality of life and significant risks of morbidity and mortality. Liver transplantation (LT) offers a cure, but published data on outcomes after LT are limited. We assessed the pretransplant characteristics, complications, and outcomes for patients with AIP who received a transplant. Data were collected retrospectively from the European Liver Transplant Registry and from questionnaires sent to identified transplant and porphyria centers. We studied 38 patients who received transplants in 12 countries from 2002 to 2019. Median age at LT was 37 years (range, 18-58), and 34 (89%) of the patients were women. A total of 9 patients died during follow-up, and 2 patients were retransplanted. The 1-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 92% and 82%, which are comparable with other metabolic diseases transplanted during the same period. Advanced pretransplant neurological impairment was associated with increased mortality. The 5-year survival rate was 94% among 19 patients with moderate or no neuropathy at LT and 83% among 10 patients with severe neuropathy (P = 0.04). Pretransplant renal impairment was common. A total of 19 (51%) patients had a GFR < 60 mL/minute. Although few patients improved their renal function after LT, neurological impairments improved, and no worsening of neurological symptoms was recorded. No patient had AIP attacks after LT, except for a patient who received an auxiliary graft. LT is a curative treatment option for patients with recurrent attacks of AIP. Severe neuropathy and impaired renal function are common and increase the risk for poor outcomes. If other treatment options fail, an evaluation for LT should be performed early., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Liver Transplantation published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.)

Background and Aims: Chronic inflammation induces liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and potentially liver cancer. Kupffer cells modulate hepatic stellate cells by secreting immunologically active proteins as TGF-β. TGF-β promotes liver fibrosis via the activation of Sma- and Mad-related protein 3. IL-37 broadly suppresses innate and adaptive immune responses. Intracellular IL-37 interacts with Smad3. We hypothesize that IL-37 downregulates the activation of hepatic Kupffer and stellate cells and interferes with the TGF-β signaling cascade to modulate liver fibrogenesis. Methods: The role of IL-37 on liver inflammation and fibrogenesis was assessed in three mouse models as well as isolated Kupffer- and stellate cells. Serum IL-37 was tested by ELISA in a clinical cohort and correlated with liver disease severity. Results: Transgene expression of IL-37 in mice extends survival, reduces hepatic damage, expression of early markers of fibrosis and histologically assessed liver fibrosis after bile duct ligation. IL-37tg mice were protected against CCl 4 -induced liver inflammation. Colitis-associated liver inflammation and fibrosis was less severe in IL-10 knockout IL-37tg mice. Spontaneous and LPS/TGF-β-induced cytokine release and profibrogenic gene expression was lower in HSC and KC isolated from IL-37tg mice and IL-37 overexpressing, IL-1β stimulated human LX-2 stellate cells. However, administration of recombinant human IL-37 did not modulate fibrosis pathways after BDL in mice, LX2 cells or murine HSCs. In a large clinical cohort, we observed a positive correlation of serum IL-37 levels with disease severity in liver cirrhosis. Conclusions: Predominantly intracellular IL-37 downregulates liver inflammation and fibrosis. The correlation of serum IL-37 with disease severity in cirrhosis suggests its potential as a novel target modulating the course of liver fibrosis., Competing Interests: SH was employed by the company Ethris GmbH. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Mountford, Effenberger, Noll-Puchta, Griessmair, Ringleb, Haas, Denk, Reiter, Mayr, Dinarello, Tilg and Bufler.)

Introduction and Objective: Acute cholangitis is a life-threatening condition. The early initiation of antibiotic therapy significantly impacts the course of disease. Only few data are available on distribution and resistance profiles of bile pathogens. Here, we report on an analysis of routinely acquired bile specimens and provide an overview of the prevalence, resistance rates, and risk factors for the presence of pathogens in bile., Methods: Bile cultures obtained from 388 endoscopic retrograde cholangiographies (ERCs) with corresponding clinical data were analysed in 208 patients., Results: The majority (84.8%) of cultures yielded positive for at least 1 organism. Abundance was highest for Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Escherichia coli. Multiresistant organisms were present in 14.9%. The initial antibiotic regimen was changed in 44.1%, which increased the length of hospital stay significantly (***p < 0.001). Pre-existing papillotomy (EPT) or biliary drainage was associated with higher frequency of bile pathogens (**p < 0.01) in a univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis confirmed these results for EPT and revealed significantly more positive results for pathogens, gram-negative bacteria, and fungi in patients with biliary drainage. Significant differences in the prevalence of pathogens were observed between relevant subgroups of ERC indications. The highest susceptibility rates were observed for linezolid and tigecycline in gram-positive bacteria and for meropenem and gentamicin in gram-negative bacteria., Conclusions: Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of the distribution, resistance profiles, and risk factors for the detection of bile pathogens. The frequent change in initial antibiotic treatment highlights the importance of routine bile culture and indicates that current schemas of empirical treatment might not cover the contemporary spectrum of pathogens in bile., (© 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel.)