No effect of albumin infusion on the prevention of hepatic encephalopathy after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a major problem in patients submitted to TIPS. Previous studies identified low albumin as a factor associated to post-TIPS HE. In cirrhotics with diuretic-induced HE and hypovolemia, albumin infusion reduced plasma ammonia and improved HE. Our aim was to evaluate if the incidence of overt HE (grade II or more according to WH) and the modifications of venous blood ammonia and psychometric tests during the first month after TIPS can be prevented by albumin infusion. Twenty-three patients consecutively submitted to TIPS were enrolled and treated with 1 g/Kg BW of albumin for the first 2 days after TIPS followed by 0,5 g/Kg BW at day 4th and 7th and then once a week for 3 weeks. Forty-five patients included in a previous RCT (Riggio et al. 2010) followed with the same protocol and submitted to no pharmacological treatment for the prevention of HE, were used as historical controls. No differences in the incidence of overt HE were observed between the group of patients treated with albumin and historical controls during the first month (34 vs 31 %) or during the follow-up (39 vs 48 %). Two patients in the albumin group and three in historical controls needed the reduction of the stent diameter for persistent HE. Venous blood ammonia levels and psychometric tests were also similarly modified in the two groups. Survival was also similar. Albumin infusion has not a role in the prevention of post-TIPS HE

Cognitive Dysfunction Is Associated With Poor Socioeconomic Status in Patients With Cirrhosis: An International Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND & AIMS: In patients with cirrhosis, cognitive dysfunction most often results from covert hepatic encephalopathy (HE). These patients are not tested routinely for cognitive dysfunction despite single-center evidence that it could be associated with poor socioeconomic status (SES). We investigated the association between SES and cognition in a multicenter study of cirrhosis. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 236 cirrhotic patients from 3 centers (84 subjects from Virginia, 102 from Ohio, and 50 from Rome, Italy; age 57.7 +/- 8.6 y; 14% with prior overt HE) were given recommended cognitive tests and a validated SES questionnaire that included questions about employment, personal and family income, and overall financial security. Comparisons were made among centers and between subjects who were employed or not. Regression analysis was performed using employment and personal income as outcomes. RESULTS: Only 37% of subjects had been employed in the past year. Subjects had substantial financial insecurity-their yearly personal income ranged from $16,000 to$24,999, and their family income ranged from $25,000 to$49,999. They would be able to maintain a residence for only 3 to 6 months if their income stopped, and their current liquid assets were $500 to$4999 (<$500 if debt was subtracted). Cognition and SES were worst in Ohio and best in Virginia. Cognition correlated with personal and family income, within and between centers. On regression analysis, cognitive performance (digit symbol, lures, and line tracing) was associated with personal yearly income, after controlling for demographics, country, employment, and overt HE. Unemployed subjects had a higher rate of overt HE, worse cognition, and lower personal income than employed subjects. On regression analysis, performance on digit symbol, line tracing, inhibitory control test lures, and serial dotting tests remained associated with employment, similar to income. CONCLUSIONS: In an international multicenter study of patients with cirrhosis, socioeconomic condition, based on employment and personal income, was associated strongly with cognitive performance, independent of age, education, and country

Clinical management of rheumatologic conditions co-occurring with inflammatory bowel diseases

Introduction: Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is the most common extra-intestinal manifestation in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Articular disorders may also appear as ‘paradoxical’ effects during biologic therapy with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Areas covered: In this narrative review, we report the current knowledge about the pathogenesis, the diagnosis and the therapeutic management of articular diseases occurring in patients with IBD. Expert commentary: Evidence-based recommendations for the management of IBD-associated SpA and paradoxical arthritis are lacking. Then, collaboration between gastroenterologists and rheumatologists is mandatory to guarantee the best outcomes for these patients, from a prompt diagnosis to an appropriate therapeutic strategy. Among therapies currently available, steroids, sulfasalazine, methotrexate and anti-TNFs are recommended for both gastrointestinal and articular diseases, whereas non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and etanercept are contraindicated in IBD. Thiopurines are not effective for the treatment of articular symptoms. Several agents have been recently introduced for the treatment of IBD, such as vedolizumab, a gut-selective anti-α4β7integrin, and ustekinumab, an anti-interleukin 12/23. Their effects on SpA still need to be clarified; however, the possible contemporary administration of biologics with different molecular targets is becoming an intriguing option to cover multiple inflammatory manifestations in the same patient and is worthy of further investigation