Idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension: a review

Idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (INCPH) is a rare disease characterized of intrahepatic portal hypertension in the absence of cirrhosis or other causes of liver disease and splanchnic venous thrombosis. The etiology of INCPH can be classified in five categories: 1) immunological disorders (i.e. association with common variable immunodeficiency syndrome, connective tissue diseases, Crohn's disease, etc.), 2) chronic infections, 3) exposure to medications or toxins (e.g. azathioprine, 6- thioguanine, arsenic), 4) genetic predisposition (i.e. familial aggregation and association with Adams-Oliver syndrome and Turner disease) and 5) prothrombotic conditions (e.g. inherited thrombophilias myeloproliferative neoplasm antiphospholipid syndrome). Roughly, INCPH diagnosis is based on clinical criteria and the formal exclusion of any other causes of portal hypertension. A formal diagnosis is based on the following criteria: 1) presence of unequivocal signs of portal hypertension, 2) absence of cirrhosis, advanced fibrosis or other causes of chronic liver diseases, and 3) absence of thrombosis of the hepatic veins or of the portal vein at imaging. Patients with INCPH usually present with signs or symptoms of portal hypertension such as gastro-esophageal varices, variceal bleeding or splenomegaly. Ascites and/or liver failure can occur in the context of precipitating factors. The development of portal vein thrombosis is common. Survival is manly limited by concomitant disorders. Currently, treatment of INCPH relies on the prevention of complications related to portal hypertension, following current guidelines of cirrhotic portal hypertension. No treatment has been studied aimed to modify the natural history of the disease. Anticoagulation therapy can be considered in patients who develop portal vein thrombosi

Histological features in western patients with idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension

In the western world, idiopathic non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (INCPH) is a rare disease. This study aimed to investigate the histopathological features in western INCPH patients and to assess pathological differences between liver specimens of INCPH with and without HIV. Biopsies of 70 INCPH patients (of which 15 were HIV-infected) were compared to 23 patients with non-cirrhotic portal vein thrombosis (PVT), which served as a control group for non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. Phlebosclerosis, nodular regeneration (NR), sinusoidal dilatation, paraportal shunting vessels, perisinusoidal fibrosis and portal tract remnants were the most prevalent morphological features of INCPH. There were significant (P < 0.01) morphological differences between INCPH and PVT liver specimens with regard to portal tract remnants (46% versus 0%), phlebosclerosis (95% versus 65%), portal vein dilatation (34% versus 78%) and NR (56% versus 22%). The degree of NR correlated with the severity of phlebosclerosis (P < 0.01). NR was seen more frequently in the HIV-INCPH group, compared to the non-HIV-infected patients (P < 0.001). Portal tract remnants, phlebosclerosis and nodular regeneration are typical features of INCPH. Sinusoidal dilatation, paraportal shunting vessels and increased portal and parenchymal vessels might represent pressure-related morphological signs of portal hypertension. Finally, more nodular regeneration was observed in HIV-associated INCP

Genome-wide association study identifies loci influencing concentrations of liver enzymes in plasma.

Concentrations of liver enzymes in plasma are widely used as indicators of liver disease. We carried out a genome-wide association study in 61,089 individuals, identifying 42 loci associated with concentrations of liver enzymes in plasma, of which 32 are new associations (P = 10(-8) to P = 10(-190)). We used functional genomic approaches including metabonomic profiling and gene expression analyses to identify probable candidate genes at these regions. We identified 69 candidate genes, including genes involved in biliary transport (ATP8B1 and ABCB11), glucose, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism (FADS1, FADS2, GCKR, JMJD1C, HNF1A, MLXIPL, PNPLA3, PPP1R3B, SLC2A2 and TRIB1), glycoprotein biosynthesis and cell surface glycobiology (ABO, ASGR1, FUT2, GPLD1 and ST3GAL4), inflammation and immunity (CD276, CDH6, GCKR, HNF1A, HPR, ITGA1, RORA and STAT4) and glutathione metabolism (GSTT1, GSTT2 and GGT), as well as several genes of uncertain or unknown function (including ABHD12, EFHD1, EFNA1, EPHA2, MICAL3 and ZNF827). Our results provide new insight into genetic mechanisms and pathways influencing markers of liver function