Clonal Haematopoiesis and Risk of Chronic Liver Disease

Chronic liver disease is a major public health burden worldwide1. Although different aetiologies and mechanisms of liver injury exist, progression of chronic liver disease follows a common pathway of liver inflammation, injury and fibrosis2. Here we examined the association between clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and chronic liver disease in 214,563 individuals from 4 independent cohorts with whole-exome sequencing data (Framingham Heart Study, Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, UK Biobank and Mass General Brigham Biobank). CHIP was associated with an increased risk of prevalent and incident chronic liver disease (odds ratio = 2.01, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) [1.46, 2.79]; P \u3c 0.001). Individuals with CHIP were more likely to demonstrate liver inflammation and fibrosis detectable by magnetic resonance imaging compared to those without CHIP (odds ratio = 1.74, 95% CI [1.16, 2.60]; P = 0.007). to assess potential causality, Mendelian randomization analyses showed that genetic predisposition to CHIP was associated with a greater risk of chronic liver disease (odds ratio = 2.37, 95% CI [1.57, 3.6]; P \u3c 0.001). In a dietary model of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, mice transplanted with Tet2-deficient haematopoietic cells demonstrated more severe liver inflammation and fibrosis. These effects were mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome and increased levels of expression of downstream inflammatory cytokines in Tet2-deficient macrophages. In summary, clonal haematopoiesis is associated with an elevated risk of liver inflammation and chronic liver disease progression through an aberrant inflammatory response

L’aquaculture: production, alimentation et présence de contaminants environnementaux et de résidus de médicaments vétérinaires

In response to the growing consumer demand for fish and the decline of wild capture fisheries, fish farming is expanding rapidly. In order to preserve natural fish stocks and to contribute to the development of a sustainable worldwide aquaculture, fishmeal as a source of proteins is more and more replaced by vegetable crop products. These modifications in the field of aquafeeds productions can have repercussions on the sanitary and nutritional qualities of aquaculture products put at the disposal of the consumers. The present article is principally focused on the presence of environmental contaminants and medicinal substance residues in aquaculture products, fishery products and fish feed sampled in Belgium between 2004 and 2006. The analysis of the control results for environmental contaminants (dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals) carried out by the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) shows that the level of environmental contaminants found in the Belgian farmed trout are in compliance with the legislation and not of concern. However, certain prohibited drug residues have been found in a few aquaculture products, mainly in imported shrimps. Furthermore fish feed was also in general in compliance with legislation, with a few exceptions for dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls