Journal of Hepatology

Check our July issue! This month's cover features the article “Sex and ethnic disparities in hepatitis B evaluation and treatment across the world” by Sahith K., Daniel Q. Huang et al. (https://bit.ly/4c80VHo) Full issue here: https://bit.ly/2LXwYxk EASL | The Home of Hepatology

Novel animal model of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma The PTEN-AKT pathway is frequently disrupted in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA). This study, shows that conditional knockout mice with targeted deletion of the Pten gene in extrahepatic biliary epithelial cells replicate the progression from sclerosing cholangitis-like lesions to dysplasia, ultimately leading to eCCA. Notably, Trp53 inactivation hastened disease progression. Both genetic and pharmacological strategies aimed at reducing AURKA expression, which is elevated in both human and mouse eCCA, effectively mitigated disease progression. Full text here: https://lnkd.in/dDgT-M9b EASL | The Home of Hepatology

Acute kidney injury in patients with cirrhosis: Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) and International Club of Ascites (ICA) joint multidisciplinary consensus meeting Patients with cirrhosis are prone to developing acute kidney injury (AKI), a complication associated with a markedly increased in-hospital morbidity and mortality, along with a risk of progression to chronic kidney disease. Whereas patients with cirrhosis are at increased risk of developing any phenotype of AKI, hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), a specific form of AKI (HRS-AKI) in patients with advanced cirrhosis and ascites, carries an especially high mortality risk. Early recognition of HRS-AKI is crucial since administration of splanchnic vasoconstrictors may reverse the AKI and serve as a bridge to liver transplantation, the only curative option. In 2023, a joint meeting of the International Club of Ascites (ICA) and the Acute Disease Quality Initiative (ADQI) was convened to develop new diagnostic criteria for HRS-AKI, to provide graded recommendations for the work-up, management and post-discharge follow-up of patients with cirrhosis and AKI, and to highlight priorities for further research. #OpenAccess here: https://lnkd.in/d8ghCUGy François Durand EASL | The Home of Hepatology

Insights from the first prospective study of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) in oligometastatic HCC Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) represents a non-invasive treatment option for patients with oligometastatic disease (OMD). This phase II study, underscores SABR's viability and safety in treating oligometastatic HCC, showcasing exceptional local tumor control and enhanced survival outcomes while preserving patients' quality of life, irrespective of metastatic site. Patients with later-stage OMD arising from a controlled primary and showing lower alpha-fetoprotein levels experienced superior survival benefits. Full text here: https://lnkd.in/dTRjnJd2 EASL | The Home of Hepatology

HEPATOLOGY SNAPSHOT Animal hepacivirus models for hepatitis C virus immune responses and pathology Find it here: https://lnkd.in/di5fBEMa Matthew Kennedy Sonja Fernbach Troels K H Scheel EASL | The Home of Hepatology

🌟 We are thrilled to announce Prof. Vlad Ratziu as the new Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Hepatology , starting January 2025! Prof. Ratziu, a distinguished professor at Sorbonne University and researcher at the Institute for Cardiometabolism and Nutrition (ICAN) in Paris, brings exceptional expertise and vision to our esteemed journal. Joining him are esteemed hepatology leaders: - Annalisa Berzigotti and Frank Tacke as Deputy Editors - Tom H. Karlsen, Lorenza Rimassa, and Heiner Wedemeyer as Co-Editors - Philip Newsome as Senior Editor We are excited to collaborate with the new editorial team and look forward to their contributions in advancing liver research and innovation. More info: https://lnkd.in/euG97b3q EASL | The Home of Hepatology

PUBLIC HEALTH CORNER ChatGPT: The transformative influence of generative AI on science and healthcare In an age where technology is evolving at a sometimes incomprehensibly rapid pace, the liver community must adjust and learn to embrace breakthroughs with an open mind in order to benefit from potentially transformative influences on our science and practice. The Journal of Hepatology has responded to novel developments in artificial intelligence (AI) by recruiting experts in the field to serve on the Editorial Board. Publications introducing novel AI technology are no longer uncommon in our journal and are among the most highly debated and possibly practice-changing papers across a broad range of scientific disciplines, united by their focus on liver disease. As AI is rapidly evolving, this expert paper will focus on educating our readership on large language models and their possible impact on our research practice and clinical outlook, outlining both challenges and opportunities in the field. By Julian Varghese and Julius Chapiro Full text here: https://bit.ly/44E7hdg EASL | The Home of Hepatology

Exploring the impact of the PNPLA3 I148M variant on primary human hepatic stellate cells using 3D extracellular matrix models The PNPLA3 I148M genetic variant is a risk locus for fibrogenesis in chronic liver disease. This study, sheds light on how the PNPLA3 variant affects the behavior of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Authors found that the PNPLA3 variant leads to impaired respiratory chain complex IV, diminished antioxidant capacity, and heightened TGFB1 signaling, ultimately resulting in the suppression of antifibrotic NR4A1 activity. Notably, these effects are worsened in the presence of cirrhotic extracellular matrix, underscoring the synergistic impact of the PNPLA3 I148M variant and the fibrotic microenvironment. #OpenAccess here: https://lnkd.in/d-ugA4rq Krista Rombouts EASL | The Home of Hepatology

After 3 years of hard work and collaboration across multiple countries and continents, I am very happy and proud that our EASL | The Home of Hepatology Clinical Practice Guidelines on genetic cholestatic liver diseases have just been published in the Journal of Hepatology . I want to extend my gratitude to my supervisor and panel chair Prof. Dr. Henkjan Verkade, the panel members Prof. Dr. Pavel Strnad, Prof. Dr. Binita Kamath, Prof. Dr. Richard Thompson, Prof. Dr. Verena Keitel and Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Gonzales, as well as the EASL Governing Board and their representative Prof. Dr. Saskia Dorland-van Mil for making these guidelines come to life. I have learned a lot from you in the process and am honoured to have contributed to this important piece of work, which will help guide physicians in providing the best care for these often complex patients. The guidelines are open access and also available on the new EASL CPG app as featured guidelines. https://lnkd.in/eWQWrZva PMID: 38851996 #EASL #CPG #clinicalpracticeguidelines #jhep #genetic #cholestasis #liverdisease #EASLapp

Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections after liver transplantation: Prevalence, impact, and risk factors Multidrug-resistant bacterial (MDRB) infections represent an escalating healthcare challenge, significantly impacting morbidity and mortality rates. This study, disclosed the prevalence of MDRB infections (41.3%) among post-liver transplantation (LT) cirrhosis patients, correlating with heightened mortality rates. Through multivariate analysis, the study intensive several independent predictors of MDRB infections, including prior intensive care unit admission, previous MDRB infections, and an increased number of packed red blood cell units transfused during surgery. These findings provide essential insights for formulating prophylactic and empirical antibiotic treatment protocols following liver transplantation. Full text: https://lnkd.in/dMeptpGe Rosa Martín Mateos Agustin Albillos EASL | The Home of Hepatology