Emerging need for a hepato-hematology program for patients with sickle cell disease in Saudi Arabia.

There is an increasing recognition of the need for a specialized hepatohematology program in countries with a high prevalence of sickle cell disease. This program would be tailored specifically for patients with sickle cell disease, addressing the unique challenges they face, including the management of liver and biliary complications, and hematological issues associated with their condition. By integrating hepatology and hematology expertise, we can improve knowledge of liver SCD-related diseases, and patient outcomes, enhance care coordination, and provide comprehensive management strategies for this vulnerable population.

Assessment of ChatGPT-generated medical Arabic responses for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.

Background And Aim: Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots, such as Chat Generative Pretrained Transformer (ChatGPT), have shown promising results in healthcare settings. These tools can help patients obtain real-time responses to queries, ensuring immediate access to relevant information. The study aimed to explore the potential use of ChatGPT-generated medical Arabic responses for patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Pulmonary hypertension post-liver transplant: A case report.

Background: Liver transplantation (LTx) is vital in patients with end-stage liver disease, with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease being the most common indication. Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an important indication. Portopulmonary hypertension, associated with portal hypertension, poses a significant perioperative risk, making pretransplant screening essential.

Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt for Budd-Chiari Syndrome: A Single-Centre Experience.

: Despite several challenges in clinical management, there has been significant progress in understanding the aetiology, natural history and outcomes of Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) treatments. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) using covered stent in management of BCS. : We conducted a retrospective analysis of 70 BCS patients who underwent TIPS using covered stents between January 2010 and December 2022 at a single tertiary liver transplant centre.

Diabetes mellitus is not associated with worse short term outcome in patients older than 65 years old post-liver transplantation.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a global health care challenge and a leading indication of liver transplantation (LT). Hence, more patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) are undergoing LT, especially, above the age of 65.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of DM on short-term outcomes post-LT in patients over the age of 65.

Conventional Transarterial Chemoembolization Versus Drug-Eluting Beads in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs in nearly three-quarters of all primary liver cancers, with the majority not amenable to curative therapies. We therefore aimed to re-evaluate the safety, efficacy, and survival benefits of treating patients with drug-eluting beads transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) compared to the conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (C-TACE). Several databases were searched with a strict eligibility criterion for studies reporting on adult patients with unresectable or recurrent HCC.

Changing trends in liver transplantation indications in Saudi Arabia: from hepatitis C virus infection to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Several trend analyses on liver transplantation (LT) indications have been published in the U.S. and in other countries, but there are limited data on LT indication trends in Saudi Arabia (SA), especially since the availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Validating controlled attenuation parameter in the assessment of hepatic steatosis in living liver donors.

Introduction: Hepatic steatosis (HS) negatively impacts transplant outcomes in living liver donors. To date, liver biopsy is preferred for HS evaluation. This study aims to evaluate the measurement of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) as a diagnostic tool of HS in living liver donors.

Efficacy and safety of once daily tacrolimus compared to twice daily tacrolimus after liver transplantation.

Background: Once daily tacrolimus regimen was found to exhibits similar bioavailability, safety and efficacy properties compared to twice-daily tacrolimus in kidney transplantation patients.

Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of once-daily prolonged release tacrolimus compared to twice-daily tacrolimus in liver transplantation patients.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL databases were searched for clinical trials until December 2020.

Long-Term Outcomes of Everolimus Therapy in De Novo Liver Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Risk of nephrotoxicity in liver transplant patients on calcineurin inhibitors (CnIs) is a concern. Several controlled trials reported benefit of everolimus (EVR) in minimizing this risk when combined with a reduced CnI dose.

Background: To systematically review the efficacy and safety of EVR, alone or with reduced CnI dose, as compared to CnI alone post-liver transplantation.

Endothelial dysfunction in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with low cardiac disease risk.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide. We prospectively evaluated endothelial function by assessing flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery in patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD. This prospective study included 139 patients (50 healthy controls, 47 patients with steatosis and 42 patients with steatohepatitis), all of whom were nondiabetic.

Is It Justified to Use Liver Grafts From Living Donors for Retransplant? A Single-Center Experience.

Objectives: Liver retransplant is considered the only hope for patients with irreversible graft failure after primary transplant. In most Western centers, retransplantis done mainly from deceased donors; so far, only few published studies have reported on outcomes of liver retransplant with living donors. In this study, our aim was to analyze the outcomes of living-donor liver retransplant.

Characteristics and outcome of viral pneumonia caused by influenza and Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus infections: A 4-year experience from a tertiary care center.

Background: After the emergence of new influenza viruses, the morbidity and mortality of viral pneumonia have received a great attention.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiologic, clinical and laboratory changes, and outcomes of viral pneumonia caused by influenza and the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infections.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, the medical records of all patients diagnosed with viral pneumonia at Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the period from January 2012 to December 2015 were screened.

Association between IL-37 gene polymorphisms and risk of HBV-related liver disease in a Saudi Arabian population.

Interleukin-37 (IL-37) has recently been recognized as a strong anti-inflammatory cytokine having anti-tumor activity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients. HCC is a typical inflammation-related cancer, and genetic variations within the IL-37 gene may be associated with the risk of HBV infection. Identification of the allelic patterns that genetically have a high disease risk is essential for the development of preventive diagnostics for HBV-mediated liver disease pathogenesis.

Acute onset autoimmune hepatitis: Clinical presentation and treatment outcomes.

Introduction And Aim: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) may present acutely, which can rapidly progress to fulminant type. This pattern has been described worldwide but is generally under-reported. We aim to describe the clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of patients with acute onset AIH.

The Correlation Between Hepatitis B Virus Precore/Core Mutations and the Progression of Severe Liver Disease.

Viral mutations acquired during the course of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are known to be associated with the progression and severity of HBV-related liver disease. This study of HBV-infected Saudi Arabian patients aimed to identify amino acid substitutions within the precore/core (preC/C) region of HBV, and investigate their impact on disease progression toward hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients were categorized according to the severity of their disease, and were divided into the following groups: inactive HBV carriers, active HBV carriers, liver cirrhosis patients, and HCC patients.

Real life efficacy of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir in hepatitis C genotype 4-infected patients with advanced liver fibrosis and decompensated cirrhosis.

Unlabelled: Limited clinical trial data has shown high efficacy of co-formulated ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) in the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype (GT)-4 infected cirrhotic patients. We assessed real-world safety and efficacy of LDV/SOF with or without ribavirin (RBV) in GT4-infected patients with compensated and decompensated cirrhosis.

Patients & Methods: This observational cohort (n = 213) included GT4 treatment-naïve (59.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) X gene mutations and their association with liver disease progression in HBV-infected patients.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most widespread human pathogens causing chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study investigated the clinical impact of single and combinational mutations in HBx gene on the pathogenesis of HCC during progressive stages of liver disease. The patients were categorized into inactive HBV carriers, active carriers, cirrhosis and HCC groups based on disease severity.

Efficacy and Safety of Simeprevir or Daclatasvir in Combination With Sofosbuvir for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Genotype 4 Infection.

Introduction: The combination of sofosbuvir (SOF) with simeprevir (SMV) or daclatasvir (DCV) is very effective in treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, particularly genotype (GT) 1. However, the data on GT4 are very limited. We aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of SOF in combination with either SMV or DCV in GT4-infected patients.

prosthetic valve endocarditis associated with silent colonic carcinoma.

A 75-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a 3-month history of fever. Of note, she had a bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement 1 year prior to admission. was isolated from three sets of blood cultures.

Gastropleural fistula after single anastomosis gastric bypass. A case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Pulmonary complications after bariatric surgeries are rare but usually serious. They often occur early after surgery but the presentation might be delayed for several months. Gastropleural fistula after bariatric surgery is extremely rare and has been reported in a very small number of patients post sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass.

PARK2 polymorphisms predict disease progression in patients infected with hepatitis C virus.

Unlabelled:  Background. The protein encoded by PARK2 gene is a component of the ubiquitin-proteasome system that mediates targeting of proteins for the degradation pathway. Genetic variations at PARK2 gene were linked to various diseases including leprosy, typhoid and cancer.

Primary experience of bariatric surgery in a newly established private obesity center.

Objectives: To assess the outcomes of different types of bariatric surgeries in a single newly established private obesity center.

Methods: Retrospectively, we included patients who were entered in the registry for bariatric surgeries in the Obesity Unit, Riyadh National Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between January 2013 and September 2014, and completed one year of follow up. Baseline characteristics, percent excess weight loss, and safety data were collected and analyzed.