Background and Objectives: Bacterial infections represent one of the most frequent precipitating events of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in a patient with liver cirrhosis (LC). Early diagnosis and treatment could influence the ACLF reversal rate and decrease the mortality rate in these patients. The study aimed to evaluate the role of presepsin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) in the early diagnosis of bacterial infections in patients with LC and ACLF, defined according to the European Association for the Study of the Liver-Chronic Liver Failure Consortium (EASL-CLIF) criteria. Material and Methods: We performed a prospective observational study including all consecutive cirrhotic patients with ACLF admitted to our tertiary university center. The patients were follow-up until discharge. All patients were screened for infection at admission, and we included patients with community-acquired or healthcare-associated bacterial infections. Results: In this study, we included 153 patients with a median age of 60 years, of whom 65.4% were male. Infections were diagnosed in 71 patients (46.4%). The presepsin, CRP, and PCT levels were higher in patients with infections than in those without infections (p < 0.001, p = 0.023, and p < 0.001, respectively). The ROC analysis results demonstrated that the best cut-offs values for infections diagnosis were for presepsin 2300 pg/mL (sensitivity of 81.7%, specificity of 92.7%, AUROC 0.959, p < 0.001), CRP 5.3 mg/dL (sensitivity of 54.9%, specificity of 69.6%, AUROC 0.648, p = 0.023), and PCT 0.9 ng/mL (sensitivity of 80.3%, specificity of 86.6%, AUROC 0.909, p < 0.001). Presepsin (OR 3.65, 95%CI 1.394–9.588, p = 0.008), PCT (OR 9.79, 95%CI 6.168–25.736, p < 0.001), and MELD score (OR 7.37, 95%CI 1.416–18.430, p = 0.018) were associated with bacterial infections in patients with ACLF. Conclusion: Presepsin level ≥2300 pg/mL and PCT level ≥0.9 ng/mL may be adequate non-invasive tools for the early diagnosis of infections in cirrhotics with ACLF.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces hepatic steatosis due to viral and host factors. However, information regarding the effects of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) therapy on liver steatosis and fibrosis is limited. Vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) with a controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) represents a non-invasive method, which has been used in the last few years for the detection of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis before and at a sustained virological response at 12 weeks (SVR12). The aim of this study was to assess the modifications of liver steatosis and fibrosis in HCV-infected patients who achieved SVR12. Consecutive patients with chronic HCV infection that were treated with DAAs in a tertiary gastroenterology center from Romania were included. Demographics, laboratory data, and VCTE evaluation were recorded in all patients. Patients with previous hepatic decompensation and those who did not achieve SVR were excluded. Two hundred and eighty patients (67.1% females) who achieved SVR12 were included. Regarding the changes in biological parameters, including liver enzymes such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), reduced to normal levels at SVR12 compared to the baseline (28.72 ± 24.71 U/L vs. 40.72 ± 27.34 U/L for ALT, p < 0.013 and 27.21 ± 11.15 U/L vs. 33.35 ± 23.37 U/L for AST, p = 0.029). On the contrary, the levels of triglycerides increased significantly from the baseline to SVR12 (124.03 ± 113.49 mg/dL to 153.78 ± 94.53, p = 0.004). Regarding hepatic steatosis by CAP evaluation, at SVR12, 186 (66.4%) of the individuals had a CAP score of ≥248 dB/m, an increase of 4.6% from the baseline. After viral eradication with DAAs, we observed an increase in hepatic steatosis. Hence, a long-term follow-up is mandatory to identify HCV-infected patients with hepatic steatosis post-SVR and the risk factors for more severe outcomes.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) represent a global phenomenon, with a continuously rising prevalence. The strategies concerning IBD management are progressing from clinical monitorization to a targeted approach, and current therapies strive to reduce microscopic mucosal inflammation and stimulate repair of the epithelial barrier function. Intestinal permeability has recently been receiving increased attention, as evidence suggests that it could be related to disease activity in IBD. However, most investigations do not successfully provide adequate information regarding the morphological integrity of the intestinal barrier. In this review, we discuss the advantages of confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE), which allows in vivo visualization of histological abnormalities and targeted optical biopsies in the setting of IBD. Additionally, CLE has been used to assess vascular permeability and epithelial barrier function that could correlate with prolonged clinical remission, increased resection-free survival, and lower hospitalization rates. Moreover, the dynamic evaluation of the functional characteristics of the intestinal barrier presents an advantage over the endoscopic examination as it has the potential to select patients at risk of relapses. Along with mucosal healing, histological or transmural remission, the recovery of the intestinal barrier function emerges as a possible target that could be included in the future therapeutic strategies for IBD.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) challenges traditional paradigms by manifesting in lean individuals. The link between MASLD and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) underscores the importance of the gut–liver axis in disease progression and chronic inflammation. This study evaluates MASLD prevalence, clinical characteristics, and diagnostic predictors in lean individuals with and without IBD. This prospective study included 387 lean patients. Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis were assessed using vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE). Anthropometric, clinical and biological data were compared. The subgroup analyses focused on MASLD patients with and without IBD. MASLD was present in 34.1% of lean individuals and 46.3% of those who were lean with IBD. MASLD patients had increased visceral adiposity (CUN-BAE: 31.21 ± 5.42 vs. 24.57 ± 6.49, p < 0.001) and metabolic dysfunction, including dyslipidemia and elevated fasting glucose. IBD-MASLD patients exhibited greater hepatic steatosis and systemic inflammation. CUN-BAE outperformed FLI and HSI in predicting liver steatosis, especially in IBD patients (AUC = 0.806). Lean MASLD, particularly in IBD patients, highlights the need for tailored diagnostic and management strategies. The gut–liver axis plays a key role in disease progression, and the CUN-BAE index demonstrates superior accuracy for identifying liver steatosis.

Alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC) is a disease with multiple complications and is associated with poor prognosis and significant mortality. Identifying risk factors associated with a poor outcome is important to ensure effective treatment and increase life expectancy. We aimed to evaluate the predictive values of complications regarding mortality in ALC. We retrospectively analyzed 1429 patients with ALC hospitalized between January 2019 and April 2022 at the Institute of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Iasi. The electronic medical records were interrogated to obtain information about demographic data, complications, comorbidities, and prognostic scores: MELD-Na (model for end-stage liver disease-sodium) and CTP (Child–Turcotte–Pugh). Based on uni- and multivariate analysis, independent predictors of mortality were identified. The mean age at diagnosis was 56.15 ± 11.49 years with a ratio of 2:1 in favor of males. There were 296 deaths (20.8%), most of them during the first hospitalization (208/14.6%). It was observed during the univariate analysis that complications of the disease negatively affected the survival rate, significant values being related to infections (sepsis; OR = 21.98; p < 0.001; spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) (OR = 11.94; p < 0.001) and hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) (OR = 9.35; p < 0.001). The independent predictors, confirmed by multivariate analysis, were the association of variceal bleeding, infections, and hepatic encephalopathy or ascites, each combination being responsible for two out of 10 of the deaths during the first admission. The prognosis of the disease was negatively influenced by the worsening of liver dysfunction and the appearance of complications. The main predictors of mortality were infections, hepatic encephalopathy, variceal bleeding, and hepatorenal syndrome. Improving compliance and strict application of specific follow-up and treatment strategies could contribute to a better prognosis of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

Background and aims: Increases in both the prevalence and severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and obesity are closely related. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has been associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)-related cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist approved for the treatment of T2DM and has an important role in weight loss. Also, it may represent a new therapeutic option for the treatment of MASH in obese diabetic patients. The main outcomes were changes from baseline in liver steatosis and fibrosis at week 24. Material and methods: A total of one hundred eighty-seven patients with T2DM were eligible for this prospective study; ninety-five subjects were treated with oral semaglutide, and ninety-two patients were treated with dapagliflozin as an add-on to metformin. All the subjects were evaluated using Vibration Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE) from June to December 2022. Results: From our cohort, 54% of the patients were females, with a mean age of 59.92 ± 11.89 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 29.53 ± 5.33 kg/m². Following a six-month medication period, we observed a substantial reduction in anthropometric measurements, including the BMI, waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-hip ratio (WtHr), in both groups. Regarding HbA1c, a notable decrease was observed in the semaglutide group (p < 0.001) when compared to the dapagliflozin group (p = 0.011). In addition, the liver stiffness measurement (LSM) according to VCTE improved significantly in the semaglutide group participants from 8.07 ± 2.90 kPa at baseline to 6.51 ± 3.09 kPa after medication (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The superior metabolic effects of semaglutide, correlated to dapagliflozin, may contribute to a more efficient decrease in hepatic stress and injury, leading to a substantial enhancement of liver function in T2DM patients. Further investigations conducted over an ideal timeframe are necessary to confirm the evidence presented in this study.