Since the liver plays a key metabolic role, volatile organic compounds in the exhaled breath might change with type and severity of chronic liver disease (CLD). In this study we analysed breath-prints (BPs) of 65 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), 39 with non-cirrhotic CLD (NC-CLD) and 56 healthy controls by the e-nose. Distinctive BPs characterized LC, NC-CLD and healthy controls, and, among LC patients, the different Child-Pugh classes (sensitivity 86.2% and specificity 98.2% for CLD vs healthy controls, and 87.5% and 69.2% for LC vs NC-CLD). Moreover, the area under the BP profile, derived from radar-plot representation of BPs, showed an area under the ROC curve of 0.84 (95% CI 0.76–0.91) for CLD, of 0.76 (95% CI 0.66–0.85) for LC, and of 0.70 (95% CI 0.55–0.81) for decompensated LC. By applying the cut-off values of 862 and 812, LC and decompensated LC could be predicted with high accuracy (PPV 96.6% and 88.5%, respectively). These results are proof-of-concept that the e-nose could be a valid non-invasive instrument for characterizing CLD and monitoring hepatic function over time. The observed classificatory properties might be further improved by refining stage-specific breath-prints and considering the impact of comorbidities in a larger series of patients.

Due to the progressive aging of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) population which have acquired the infection during its maximum spread after the Second World War, the management of the elderly HCV-infected patient is emerging as a hot topic. Unfortunately, although it is recognized that the progression of HCV-related liver disease gets faster with aging, and that even extra-hepatic manifestations of HCV infection are probably worse in the elderly, till now, treatment attempts in this population have been significantly limited by the well-known contraindications and side effects of interferon (IFN). The arrival of several new anti-HCV drugs, and the possibility to combine them in safe and effective anti-viral regimens, is relighting the hope of a cure for many elderly patients who had been cut out of IFN-based treatments. However, although these new regimens will be certainly more manageable, it should be underscored that IFN-free doesn’t mean free from any contraindication or side-effect. Moreover, one issue which promises to become central is that of the possible interactions between antiviral therapy and the multiple drugs frequently assumed by elderly patients because of comorbidities. In this review, we will revise the epidemiology pointing to HCV as an infection of the elderly, the evidences that HCV harms the health of the aged patient more than that of the young one, and the available experiences of HCV treatment in the elderly with the “old” IFN-based regimens and with the newer drugs. We will conclude that the availability of IFN-free regimens should prompt us to change our mind and consider a significantly larger number of possible candidates among elderly patients, who would take significant advantage from viral eradication. Rather than the anagraphic age, drug-drug interactions and, mainly in case of economic restrictions, an evaluation of life expectancy dependent on liver disease with respect to that dependent on comorbidities, are likely to be the key issues guiding treatment indication in the next future. The sooner we will change our mind with respect to an a priori obstacle for anti-HCV treatment in the elderly, the sooner we will begin to spare many aged HCV patients from avoidable liver-related complications.

Increasing evidence shows that inflammation plays a major role in the aetiology of catabolism and wasting observed in inflammatory bowel disease via growth hormone resistance. To evaluate the effect of infliximab treatment on the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 axis. Fourteen adults with active Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis underwent three infliximab infusions at a dose of 5 mg/kg for induction of remission, plus two maintenance infusions 8 weeks apart. Blood samples were collected for the analysis of serum growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 and acid labile subunit. Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 concentrations, which were significantly lower in inflammatory bowel disease patients before treatment compared with controls (P < 0.01), significantly increased during the induction phase (+58% and +29%, respectively, after the second infusion, P < 0.01), and dropped to baseline levels during maintenance therapy. Both insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 showed significant negative correlations with C-reactive protein (rho = -0.37, P = 0.002; rho = -0.35, P = 0.01, respectively). Growth hormone and acid labile subunit levels were not statistically different between controls and inflammatory bowel disease patients either at baseline or during treatment. Infliximab induction treatment reverses growth hormone resistance observed in active inflammatory bowel disease through the suppression of systemic inflammation. The restored growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 axis is impaired again following the prolonged interval between maintenance infusions, possibly because of the subclinical reactivation of the inflammatory process.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the main causes of liver disease worldwide, and alterations of glucose metabolism have reached pandemic proportions in western countries. However, the frequent coexistence between these two conditions is more than simply coincidental, since HCV can induce insulin resistance through several mechanisms. Indeed, the virus interferes with insulin signaling both directly and indirectly, inducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the entire viral life cycle has strict interconnections with lipid metabolism, and HCV is responsible for a "viral" steatosis which is frequently superimposed to a "metabolic" one. Several evidences suggest that HCV-induced metabolic disorders contribute both to the evolution of liver fibrosis and, likely, to the progression of the other disorders which are typically associated with altered metabolism, in particular atherosclerosis. In the present review, we will examine in depth the links between HCV infection and insulin resistance, liver steatosis and diabetes, and analyze the impact of these interactions on the progression of liver fibrosis and atherosclerosis. Special attention will be focused on the highly debated topic of the relationship between HCV infection and cardiovascular disease. The available clinical literature on this item will be broadly reviewed and all the mechanisms possibly implied will be discussed.