Liver Shorts August 2019

JB Talcott et al. JPGN 2019; 69: 145-51.  This small study showed an association with prolonged cholestastic liver disease in children and poorest cognitive outcomes despite successful transplantation.  There were 28 participating children in this study, only 12 with chronic liver disease. Acute liver disease was not associated with deficits in cognitive function.  This study “reinforces the need for timely intervention.”

AA Butt et al. Gastroenterol 2019; 156: 987-96.  This study which used a Veterans database for chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection (n=242,680) found that treatment with direct-acting antiviral therapy (hazard ratio 0.57) was associated with a significant decrease in risk of cardiovascular disease events.

F DiPaola et al JPGN 2019; 69: 152-59.  This study from the drug induced liver injury (DILI) network (2004-2017) with just 57 cases found that antimicrobials (51%) and antiepileptics (21%) were the leading causes of DILI in children. Related blog: Liver toxicity –Where to Look Online

P Huelin et al. Hepatology 2019; 70: 319-33. This study with 320 consecutive cases of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients hospitalized for cirrhosis found that urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) (best at day 3) helped differentiate acute tubular necrosis from other types of AKI.