ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The invasiveness of a liver biopsy and its inconsistent results have prompted efforts to develop noninvasive tools to evaluate the severity of chronic hepatitis. This study was intended to assess the performance of serum biomarkers for predicting liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis. METHODS: A total of 302 patients with chronic hepatitis B or C, who had undergone liver biopsy, were retrospectively enrolled. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of several clinical factors for predicting advanced fibrosis (F≥3). RESULTS: The study population included 227 patients with chronic hepatitis B, 73 patients with chronic hepatitis C, and 2 patients with co-infection (hepatitis B and C). Histological cirrhosis was identified in 16.2% of the study population. The grade of porto-periportal activity was more correlated with the stage of chronic hepatitis compared with that of lobular activity (r=0.640 vs. r=0.171). Fibrosis stage was correlated with platelet count (r=-0.520), aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) (r=0.390), prothrombin time (r=0.376), and albumin (r=-0.357). For the diagnosis of advanced fibrosis, platelet count and APRI were the most predictive variables (AUROC=0.752, and 0.713, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In a hepatitis B endemic region, platelet count and APRI could be considered as reliable non-invasive markers for predicting fibrosis of chronic viral hepatitis. However, it is necessary to validate the diagnostic accuracy of these markers in another population.
Subject(s)
Humans , Aspartate Aminotransferases , Biomarkers , Biopsy , Blood Platelets , Coinfection , Diagnosis , Fibrosis , Hepatitis B , Hepatitis B, Chronic , Hepatitis C, Chronic , Hepatitis , Hepatitis, Chronic , Liver , Liver Cirrhosis , Platelet Count , Prothrombin Time , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is an uncommon complication in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and mortality remains high. In recent years, cases of DAH due to SLE treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have rarely been reported. The authors present a case of a 43-year-old woman with SLE who had rapidly aggravating dyspnea and hemoptysis. She was diagnosed as having DAH with refractory respiratory failure and was successfully managed with veno-venous ECMO. We propose ECMO as a useful salvage therapy in patients with alveolar hemorrhage secondary to SLE who are failing conventional ventilatory support.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Dyspnea , Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation , Hemoptysis , Hemorrhage , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic , Mortality , Respiratory Distress Syndrome , Respiratory Insufficiency , Salvage TherapyABSTRACT
Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is an uncommon complication in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and mortality remains high. In recent years, cases of DAH due to SLE treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have rarely been reported. The authors present a case of a 43-year-old woman with SLE who had rapidly aggravating dyspnea and hemoptysis. She was diagnosed as having DAH with refractory respiratory failure and was successfully managed with veno-venous ECMO. We propose ECMO as a useful salvage therapy in patients with alveolar hemorrhage secondary to SLE who are failing conventional ventilatory support.
Subject(s)
Adult , Female , Humans , Dyspnea , Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation , Hemoptysis , Hemorrhage , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic , Mortality , Respiratory Distress Syndrome , Respiratory Insufficiency , Salvage TherapyABSTRACT
Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a key component of the host defense against mycobacterial infection. Mycobacterium gordonae (M. gordonae) is one of the least virulent mycobacteria, and is generally considered non-pathogenic if detected from a clinical specimen. Here, we report a rare case of pulmonary M. gordonae infection in a patient with ulcerative colitis who had been treated with infliximab, a TNF-alpha antagonist. M. gordonae infection was treated successfully with clarithromycin, rifampin, and ethambutol. We believe this to be the first report of M. gordonae pulmonary disease associated with TNF-alpha antagonist treatment.
Subject(s)
Humans , Clarithromycin , Colitis, Ulcerative , Ethambutol , Gordonia Bacterium , Lung Diseases , Mycobacterium , Nontuberculous Mycobacteria , Rifampin , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha , Ulcer , InfliximabABSTRACT
Pulmonary pneumatoceles are air-filled thin-walled spaces within the lung and are rare in adult cases of pneumonia. We report the case of a 74-year-old male who was admitted with a cough and sputum production. He had been treated with oral dexamethasone since a brain tumorectomy 6 months prior. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the chest revealed a large pneumatocele in the right middle lobe and peripheral pneumonic consolidation. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed; cultures identified extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing Proteus mirabilis. A 4-week course of intravenous ertapenem was administered, and the pneumatocele with pneumonia resolved on follow-up chest CT. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pulmonary pneumatocele caused by ESBL-producing P. mirabilis associated with pneumonia.