Rapid Onset of Weight Gain and Liver Dysfunction Successfully Treated With Nutrition and Exercise.

Physical inactivity is one of the causes of most metabolic syndromes. The incidence of metabolic syndrome is expected to increase in the near future because of the reduced opportunities for exercise caused by COVID-19. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently the most common cause of chronic liver disease. Changes in diet and lifestyle have led to a dramatic increase in the prevalence of NAFLD in the world. NAFLD is characterized by excessive triglyceride (TG) accumulation in the hepatocytes due to both increased inflow of free fatty acids and de novo hepatic lipogenesis. Thus far, no study quantitatively assessed the liver fat deposition after a rapid decline in physical activity. Herein, we describe a case of a 17-year-old Japanese boy with severe fat infiltration of the liver, due to a rapid decline in physical activity, treated at our facility. Our rehabilitation and nutritional support teams administered appropriate exercise and nutrition support to reduce weight and improve liver dysfunction. Our findings support dietary changes and exercise therapy to manage such cases.

Successful treatment of positive-sense RNA virus coinfection with autoimmune hepatitis using double filtration plasmapheresis.

Double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) is an apheretic technique that selectively removes high molecular weight substances using a plasma component filter. DFPP has been used to treat positive-sense RNA virus infections, mainly chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, because of its ability to directly eliminate viral particles from blood plasma from 2008 to about 2015, before direct-acting antiviral agents was marketed. This effect has been termed virus removal and eradication by DFPP. HCV is a positive-sense RNA virus similar to West Nile virus, dengue virus and the SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronaviruses. SARS-CoV-2 is classified same viral species. These viruses are all classified in Family Flaviviridae which are family of single-stranded plus-stranded RNA viruses. Viral particles are 40-60 nm in diameter, enveloped and spherical in shape. We present a rare case of HCV removal where an RNA virus infection that copresented with virus-associated autoimmune hepatitis was eliminated using DFPP. Our results indicate that DFPP may facilitate prompt viraemia reduction and may have novel treatment applications for SARS-CoV-2, that is, use of therapeutic plasma exchange for fulminant COVID-19.

Therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells and their exosomes in severe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

The novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the ensuing worldwide pandemic. The spread of the virus has had global effects such as activity restriction, economic stagnation, and collapse of healthcare infrastructure. Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection induces a cytokine storm, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiple organ failure, which are very serious health conditions and must be mitigated or resolved as soon as possible. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their exosomes can affect immune cells by inducing anti-inflammatory macrophages, regulatory T and B cells, and regulatory dendritic cells, and can inactivate T cells. Hence, they are potential candidate agents for treatment of severe cases of COVID-19. In this review, we report the background of severe cases of COVID-19, basic aspects and mechanisms of action of MSCs and their exosomes, and discuss basic and clinical studies based on MSCs and exosomes for influenza-induced ARDS. Finally, we report the potential of MSC and exosome therapy in severe cases of COVID-19 in recently initiated or planned clinical trials of MSCs (33 trials) and exosomes (1 trial) registered in 13 countries on ClinicalTrials.gov.