Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Across the United States: A Multicenter Cohort Study.

Background and Aims: Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms occur among patients diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and there is clear evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the causative pathogen, infects the GI tract. In this large, multicenter cohort study, we evaluated variations in gastrointestinal and hepatic manifestations of COVID-19 throughout the United States (US). Methods: Patients hospitalized with a positive COVID-19 test prior to October 2020 were identified at 7 US academic centers. Demographics, presenting symptoms, laboratory data, and hospitalization outcomes were abstracted. Descriptive and regression analyses were used to evaluate GI manifestations and their potential predictors. Results: Among 2031 hospitalized patients with COVID-19, GI symptoms were present in 18.9%; diarrhea was the most common (15.2%), followed by nausea and/or vomiting (12.6%) and abdominal pain (6.0%). GI symptoms were less common in the Western cohort (16.0%) than the Northeastern (25.6%) and Midwestern (26.7%) cohorts. Compared to nonintensive care unit (ICU) patients, ICU patients had a higher prevalence of abnormal aspartate aminotransferase (58.1% vs 37.3%; P < .01), alanine aminotransferase (37.5% vs 29.3%; P = .01), and total bilirubin (12.7% vs 9.0%; P < .01). ICU patients also had a higher mortality rate (22.7% vs 4.7%; P < .01). Chronic liver disease was associated with the development of GI symptoms. Abnormal aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase was associated with an increased risk of ICU admission. Conclusion: We present the largest multicenter cohort of patients with COVID-19 across the United States. GI manifestations were common among patients hospitalized with COVID-19, although there was significant variability in prevalence and predictors across the United States.

Alcoholic Hepatitis and COVID-19: The Question of Steroids.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2/novel coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a global pandemic since the first cases from Wuhan, China, were reported in December 2019. The pandemic has made it more challenging to treat various gastrointestinal disorders, including acute alcoholic hepatitis (AH). One of the mainstays of treatment for severe AH involves corticosteroids (mainly prednisolone). A concern when treating with prednisolone is the worsening of underlying infection. There may be an additional risk in treating COVID-19-infected patients. We present a case of a patient with severe acute AH and concomitant COVID-19 infection who did well with corticosteroid therapy without evidence for worsening infection.

Cecal Bascule as a Rare Presentation of Cytomegalovirus Colitis in a Kidney Transplant Recipient.

Cecal bascule is a rare type of volvulus of the colon and requires a mobile cecum and ascending colon, which could be due to congenital or acquired anatomic abnormalities. Inflammatory conditions that cause acute changes in colonic mobility or motility may contribute to development of volvulus, as described in other types of colonic obstruction. Patients with risk factors for a mobile proximal colon presenting with obstructive symptoms should undergo prompt diagnostic evaluation for volvulus to allow for timely intervention. We report an unusual case of invasive cytomegalovirus colitis presenting as cecal bascule in a kidney transplant recipient.

Liraglutide-induced Acute Gastroparesis.

We describe a case of liraglutide-induced acute gastroparesis in a 52-year-old man with a history of well-controlled type 2 diabetes who presented with symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction. The patient responded markedly to conservative treatment with gastric suctioning, antiemetic and prokinetic therapy, and discontinuation of liraglutide with a resolution of his symptoms. This case highlights the importance of considering drug-induced gastroparesis as an etiology of unexplained upper abdominal pain, nausea, and early satiety, especially in the absence of mechanical obstruction.

Role of surface antibody in hepatitis B reactivation in patients with resolved infection and hematologic malignancy: A meta-analysis.

Patients with resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who are treated for hematological malignancies remain at risk for HBV reactivation. Because of conflicting studies about whether the antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) protects against reactivation in patients with resolved infection (hepatitis B surface antigen negative) receiving chemotherapy for hematological malignancies, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine if anti-HBs reduces HBV reactivation risk. We sought English-language studies through March 1, 2016, in Medline and other sources that examined reactivation in patients with resolved HBV infection receiving chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies. The absolute risks and odds ratio (OR) of reactivation with versus without anti-HBs were estimated in random-effects model meta-analyses. In 20 studies involving 1,672 patients not receiving antiviral prophylaxis, the reactivation risk was 14% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.4%-19%) in 388 patients who had antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen only versus 5.0% (95% CI 3.0%-7.0%) in 1,284 patients who also had anti-HBs. Anti-HBs reduced reactivation risk with a pooled OR of 0.21 (95% CI 0.14-0.32) versus patients with antibody to hepatitis B core antigen only. Similar results were found when limiting the analysis to rituximab chemotherapy (OR = 0.19, 95% CI 0.11-0.32) and lymphoma (OR = 0.18, 95% CI 0.11-0.28). CONCLUSION: In patients with resolved HBV receiving chemotherapy for hematological malignancies without antiviral prophylaxis, anti-HBs positivity is associated with a decreased risk of reactivation; HBV screening in this patient population should include the routine use of anti-HBs, and those who are anti-HBs-negative should receive antiviral prophylaxis. Future studies should examine the effect of anti-HBs serum titers, the potential role for booster vaccinations, and antiviral prophylaxis prior to chemotherapy in this patient population. (Hepatology 2017;66:379-388).

Vibrio parahaemolyticus: A Rare Cause of Chronic Diarrhea in a Heart Transplant Patient.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus usually causes a self-limiting acute diarrheal illness, and is rarely tested for in cases of chronic diarrhea. We present a rare case of chronic diarrhea caused by V. parahaemolyticus in a heart transplant patient requiring antibiotic treatment.

A temporal association between folic acid fortification and an increase in colorectal cancer rates may be illuminating important biological principles: a hypothesis.

Nationwide fortification of enriched uncooked cereal grains with folic acid began in the United States and Canada in 1996 and 1997, respectively, and became mandatory in 1998. The rationale was to reduce the number of births complicated by neural tube defects. Concurrently, the United States and Canada experienced abrupt reversals of the downward trend in colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence that the two countries had enjoyed in the preceding decade: absolute rates of CRC began to increase in 1996 (United States) and 1998 (Canada), peaked in 1998 (United States) and 2000 (Canada), and have continued to exceed the pre-1996/1997 trends by 4 to 6 additional cases per 100,000 individuals. In each country, the increase in CRC incidence from the prefortification trend falls significantly outside of the downward linear fit based on nonparametric 95% confidence intervals. The statistically significant increase in rates is also evident when the data for each country are analyzed separately for men and women. Changes in the rate of colorectal endoscopic procedures do not seem to account for this increase in CRC incidence. These observations alone do not prove causality but are consistent with the known effects of folate on existing neoplasms, as shown in both preclinical and clinical studies. We therefore hypothesize that the institution of folic acid fortification may have been wholly or partly responsible for the observed increase in CRC rates in the mid-1990s. Further work is needed to definitively establish the nature of this relationship. In the meantime, deliberations about the institution or enhancement of fortification programs should be undertaken with these considerations in mind.