ABSTRACT
Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a significant source of end-stage liver disease and liver failure and an indication for liver transplant (LT). Historically, LT for alcoholic liver disease (ALD) required 6 months of alcohol abstinence. Recently, it has been demonstrated that early LT (< 6 months of abstinence) in strictly selected group of patients provides survival benefit while keeping the relapse to harmful drinking at acceptable levels. This practice has been reflected in the Dallas consensus, but more data are needed to appropriately risk stratify the patient from the perspective of return to harmful alcohol drinking post-transplant. This "6-month rule" has been highly debated and recent data demonstrated that the duration of pre-transplant sobriety is not related with an increased risk of relapse to alcohol post-transplant. We performed a meta-analysis to compare the rate of alcohol relapse in individuals having standard vs. early LT. Methods: MEDLINE and SCOPUS were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, and case-control studies from their inception through June 2022. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMSA) 2009 checklist guidelines were followed for this meta-analysis. Studies comparing post-transplant outcomes, such as alcohol relapse, in individuals following standard vs. early LT, were included. Reviews, case studies, conference abstracts, clinical trials with only an abstract, and studies with inadequate data for extraction were all disqualified. The data were retrieved, gathered, and examined. The random effects model was used to generate forest plots. For the analysis, a P-value of 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Thirty-four studies were discovered in the initial search. Three studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis incorporating 367 patients. Mean age was 51.7 years. Out of 367 patients, 173 (47%) underwent early LT. Out of three studies included, one study demonstrated decreased probability of alcohol relapse in patients undergoing early LT, whereas the other two showed the opposite result. All of the included studies were analyzed and had minimal risk of bias. Pooled analysis demonstrates that the difference in alcohol relapse between early vs. standard LT was insignificant (odds ratio: 1.24, 95% confidence interval: 0.75 - 2.06, P = 0.40). Conclusion: Our results show that early LT is not associated with increased risk of alcohol relapse post-transplant when compared with a mandatory 6-month abstinence period. Hence, individuals with ALD should not be categorically rejected from LT merely on the criteria of 6 months of abstinence. Other selection criteria based on the need and post-transplant outcomes should be utilized.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: To describe the simplicity, efficacy and safety of A. Chohan Continuous Squeezing Suture (ACCSS) for controlling haemorrhage from the lower uterine segment at caesarean section for placenta praevia and accreta spectrum disorders. Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 47 patients with placenta praevia and accreta spectrum disorders from February 2019 to May 2022 in two teaching hospitals of Lahore and ACCSS was applied. The outcome measures were peripartum hysterectomy procedure time, estimated blood loss, number of blood transfusions, duration of stay in the hospital, bladder trauma, uterine necrosis, pelvic abscess formation, secondary postpartum haemorrhage and maternal mortality. Descriptive statistics were calculated by using SPSS version 21. Results: Out of 47 patients, 7 (15%) had placenta creta, 29 (61.7%) increta, 11 (23.3%) percreta (grade 3a), and 36 (76.6%) central anterior dominant placenta. Peripartum hysterectomy was prevented in 97.8% of patients. ACCSS procedure time was 5-10 minutes (87.2%), with mean blood loss 2500±485 ml, mean blood transfusion 1.85±1.02 units and mean hospital stay of 3.3±0.84 days. One patient had bladder trauma. There was no case of uterine necrosis, pelvic abscess formation, secondary postpartum haemorrhage or maternal mortality. Conclusion: ACCSS appears to be a simple, effective and safe treatment option for placenta praevia and accreta spectrum disorders, as an alternative to hysterectomy.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the feasibility of studying exosomes directly from peritoneal fluid, we isolated exosomes from endometriosis patient samples and from controls, and characterized their cargo. DESIGN: Case-control experimental study. SETTING: Academic clinical center. PATIENT (S): Women with and without endometriosis who underwent laparoscopic surgery (n = 28 in total). INTERVENTION (S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE (S): Concentration of exosomes within peritoneal fluid and protein content of the isolated exosomes. RESULT (S): Peritoneal fluid samples were pooled according to the cycle phase and disease stage to form six experimental groups, from which the exosomes were isolated. Exosomes were successfully isolated from peritoneal fluid in all the study groups. The concentration varied with cycle phase and disease stage. Proteomic analysis showed specific proteins in the exosomes derived from endometriosis patients that were absent in the controls. Five proteins were found exclusively in the endometriosis groups: PRDX1, H2A type 2-C, ANXA2, ITIH4, and the tubulin α-chain. CONCLUSION (S): Exosomes are present in peritoneal fluid. The characterization of endometriosis-specific exosomes opens up new avenues for the diagnosis and investigation of endometriosis.
