Cognitive phenotypes in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis with different disease duration, applying the international classification of cognitive disorders in MS (IC-CoDiMS).

Objective: Cognitive impairment is experienced by 40-70% of multiple sclerosis patients, with information processing speed and memory most affected. Until now, cognitive results classified patients as impaired and not impaired. With this dichotomous approach, it is difficult to identify, in a heterogeneous group of patients with cognitive impairment, which cognitive domain(s) are most altered. This study aims to identify cognitive phenotypes in a clinical cohort of adult patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) using the International Classification of Cognitive Disorders in MS (IC-CoDiMS) and to characterize their clinical features. Methods: Three hundred patients with RRMS underwent neuropsychological assessment with the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological Tests (BRBN-T) and the Brief International Cognitive Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS). Results: In our cohort, the mean age was 41.38 [11.48 SD] years, and 205 [68.3%] were women. At the -1 SD threshold, 49% were cognitively intact, 25% had uni-domain impairment, 17% had bi-domain impairment, and 9% had multi-domain impairment. Processing speed was the most frequent single-domain impairment, followed by memory and verbal fluency. At the -1.5 SD threshold, 74.7% were cognitively intact, 17% had uni-domain impairment, 6% had bi-domain impairment, had bi-domain impairment, and 3.0% had multi-domain impairment. Memory was the most frequent single-domain impairment, followed by processing speed and verbal fluency. Conclusions: This study corroborates the importance of determining cognitive phenotypes through taxonomy (IC-CoDiMS). In addition, it contributes to improving the classification of cognitive phenotypes in patients with RRMS to enhance the development of more effective treatments and cognitive interventions.

Life-Threatening Electrical Storm Following Liver Transplantation: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Electrical storm is a rare but potentially life-threatening syndrome characterized by recurrent ventricular arrhythmias. Liver transplant recipients are at increased risk of developing electrical storms due to conditions that prolong QT intervals, such as cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. However, limited information exists on electrical storms in this specific population. This case report presents a patient who experienced 13 cardiac arrests during ventricular fibrillation following liver transplantation. CASE REPORT A 61-year-old woman with a medical history of diabetes, obesity, and cirrhosis due to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease underwent liver transplantation using a deceased donor's liver. Following the procedure, she developed a deterioration in her respiratory function, necessitating orotracheal intubation. Approximately 21 hours post-surgery, she experienced cardiac arrest during ventricular fibrillation, which was rapidly reversed with electrical defibrillation. However, the patient entered a state of electrical storm. Management involved antiarrhythmic medications and temporary transvenous cardiac pacing. She remained stable for 40 hours, but a dislodgment of the device triggered another episode of ventricular fibrillation, leading to her death. CONCLUSIONS This case report highlights the clinical presentation and challenges in managing electrical storms in liver transplant recipients. We hypothesize that cirrhotic cardiomyopathy could be the cause of her recurrent ventricular arrhythmias. Further studies are needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms and risk factors of this life-threatening syndrome in this population, which may enhance risk stratification and enable earlier intervention.

Prolonged Anhepatic State as a Bridge to Retransplantation: A Challenging Case of a 35-Year-Old Male Liver Transplant Patient with a Temporary Portacaval Shunt.

BACKGROUND Liver transplantation is a life-saving intervention for patients with a diagnosis of acute liver failure or end-stage liver disease. Despite advances in surgical techniques and immunosuppressive therapies, primary nonfunction remains a concern, often necessitating retransplantation. In these scenarios, the anhepatic state, achieved through total hepatectomy with a temporary portacaval shunt, serves as a bridge to retransplantation. However, the challenge lies in the uncertain survival period and several potential complications associated with this procedure. CASE REPORT We present a case of a 35-year-old male patient with autoimmune hepatitis who underwent liver transplantation from a deceased donor. Seven days later, he experienced acute liver failure, leading to an urgent listing for retransplantation. To prevent the intense systemic inflammatory response, the patient underwent a total hepatectomy with a temporary portacaval shunt while awaiting another graft and endured a 57-h anhepatic state. On day 17 following retransplantation, he had cerebral death due to a hemorrhagic stroke. CONCLUSIONS This case underscores one of the most prolonged periods of anhepatic state as a bridge to retransplantation, highlighting the complexities associated with this technique. The challenges include sepsis, hypotension, coagulopathy, metabolic acidosis, renal failure, electrolyte disturbances, hypoglycemia, and hypothermia. Vigilant monitoring and careful management are crucial to improve patient outcomes. Further research is needed to optimize the duration of the anhepatic state and minimize complications for liver transplantation recipients.

Visuospatial memory profile of patients with Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: In Parkinson's Disease (PD) cognitive impairment may become evident at an early stage of the disease. Performance in the visuospatial domain has been pointed out as a possible predictor of cognitive decline for dementia. OBJECTIVES: The goal was to characterize the visuospatial memory profile, explore the predictive value of a set of visuospatial measures that better distinguish patients from controls, and investigate the relevance of the 10/36 SPART, providing cutoff scores. METHODS: A total of 43 PD patients and 45 healthy controls (HC) were recruited from the Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João and the community, respectively. The protocol included a set of tests assessing global cognitive functioning, visuoperceptive abilities, and visuospatial memory. RESULTS: PD patients performed significantly worse than HC, showing difficulties in global cognition, visuospatial learning, and visuoconstructive and perceptive abilities. Through a discriminant analysis, the Clock Drawing Test and ACE-R's visuospatial domain were revealed as good tools to be included in the evaluation protocol. Regarding the 10/36 SPART's performance, four predictors were found (age, sex, education, and emotional distress) and cutoff scores were determined. CONCLUSIONS: The visuospatial memory profile found was congruent with that described in the literature. The results were discussed according to their relevance for clinical practice and future research.

Translation and Adaptation of the Adult Developmental Coordination Disorder/Dyspraxia Checklist (ADC) into Asian Uzbekistan.

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that emerges in childhood and its symptoms continue through adulthood. The Adult Developmental Coordination Disorders/Dyspraxia Checklist was the first instrument used to screen adults with possible DCD. The psychometric characteristics of the Uzbek version of the scale were explored. An independent translation of the questionnaire from the original version into the Uzbek language was made. The sample comprised 301 Uzbekistan adults, aged between 17 and 42 years old (M = 20.66; SD = 2.26). Analyses were performed using R software (4.1.0). Descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and evidence of reliability in terms of internal consistency were assessed using the psych package (2.1.6), intraclass correlation coefficients were assessed using the irr package (0.84.1), and weighted Kappa were assessed using vcd package (1.4-10). To analyse the factor structure of the ADC scale, when applied to an Uzbekistan sample, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed. In the Uzbek version, a one-factor structure was identified, and moderated psychometric properties were found, which makes it a possible alternative to the original scale when applied to adults. This Uzbek version reduces respondents' fatigue since it is smaller than the original one. More studies are needed to confirm the cut-off scores of this new version.

Cognitive impairment in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder: A retrospective study using the Brief International cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS).

BACKGROUND: Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. The study aimed to characterize the neuropsychological profile of NMOSD by comparing them with multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and healthy controls. METHOD: Sixty-four participants were included:19 NMOSD, 27 MS, and 18 healthy controls. The neuropsychological protocol included the Portuguese version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS), Verbal Fluency (phonemic and semantic), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Expanded Disability Status Scale for clinical groups. RESULTS: NMOSD patients had significant lower cognitive performance when compared to HC mainly in information processing speed, concentration, language processing, and in executive functions (cognitive flexibility, sustained, and divided attention). No significant differences were observed between NMOSD and MS patients. Three predictors for cognitive impairment, according to BICAMS criteria, were found: depression, disease duration, and the level of disability. CONCLUSION: The neuropsychological profile found in the present study for NMOSD is consistent with the previous findings. Information regarding the predictors of cognitive impairment in both diseases and their different associations are important for future research and for guiding interventions more suitable for the neuropsychological needs of affected patients.

End-of-life management strategies of pharmaceuticals in Portuguese households.

The end of life of pharmaceutical products through environmentally unsafe routes is a growing concern in our society. However, the studies reported so far, apart from being limited in number, do not reflect the current management practices for the end-of-life management of pharmaceuticals. Published work lacks an in-depth analysis in focusing on the pharmaceutical waste in households. The present work focused on (1) performing a state-of-the art overview to compare worldwide studies and the results and (2) implementing a comprehensive survey in Portugal (n = 454 respondents). The results showed that the delivery to pharmacies was used by the majority of the respondents (72%), indicating a good awareness of pharmaceutical waste management issues, when compared to the reviewed studies. Statistically significant variables for the destination of end-of-use pharmaceuticals include gender, age and distance from the residence to the pharmacy (p < 0.05). Most participants believe that educating the population on existing structures of medication and packaging management is of the utmost importance to improve the national managing system. This is the first study conducted in Portugal; it includes statistical analysis of the data and reflects on the practices that should be adopted to reduce incorrect pharmaceutical waste disposal. These findings call upon the strategies to strengthen the pharmaceutical waste management programme.

Musculoskeletal pain in musicians: does playing more than one instrument have more effect?

Objectives. Repeated instrumental practice represents a risk factor for the appearance of playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs). This study aimed to compare the prevalence and characteristics of PRMDs based on location, pain characteristics and number of hours of instrumental practice, in musicians who play one or more musical instruments.Methods. An observational study was conducted with music university students in Spain using a questionnaire.Results: A total of 178 musicians (41%) played a second instrument. Musicians who played only one instrument had a slightly lower mean number of pain sites (M 3.25, SD 1.93; M 3.44, SD 2.27). On the contrary, pain intensity (M 2.72, SD 2.03; M 2.23, SD 1.78 points), pain interference on mood, quality of life and instrumental practice (M 3.04, SD 2.29; M 2.80, SD 2.24 points) as well as the number of hours devoted to instrumental practice (M 21.18, SD 10.47; M 20.03, SD 12.54 h/week) is slightly higher in musicians playing a single instrument.Conclusions. Pain intensity is the only variable of those analysed that presents statistically significant differences when comparing musicians who play a single instrument with those who play a second instrument, being higher in mono-instrumental musicians.

Metabolic syndrome parameters and multiple sclerosis disease outcomes: A Portuguese cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome and multiple sclerosis [MS] share the presence of chronic inflammation in their pathogenic mechanisms. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome parameters in MS and their association with disease disability, cognitive function, and Neurofilament Light chain [NfL] levels. METHODS: Clinical, analytical, and magnetic resonance imaging data were obtained through medical records. Disease disability was measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS], the MS Severity Scale [MSSS] along with cognitive impairment by the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS [BICAMS] and Word List Generation test [WLG]. Metabolic syndrome parameters were evaluated by fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference [WC]. We also analysed serum leptin and ghrelin and cerebrospinal fluid NfL. RESULTS: Our sample included 51 people with MS, 34 (66.7%) females, mean age of 38.20±12.12 years and median disease duration of 3 years (P25=2.0, P75=5.0). Multivariate linear regression analysis confirmed that WC correlates with EDSS (ß=0.04, p=.001) and MSSS (ß=0.07, p=.002) as well as Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (ß=-0.29, p=.008), WLG (ß=-0.20, p=.039). NfL is also negatively associated with HDL-C (ß=-4.51, p=.038). CONCLUSIONS: Waist circumference is associated with disability and deficits in cognitive tests. A decrease in HDL-C is associated with an increase in NfL. This suggests metabolic syndrome might be an important factor in MS disease course.

Advances on diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infections.

The association of Helicobacter pylori to several gastric diseases, such as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer, and its high prevalence worldwide, raised the necessity to use methods for a proper and fast diagnosis and monitoring the pathogen eradication. Available diagnostic methods can be classified as invasive or non-invasive, and the selection of the best relies on the clinical condition of the patient, as well as on the sensitivity, specificity, and accessibility of the diagnostic test. This review summarises all diagnostic methods currently available, including the invasive methods: endoscopy, histology, culture, and molecular methods, and the rapid urease test (RUT), as well as the non-invasive methods urea breath test (UBT), serological assays, biosensors, and microfluidic devices and the stool antigen test (SAT). Moreover, it lists the diagnostic advantages and limitations, as well as the main advances for each methodology. In the end, research on the development of new diagnostic methods, such as bacteriophage-based H. pylori diagnostic tools, is also discussed.

Cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis phenotypes: Neuropsychological assessment in a portuguese sample.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment affects 40-65% of MS patients, encompassing all disease stages and types of clinical courses. This estimation is based on different instruments used and population normative data. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the cognitive function in a hospital-based cohort of Portuguese MS patients, to allow estimating the prevalence of cognitive impairment in different phenotypes. METHODS: Three hundred and thirteen patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) underwent neuropsychological assessment with the brief repeatable battery of neuropsychological tests (BRBN-T) and the brief international cognitive assessment for multiple sclerosis (BICAMS). RESULTS: Differences were observed in the cognitive impairment profile of different disease phenotypes and of the different disease severity stages. RRMS patients performed better in the cognitive test of the BRBN-T and BICAMS than those with progressive disease phenotypes. Relationships between cognitive impairment and disability and professional status were relevant. Although similarities could be observed in the cognitive profile of the MS phenotypes, with predominant involvement of verbal memory, verbal fluency, and information processing speed, the latter was found to be more frequent as the disease progressed. CONCLUSION: This study contributes to improve knowledge about the cognitive profile of the different MS phenotypes and understand the cognitive characteristics of Portuguese patients.

Characterization and Genomic Analysis of a New Phage Infecting Helicobacter pylori.

Helicobacter pylori, a significant human gastric pathogen, has been demonstrating increased antibiotic resistance, causing difficulties in infection treatment. It is therefore important to develop alternatives or complementary approaches to antibiotics to tackle H. pylori infections, and (bacterio)phages have proven to be effective antibacterial agents. In this work, prophage isolation was attempted using H. pylori strains and UV radiation. One phage was isolated and further characterized to assess potential phage-inspired therapeutic alternatives to H. pylori infections. HPy1R is a new podovirus prophage with a genome length of 31,162 bp, 37.1% GC, encoding 36 predicted proteins, of which 17 were identified as structural. Phage particles remained stable at 37 °C, from pH 3 to 11, for 24 h in standard assays. Moreover, when submitted to an in vitro gastric digestion model, only a small decrease was observed in the gastric phase, suggesting that it is adapted to the gastric tract environment. Together with its other characteristics, its capability to suppress H. pylori population levels for up to 24 h post-infection at multiplicities of infection of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 suggests that this newly isolated phage is a potential candidate for phage therapy in the absence of strictly lytic phages.

Low bone mineral density in pre-menopausal women one year after gastric bypass / Baixa densidade mineral óssea em mulheres pré-menopausadas um ano após bypass gástrico

Introduction: Nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes and severe weight loss after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) can promote changes in bone metabolism which may lead to a reduction in bone mineral density (BMD). Objective: to investigate the prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis and factors associated with BMD in pre-menopausal women who underwent RYGB. Methodology: a cross-sectional study conducted with secondary data of patients followed-up in a specialized center for obesity treatment. Variables studied: biochemical and anthropometric data, body composition by multifrequency bioimpedance and BMD of the lumbar spine (LS), total femur (TF) and femur neck (FN) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. For statistical analysis, the SPSS® software and a 5% significance level were utilized. Results: seventy-two (72) pre-menopausal women were evaluated. Mean age, BMI and mean post-surgery time was 38.7±6.5 years, 25.8±2.5 kg/m² and 13.1±1.7 months, respectively. The prevalence of osteopenia in at least one of the densitometry sites was 13.9%, with LS being the most frequent site. A lower LS BMD was associated with greater weight loss, higher percentage of body fat before surgery and lower post-surgery serum vitamin D levels. There was a positive correlation between skeletal muscle mass index adjusted for height in the pre-surgery period and LS BMD (r=0.361; p=0.010) and TF (r=0.404; p=0.004). Conclusion: a relevant prevalence of osteopenia was detected in pre-menopausal women after RYGB, mainly in the LS.

Introdução: o Bypass Gástrico em Y de Roux (BPGYR) pode promover mudanças no metabolismo ósseo decorrentes de deficiências nutricionais, alterações hormonais e perda severa de peso, podendo acarretar redução da Densidade Mineral Óssea (DMO). Objetivo: investigar a prevalência de osteopenia/osteoporose e fatores associados à DMO em mulheres pré-menopausadas submetidas à BPGYR. Metodologia: estudo transversal com dados secundários de pacientes acompanhadas em um serviço especializado no tratamento da obesidade. Variáveis estudadas: dados bioquímicos e antropométricos, composição corporal por bioimpedância multifrequencial e DMO de coluna lombar (CL), fêmur total (FT) e colo do fêmur (CF) por Absorciometria por Dupla Emissão de Raios X. Para análise estatística foi utilizado o programa SPSS®, com o nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: foram avaliadas 72 mulheres pré-menopausadas, com média de idade e de IMC de 38,7±6,5 anos e 25,8±2,5 kg/m², respectivamente, e tempo médio de pós-operatório de 13,1±1,7 meses. A prevalência de osteopenia em pelo menos um dos sítios densitométricos foi de 13,9%, sendo a CL o sítio mais frequente. Uma menor DMO na CL se associou a maior perda de peso, maior percentual de massa gorda antes da cirurgia e níveis séricos menores de vitamina D pós-operatória. Observou-se correlação positiva entre o índice de massa muscular esquelética ajustada pela altura no pré-operatório e a DMO da CL (r=0,361; p=0,010) e do FT (r=0,404; p= 0,004). Conclusão: detectou-se prevalência relevante de osteopenia em mulheres pré-menopausadas após BPGYR, principalmente na CL.

Prevenção do câncer de mama na Atenção Primária à Saúde: uma análise sobre a atuação de enfermeiros / Breast cancer prevention in Primary Health Care: an analysis on the performance of nurses

O câncer de mama (CM) é o tumor maligno que mais mata mulheres no mundo, sendo considerado um grave problema de saúde pública. Este artigo investiga as ações de enfermeiros atuantes na Atenção Primária à Saúde na prevenção do CM em Campina Grande-PB. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo-exploratório, de abordagem qualitativa, realizado com 10 enfermeiros que atuam em unidades básicas de saúde do referido município, por meio de entrevista semiestruturada. Os dados coletados foram analisados por meio da análise de conteúdo, com o auxílio do software Atlas.ti. Em seus resultados emergiram cinco categorias: Conhecimentos gerais sobre CM; Capacitação profissional e educação em saúde da população; Abordagem clínica do enfermeiro na prevenção do CM; Dificuldades na prevenção; Autoanálise da prática profissional. Entre estas, destacou-se a influência negativa da falta de capacitações para ajustamento das ações dos enfermeiros às diretrizes nacionais de prevenção do CM na Atenção Primária à Saúde.

Breast cancer is the malignant tumor that kills the most women worldwide, being considered a serious public health problem. This article investigates the actions of nurses working in Primary Health Care in the prevention of breast cancer in Campina Grande-PB. This is a descriptive-exploratory study, with a qualitative approach, carried out with 10 nurses who work in basic health units in that city, through semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analyzed through content analysis, with the help of the Atlas.ti software. Five categories emerged from their results: General knowledge about breast cancer; Professional training and health education for the population; Nurses' clinical approach to breast cancer prevention; Difficulties in prevention; Self-analysis of professional practice. Among these, the negative influence of the lack of training to adjust the nurses' actions to the national guidelines for the prevention of breast cancer in Primary Health Care was highlighted.

Prevalence, Presentation and Outcomes of Silent Hypoxemia in COVID-19.

Dyspnea is reported in a minority of patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Even patients with pneumonia can present hypoxemia without any respiratory distress, a phenomenon known as "silent" or "happy hypoxemia". During the current pandemic there were only a few studies conducted on this subject and these were quite heterogeneous. Therefore, the prevalence of "silent hypoxemia" varied substantially. While studies did not show a clear tendency of "silent hypoxemia" to poorer outcomes compared to hypoxemia presenting with dyspnea, several showed that patients with "silent hypoxemia" are not protected from poor outcomes either. There is a need for a uniform definition of "silent hypoxemia", in order to better guide clinicians and investigators. More studies are needed to shed light on the mechanisms of "silent hypoxemia", as well as its presentation and influence in the disease's progression and outcomes, so as to better assist physicians in the care of COVID-19 patients.

Cognitive impairment and markers of optical neurodegeneration in early multiple sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive impairment and retinal atrophy have been proposed as two potential markers of neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed at assessing the relation between peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and macular ganglion cell layer (mGCL) atrophy and cognitive performance in early MS. METHODS: This is a multicenter cross-sectional study on patients with early MS (clinically isolated syndrome and relapsing-remitting MS), with an EDSS score ≤ 3.0. Patients with previous optic neuritis, other ocular diseases, psychiatric illness, or recent relapse were excluded. All patients underwent standardized optical coherence tomography (OCT) and neuropsychological evaluation with validated tests for MS patients. Cognitive impairment was defined as having two cognitive tasks below age- and education-adjusted norms. RESULTS: We recruited 52 patients with early MS, with an average age of 37 years (SD = 10.5), an average disease duration of 3.69 years (SD = 2.3), and a median EDSS of 1.0 (IQR = 0.5). In this sample, 15/52 patients presented cognitive impairment. Regarding OCT measurements, 7/52 patients had an average pRNFL below the 5th percentile and 2/52 had an average mGCL below the 5th percentile. The average pRNFL thickness was comparable in cognitively impaired and cognitively preserved patients (100.3 µm vs 103.1 µm, p = 0.52); the average mGCL thickness had also similar values between groups (50.5 µm vs 53 µm, p = 0.38). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive impairment was frequent in our sample of early MS. However, no association with reduced pRNFL or mGCL thickness was found. When compared to OCT, cognitive assessment could provide an earlier marker of neurodegeneration in MS.

Combined liver transplantation with sleeve gastrectomy: a pioneer case series from Brazil.

The association of a bariatric operation during liver transplantation may benefit patients with liver failure and obesity and sleeve gastrectomy emerges as the procedure of choice. The aim of this study is to present our experience with combined liver transplantation and sleeve gastrectomy. During an 18-month period, seven patients were submitted to simultaneous liver transplant and sleeve gastrectomy (LTSG). There were four male and three female, and the mean recipient age was 60.5 years, mean BMI was 38.2 kg/m2, and mean MELD score was 25 points. The indication for liver transplantation was nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in four cases, hepatitis C with HCC in one case, pure NASH in one case and alcoholic cirrhosis with HCC in one case. Six patients are alive with normal allograft function. There were no biliary complications.

Liver transplantation in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Neuroendocrine tumors are part of a heterogeneous group of tumors located in organs such as the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), lungs, thymus, thyroid, and adrenal glands. The most prevalent sites are the small intestine, cecal appendix, and pancreas. More than 50% of these tumors are associated with metastases at the time of diagnosis. Neuroendocrine tumors are classified according to the degree of cell differentiation and the histopathological proliferation index of the lesion. Neuroendocrine tumors can be well differentiated or poorly differentiated. G3 tumors are characterized by Ki-67 expression greater than 20% and can be either well differentiated (G3 NET) or poorly differentiated (G3 NEC). Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC G3) is subdivided into small-cell and large-cell types. When neuroendocrine tumors present clinical and compressive symptoms, carcinoid syndrome is evident. Carcinoid syndrome occurs when the tumor produces neuroendocrine mediators that cannot be metabolized by the liver due to either the size of the tumor or their secretion by the liver itself. Several therapeutic strategies have been described for the treatment of metastatic neuroendocrine tumors, including curative or palliative surgical approaches, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, percutaneous therapy, systemic chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Liver surgery is the only approach that can offer a cure for metastatic patients. Liver metastases must be completely resected, and in this context, orthotopic liver transplantation has gained prominence for yielding very promising outcomes in selected cases. The aim of this study is to review the literature on OLT as a form of treatment with curative intent for patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors with liver metastasis.

Helicobacter pylori infection: from standard to alternative treatment strategies.

Helicobacter pylori is the major component of the gastric microbiome of infected individuals and one of the aetiological factors of chronic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. The increasing resistance to antibiotics worldwide has made the treatment of H. pylori infection a challenge. As a way to overhaul the efficacy of currently used H. pylori antibiotic-based eradication therapies, alternative treatment strategies are being devised. These include probiotics and prebiotics as adjuvants in H. pylori treatment, antimicrobial peptides as alternatives to antibiotics, photodynamic therapy ingestible devices, microparticles and nanoparticles applied as drug delivery systems, vaccines, natural products, and phage therapy. This review provides an updated synopsis of these emerging H. pylori control strategies and discusses the advantages, hurdles, and challenges associated with their development and implementation. An effective human vaccine would be a major achievement although, until now, projects regarding vaccine development have failed or were discontinued. Numerous natural products have demonstrated anti-H. pylori activity, mostly in vitro, but further clinical studies are needed to fully disclose their role in H. pylori eradication. Finally, phage therapy has the potential to emerge as a valid alternative, but major challenges remain, namely the isolation of more H. pylori strictly virulent bacterio(phages).