Long-term Impact of Mini-Gastric Bypass on Inflammatory Cytokines in Cohort of Morbidly Obese Patients: a Prospective Study.

PURPOSE: One anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) is a promising bariatric procedure. We performed this study to evaluate the changes in a group of inflammatory cytokines 12 months after OAGB. METHODS: A single-arm prospective study was conducted on obese patients who underwent OAGB. The serum levels of the following adipocytokines were monitored pre- and 12 months postoperatively: adiponectin, leptin, interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 8 (IL-8) levels, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), serum amyloid A (SAA), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1). RESULTS: A total of 62 patients were included with a mean age of 43.9 ± 6.8 years old. The serum adiponectin increased significantly from 7.64 ± 0.29 to 8.76 ± 0.42 µg/mL 12 months after the operation (p < 0.001). hs-CRP and IL-6 decreased significantly 12 months after the OAGB from 3323.35 ± 643.4 ng/mL and 3.72 ± 7.7 pg/mL to 1376.81 ± 609.4 ng/mL and 3.64 ± 6.9 pg/mL, respectively (p < 0.001). The MCP-1 showed significant increase in its level after OAGB as well (p = 0.014). In contrary, there were no significant changes in serum levels of IL-8 (p = 0.12) and TNF-α (p = 0.84) 12 months after the operation. The correlation analysis showed significant correlations between initial body mass index (BMI) with serum adiponectin, IL-8, and serum SAA. CONCLUSION: OAGB can significantly impact the inflammatory cytokine profile in obese patients with possible subsequent protection from obesity-related comorbidities such as insulin resistance, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.

Sarcopenia increases 1-year mortality after surgical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Liver resection is a well-recognized modality for hepatocellular carcinoma. Cirrhotic patients are more prone to adverse consequences after liver resection. This work assesses the prognostic significance of sarcopenic hepatocellular carcinoma cases for whom surgical resection was performed. METHODS: The present prospective work included 52 cirrhotic cases. Computed tomography scans were used to determine the skeletal muscle index (SMI) at the plane of the third lumbar vertebra (L3). L3 SMI was used for the definition of sarcopenia. The primary outcome measure was the predictive value of sarcopenia for 1-year post-hepatectomy mortality. RESULTS: Sarcopenia was diagnosed in 27 patients (51.9%). All patients had a Child-Turcotte-Pugh score A. At a 1-year follow-up, 20 cases died; that is the 1-year mortality rate was 38.5%. Sarcopenia was more commonly associated with older age and non-viral causes of cirrhosis. The risk of 1-year mortality is 7.6 times higher in sarcopenic patients with a risk ratio of 3.7 (95% confidence interval 1.4-9.6). CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia diagnosed using L3 SMI is an independent prognostic factor for 1-year deaths in cases with hepatic malignancy with Child-Turcotte-Pugh score A undergoing surgical resection.

Long-Term Changes in Leptin, Chemerin, and Ghrelin Levels Following Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

AIM: Published reports showed conflicting results regarding the sustained alterations in leptin, chemerin, and ghrelin concenratios after metabolic surgery. Therefore, we performed the present work to contrast the alterations in leptin, chemerin, and ghrelin levels one year after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) versus laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). METHODS: The present research is a prospective, comparative one that followed 100 cases for whom RYGB or LSG was done. We assessed the serum values of adiposity-associated mediators, including adipokcytokines (leptin and active chemerin) and gastrointestinal hormones (total ghrelin). The primary outcome in the present study was the alterations in leptin, chemerin, and ghrelin values at 12 months after RYGB and LSG. RESULTS: The serum leptin level decreased significantly in the LSG group with a mean change of - 170.8 ± 29.4 ng/mL (p < 0.001). Similarly, the serum leptin concentration decreased significantly in the RYGB group, with a mean change of - 165.42 ± 53.4 (p < 0.001). In addition, the mean reduction in baseline chemerin levels 12 months after the operation was considerable in the LSG cohort (- 23.24 ± 9.5 ng/mL) and RYGB group (- 22.12 ± 15.9 ng/mL). The ghrelin values demonstrated a notable reduction in the LSG cohort (- 0.083 ± 0.11 pg/mL) and RYGB group (- 0.068 ± 0.097 pg/mL). However, the changes in the three hormones were not substantially different between both groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both RYGB and LSG result in a considerable, comparable decrease in the postoperative serum concentrations of leptin, chemerin, and ghrelin.

Short-term evaluation of autologous transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in patients with cirrhosis: Egyptian study.

BACKGROUND: Stem cell-based therapy has received attention as a possible alternative to organ transplantation. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of autologous transplantation of bone marrow (BM)-derived stromal cells in post-HCV liver cirrhosis patients. METHODOLOGY: 10 × 10(6) of isolated human bone marrow (HBM)-stromal cells in 10 mL normal saline were injected in the spleen of 20 patients with end-stage liver cirrhosis guided by the ultrasonography, and then patients were followed up on monthly basis for six months. RESULTS: A statistically significant decrease was detected in the total bilirubin, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) (p-value<0.01), prothrombin time (PT), and international normalized ratio (INR) levels (p-value<0.05), while a statistically significant increase in the albumin and PC (p-value<0.05) after follow-up. CONCLUSION: This study suggested the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of the intrasplenic injection of autologous BM stromal cells in improving liver function in Egyptian patients with cirrhosis.