Metabolomic Phenotype of Hepatic Steatosis and Fibrosis in Mexican Children Living with Obesity.

Background and Objectives: Metabolic-dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease or MASLD is the main cause of chronic liver diseases in children, and it is estimated to affect 35% of children living with obesity. This study aimed to identify metabolic phenotypes associated with two advanced stages of MASLD (hepatic steatosis and hepatic steatosis plus fibrosis) in Mexican children with obesity. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis derived from a randomized clinical trial conducted in children and adolescents with obesity aged 8 to 16 years. Anthropometric and biochemical data were measured, and targeted metabolomic analyses were carried out using mass spectrometry. Liver steatosis and fibrosis were estimated using transient elastography (Fibroscan® Echosens, Paris, France). Three groups were studied: a non-MASLD group, an MASLD group, and a group for MASLD + fibrosis. A partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was performed to identify the discrimination between the study groups and to visualize the differences between their heatmaps; also, Variable Importance Projection (VIP) plots were graphed. A VIP score of >1.5 was considered to establish the importance of metabolites and biochemical parameters that characterized each group. Logistic regression models were constructed considering VIP scores of >1.5, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were estimated to evaluate different combinations of variables. Results: The metabolic MASLD phenotype was associated with increased concentrations of ALT and decreased arginine, glycine, and acylcarnitine (AC) AC5:1, while MASLD + fibrosis, an advanced stage of MASLD, was associated with a phenotype characterized by increased concentrations of ALT, proline, and alanine and a decreased Matsuda Index. Conclusions: The metabolic MASLD phenotype changes as this metabolic dysfunction progresses. Understanding metabolic disturbances in MASLD would allow for early identification and the development of intervention strategies focused on limiting the progression of liver damage in children and adolescents.

Maternal knowledge of the risk of vertical transmission and offspring acquisition of hepatitis B.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Universal vaccination at birth and in infancy is key to the elimination of chronic hepatitis B infection. We aimed to assess hepatitis B immune-prophylaxis and perinatal transmission knowledge, in a large and ethnically diverse cohort of previously pregnant North American women, chronically infected with hepatitis B. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Hepatitis B Research Network (HBRN) is comprised of 28 Clinical Centers in the United States and Canada. Female cohort participants were administered a questionnaire to assess: (1) their assertion of knowledge regarding HBV prophylaxis at birth, testing, and diagnosis of hepatitis B in their children, and (2) the percentage of affirmative to negative responses for each of the HBV-related interventions her child may have received. The relationship between asserted knowledge, actions taken and maternal demographics were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 351 mothers with 627 children born in or after 1992 were included. Median age at enrollment was 39.8 years. Mothers were mostly foreign-born with the largest percentage from Asia (73.4%) and Africa (11.7%). Of the 627 children, 94.5% had mothers who asserted that they knew whether their child had received HBIG or HBV vaccine at birth, for 88.8% of the children, their mothers indicated that they knew if their child was tested for HBV and for 84.5% of children, their mothers knew if the child was diagnosed with HBV infection. Among children whose mothers asserted knowledge of their HBV management, 95.3% were reported to have received HBIG or HBV vaccine, 83.4% of children were said to have been tested for HBV, and 4.8% of children were said to have been diagnosed with HBV. Younger maternal age was the only factor significantly associated with higher percentage of children for whom mothers reported knowledge of testing (p=0.02) or diagnosis of HBV (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: While high percentages of North American children had mothers asserting knowledge of HBV prophylaxis and testing, knowledge gaps remain, with mothers of 5.5-15.5% of children lacking knowledge of key components of the HBV prevention and diagnosis in the perinatal setting. Targeted education of HBsAg-positive mothers may aid in closing this gap and reducing vertical transmission.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a clinicopathologic syndrome that encompasses several clinical entities. The spectrum of conditions ranges from simple steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis and end stage liver disease. The condition was originally described in obese, diabetic, middle-aged females without a history of significant alcohol use with liver histology consistent with alcoholic hepatitis. It is known that this entity occurs without any particular sex predilection, in lean individuals, as well as an increasing number of obese children. Other terms have been used to describe this clinical entity such as alcohol-like hepatitis, pseudo-alcoholic hepatitis, diabetic hepatitis and steatonecrosis. Ludwig and colleagues introduced the term nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to describe patients fitting the picture of alcoholic hepatitis but without a history of significant alcohol abuse. The term nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is used more frequently to include the spectrum of conditions that range from steatosis through steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis. NASH is reserved for patients with steatohepatitis and fibrosis. NAFLD is now being recognized as the most common cause of elevated liver enzymes in the United States. Although the exact etiology of NAFLD is not known, it may be caused by insulin resistance coupled with increased oxidative stress to the hepatocytes. No specific therapy has been approved for this condition and the mainstay of management is weight loss.

[Comparison of two different vaccination schemes against Hepatitis A and B in Mexican children and adolescents]. / Comparación de dos esquemas diferentes de vacunación contra hepatitis A y B en niños y adolescentes mexicanos.

BACKGROUND: Development of multiple antigens in combined vaccines offers the advantages of reducing costs, increasing compliance and provides dual protection. Hepatitis A is an endemic disease in Mexico and hepatitis B, notwithstanding low prevalence, confers risk of progression to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and high medical costs in consequence. OBJECTIVE: Determine immunogenicity and reactogenicity of a combined vaccine when compared with use of conventional vaccines simultaneously. METHODS: The present study was a prospective, open, and randomized trial; 73 healthy children and adolescents were included, all with negative serologic markers. They were assigned to one of the following groups: Group 1, combined vaccine (n = 49) Twinrix (HAV 720 UE/HBV 20 micrograms), and group 2, separate vaccines (n = 24) Engerix B 20 micrograms/Havrix 720 UE. Both groups were given two-dose series at months 0 and 6. Geometric titles of antibody production (GMT) anti-HAV and anti-HBV were determined in months 1, 2, 6 and 7. Adverse reactions were registered during the study. RESULTS: No difference was observed between the two groups in age or gender. Immunogenicity anti-HAV: 100% of vaccines in both groups reached seroprotective levels (> or = 33 mUI/mL). Antibody titles in group 1 were three times higher than those in group 2 (9,696 mIU/mL vs. 3,940 mIU/mL [p = 0.003]) at the end of the study. Immunogenicity anti-HBV: All subjects in both groups reached seroprotective levels (> or = 10 mIU/mL) with similar antibody titles at the end of the study (group 1: 5,603 mIU/mL vs. group 2: 5,201 mIU/mL [p = 0.55 NS]). Reactogenicity: No serious adverse reactions were observed; main were local, and frequency and characteristics were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Seroprotective levels and reactogenicity obtained from use of a combined vaccine against hepatitis A/B are acceptable when compared with use of conventional vaccines administered separately.

A two-dose combined vaccine against hepatitis A and hepatitis B in healthy children and adolescents compared to the corresponding monovalent vaccines.

BACKGROUND: Immunization against hepatitis A and B has been available for some time, protecting against both infections. With a view to achieving further reduction in the number of interventions and increasing convenience of the vaccinee, we investigated the reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a combined hepatitis A and B vaccine in healthy 4- to 20-year-old subjects at a 0, 6-month schedule. METHODS: Two hundred forty-eight study subjects were allocated to two study groups and received either two doses of the combined hepatitis A and B vaccine (68% of subjects) or the corresponding monovalent hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines (32% of subjects) concomitantly in opposite arms. Reactogenicity was assessed via diary cards after each vaccination. Serum samples were analyzed at months 1, 2, 6, and 7. RESULTS: All vaccines were well tolerated and very few symptoms were scored as severe. All but one subject seroconverted for anti-hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) antibodies (98.6%) and 100% of subjects seroconverted for anti-hepatitis B (HBs) antibodies, with respective seroprotection rates of 98.7% for the combined vaccine group and 95.9% for the concomitant vaccine group (p >0.05), respectively. Geometric mean titers were higher in the group receiving the combined vaccine: 6,635 mIU/mL vs. 2,728 mIU/mL (p = 0.0001) for anti-HAV and 3,362 mIU/mL vs. 1,724 mIU/mL (p = 0.0205) for anti-HBs, respectively. Younger subjects had a stronger immune response compared to older subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The combined hepatitis A and B vaccine was well tolerated at this two-dose schedule. The combined vaccine had higher immunogenicity, probably explained by a adjuvant effect of the antigens. Vaccination programs requiring fewer injections will most likely have a positive impact on compliance rate and comfort of the vaccinee.

Nutrición en pacientes con enfermedades hepáticas: (primera parte) / Nutrition in chronic liver diseases

La dieta al poder ser manipulable puede de una u otra forma comprometer la función del hígado o contribuir para mantener la misma a niveles óptimos. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue revisar los recientes avances del efecto de la nutrición sobre los aspectos clínicos en enfermedades hepáticas crónicas y el uso adecuado de medidas dietéticas haciendo énfasis en los estudios que al respecto se han realizado en México. Se incluyeron informes originales en inglés y español a través de información computada (Medline) hasta 1994, además de los informes publicados en revistas nacionales sobre el aspecto nutricio en enfermedades hepáticas

Marcadores serológicos de hepatitis viral / Serum markers in viral hepatitis

En las últimas tres décadas se han desarrollado conocimientos de biología, historia natural y serología que permiten detectar con precisión a los diferentes virus productores de hepatitis viral; gracias a ello es posible detectar el estado agudo o crónico de la infección, los niveles de replicación, la respuesta terapéutca e incluso intuir el pronóstico. Los métodos serológicos habituales son técnicamente sencillos, rápidos y de fácil interpretación. Nuevos avances en biología molecular han permitido la detección de mutantes y serotipos virales diferentes y la determinación de marcadores a niveles genómicos, sugiriendo que estamos en el umbral de una nueva etapa de conocimiento en hepatopatía viral.