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Liver Transpl 2021 Jun 12. Epub 2021 Jun 12.

Hepatology Services, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States.

In this issue of Liver Transplantation, Sonnenberg et al. describe the results of a multi-institutional survey of six transplant centers that perform living donor liver transplantation. The survey addresses fertility and pregnancy outcomes among female living liver donors, comparing outcomes pre-donation and post-donation. Read More

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2021 Jun 5. Epub 2021 Jun 5.

Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu),, Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Objective: In fetuses with left-sided isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia (LCDH), prenatal detection of severe pulmonary hypoplasia is relevant since fetal therapy can improve survival. Moderate and mild hypoplasia still carry a considerable mortality and morbidity risk, but there has been less interest in the accurate prediction of these. In this study on fetuses with moderate or mild CDH, we aimed to investigate: (1) the correlation between intra-pulmonary-artery Doppler (IPaD) findings and mortality, (2) whether adding these improves prediction of mortality based on lung size and liver herniation; and (3) whether the IPaD correlates with early neonatal morbidity. Read More

Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2021 Jun 2. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Department of Obstetric, Centre Hospital of Wuhan, Affiliated to Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

Gestational diabetes and jaundice are the correlated diseases predominantly found in mother and newborn child. Jaundice is a neonatal complication with an increased risk when mother has gestational diabetes. Mothers with diabetes at an early stage of gestational age are at higher risk for hyperbilirubinemia (jaundice) and hypoglycemia. Read More

J Clin Med 2021 May 26;10(11). Epub 2021 May 26.

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 08308, Korea.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a main cause of chronic liver disease worldwide and can lead to severe liver diseases. The World Health Organization has planned to eliminate viral hepatitis, including hepatitis caused by HBV and hepatitis C virus, by 2030. As mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HBV is a main cause of chronic HBV infection, MTCT prevention is the main target to reduce the risk of chronic HBV infection and eliminate the disease. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2021 May 17;22(10). Epub 2021 May 17.

Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan.

Resveratrol can affect the physiology or biochemistry of offspring in the maternal-fetal animal model. However, it exhibits low bioavailability in humans and animals. Fifteen-week SD pregnant female rats were orally administered bisphenol A (BPA) and/or resveratrol butyrate ester (RBE), and the male offspring rats (n = 4-8 per group) were evaluated. Read More

J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2021 Apr 1;14(4):14-22. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Dr. Monks is with the Department of Dermatology, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Psoriasis, an inflammatory disorder of the skin, is associated with an increased risk of systemic diseases, such as psoriatic arthritis, psychiatric disorders, malignancy, and cardiometabolic and inflammatory bowel diseases. Careful consideration of the presence of these comorbidities should guide selection of appropriate therapy. The evolution of therapeutic targets for the treatment of psoriasis has significantly advanced available treatment options, potentially leading to uncertainty when selecting the optimal treatment for each patient. Read More

Jpn J Infect Dis 2021 May 31. Epub 2021 May 31.

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) is one of the causing factors of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This bacterium infects the epithelial cells of the cervix of women and urethra of men. Read More

Crit Care Explor 2021 May 24;3(5):e0440. Epub 2021 May 24.

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.

We report a case of a young woman with adult-onset Still's disease presenting as macrophage-activation syndrome complicated by shock and respiratory failure during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Case Summary: A previously healthy 26-year-old woman at 35 weeks of gestation presented with 1 week of constitutional symptoms and was found to be febrile, tachycardic, and hypotensive. She delivered a healthy neonate by cesarean section. Read More

Front Pharmacol 2021 10;12:607026. Epub 2021 May 10.

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The presented study was designed to probe the toxicity potential of newly identified compound naphthalen-2-yl 3,5-dinitrobenzoate (SF1). Acute, subacute toxicity and teratogenicity studies were performed as per Organization of economic cooperation and development (OECD) 425, 407, and 414 test guidelines, respectively. An oral dose of 2000 mg/kg to rats for acute toxicity. Read More

Clin Perinatol 2021 Jun;48(2):343-357

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B Downs Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.

Hepatitis C virus prevalence has steeply risen among pregnant women in association with the opioid epidemic and the major national infectious diseases and liver society guidelines recommend universal hepatitis C virus testing in pregnancy. All infants born to mothers with hepatitis C virus infection should be evaluated. Many children spontaneously clear hepatitis C virus or remain minimally symptomatic, but some develop significant liver disease if untreated. Read More

Health Technol Assess 2021 May;25(30):1-32

Department of Women and Children's Health, School of Life Course Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.

Background: Pre-eclampsia affects around 2-3% of all pregnancies, and is associated with potential serious complications for the woman and the baby. Once diagnosed, progression of the syndrome can be unpredictable, and decisions around timing of delivery need to take into account evolving maternal complications and perinatal morbidity. Novel prognostic models and blood biomarkers for determination of need for delivery in pregnancies with pre-eclampsia are now emerging. Read More

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2021 Apr 7. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Sports and Health, Institute of Nutrition, Consumption and Health, Paderborn University, Germany. Electronic address:

Background And Aims: Early life exposures could be pertinent risk factors of cardiometabolic diseases in adulthood. We assessed the prospective associations of early life factors with markers of cardiometabolic risk among healthy German adults.

Methods And Results: We examined 348 term-born DONALD Study participants with measurement of fasting blood at the age of 18-24 years to assess metabolic indices: fatty liver index (FLI), hepatic steatosis index (HSI), pro-inflammatory score and insulin sensitivity (HOMA2-%S). Read More

J Autoimmun 2021 Jul 18;121:102651. Epub 2021 May 18.

Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Pregnancy presents the maternal immune system with a unique immunological challenge since it has to defend against pathogens while tolerating paternal allo-antigens expressed by fetal tissues. T helper (Th) cells play a central role in modulating immune responses and recent advances have defined distinct contributions of various Th cell subsets throughout each phase of human pregnancy, while dysregulation in Th responses show association with multiple obstetrical complications. In addition to localized decidual mechanisms, modulation of Th cell immunity during gestation is mediated largely by oscillations in sex hormone concentrations. Read More

J Family Med Prim Care 2021 Jan 30;10(1):567-571. Epub 2021 Jan 30.

Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research and SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is an acute neurological condition characterized by the triad of ophthalmoparesis with nystagmus, ataxia, and global confusion. WE is a life-threatening illness caused by thiamine deficiency, primarily affecting the peripheral and central nervous systems. Thiamine deficiency is predominantly associated with chronic alcoholism, but various other causes have also been reported, including severe malnutrition, prolonged parenteral nutrition, malignancies, immunodeficiency syndromes, liver disease, hyperthyroidism and severe anorexia nervosa, and hyperemesis gravidarum. Read More

Mol Nutr Food Res 2021 May 19:e2100197. Epub 2021 May 19.

Departments of Human Genetics and Pediatrics, McGill University Health Center (MUHC), McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

Scope: Many pregnant women have higher folic acid (FA) intake due to food fortification and increased vitamin use. It is reported that diets containing five-fold higher FA than recommended for mice (5xFASD) during pregnancy resulted in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) deficiency and altered choline/methyl metabolism, with neurobehavioral abnormalities in newborns. The goal is to determine whether these changes have their origins in the placenta during embryonic development. Read More

Epidemiology 2021 Jul;32(4):591-597

Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA.

Background: Identification of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy research often uses hospital International Classification of Diseases v. 10 (ICD-10) codes meant for billing purposes, which may introduce misclassification error relative to medical records. We estimated the validity of ICD-10 codes for hypertensive disorders during pregnancy overall and by subdiagnosis, compared with medical record diagnosis, in a Southeastern United States high disease burden hospital. Read More

Rev Soc Bras Med Trop 2021 17;54(suppl 1):e2020834. Epub 2021 May 17.

Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, AM, Brasil.

This article discusses viral hepatitis, a theme addressed by the Clinical Protocol and Therapeutic Guidelines to Comprehensive Care for People with Sexually Transmitted Infections and, more precisely, by the Clinical Protocols and Therapeutic Guidelines for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C and Coinfections, published by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Besides the broad spectrum of health impairment, hepatitis A, B, and C viruses also present different transmission forms, whether parenteral, sexual, vertical, or fecal-oral. Among the strategies suggested for the control of viral hepatitis, in addition to behavioral measures, are expanded diagnosis, early vaccination against hepatitis A and hepatitis B viruses, and access to available therapeutic resources. Read More

Hepatology 2021 May 18. Epub 2021 May 18.

the Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Background And Aims: Gestational diabetes seems to be associated with offspring non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We hypothesized that maternal glucose concentrations across the full range may have persistent effects on offspring liver fat accumulation.

Approach And Results: In a multi-ethnic population-based prospective cohort study among 2,168 women and their offspring, maternal early-pregnancy glucose concentrations were measured at a median of 13. Read More

J Dev Orig Health Dis 2021 May 17:1-11. Epub 2021 May 17.

Laboratório de Fisiologia Endócrina e Metabolismo (LAFEM), Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (UNIOESTE), Cascavel, PR, Brazil.

Maternal obesity increases the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in offspring. The Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYBG) is effective for achieving weight loss and ameliorates NAFLD. To determine whether these benefits are maintained after pregnancy and/or lactation, and whether they modulate hepatic morphofunction in the next generation, we evaluated hepatic lipid metabolism in Western diet (WD)-obese female rats that underwent RYGB and in their F1 offspring at adulthood. Read More

World J Diabetes 2021 May;12(5):514-523

Department of Critical Care Medicine, NMC Specialty Hospital, Dubai 7832, United Arab Emirates.

Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is an acute life-threatening metabolic emergency characterized by ketoacidosis and relatively lower blood glucose (less than 11 mmol/L). The absence of hyperglycemia is a conundrum for physicians in the emergency department and intensive care units; it may delay diagnosis and treatment causing worse outcomes. Euglycemic DKA is an uncommon diagnosis but can occur in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus. Read More

Am J Reprod Immunol 2021 May 15:e13454. Epub 2021 May 15.

Division of Life Sciences, Human Health Therapeutics, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

Problem: Maternal tolerance during pregnancy increases the risk of infection with certain intracellular pathogens. Systemic Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S.Tm) infection during pregnancy in normally resistant 129X1/SvJ mice leads to severe placental infection, as well as fetal and maternal deaths. Read More

Eur J Intern Med 2021 May 10. Epub 2021 May 10.

Faculty of Medicine, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, POB 12000, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. Electronic address:

Objectives: Serum bile acid (BA) levels testing is used for the diagnosis of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). We aimed to determine the performance of routine liver tests in the evaluation of ICP.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study conducted at a university hospital, including all pregnant women who underwent serum BA levels testing due to suspected ICP during 2007-2019. Read More

Zhonghua Gan Zang Bing Za Zhi 2021 Apr;29(4):313-318

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a threat to public health by 2030. Blocking mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the key step for eliminating viral hepatitis, at the same time, it is the hotspot in the field of hepatitis B prevention and control as well. The China Foundation of Hepatitis Prevention and Control (CFHPC) organized a team of specialists to develop an algorithm for preventing MTCT of HBV, based on the most recent hepatitis B guidelines and the latest evidence. Read More

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2021 May 8. Epub 2021 May 8.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Children's and Women's Hospital and Health Centre of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Background: The majority of previous studies on severe preeclampsia, eclampsia, and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count syndrome were hospital-based or included a relatively small number of women. Large, population-based studies examining gestational age-specific incidence patterns and risk factors for these severe pregnancy complications are lacking.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the gestational age-specific incidence rates and risk factors for severe preeclampsia, hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count syndrome, and eclampsia. Read More

Vaccine 2021 05 4;39(23):3141-3151. Epub 2021 May 4.

Health Economics Unit, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Electronic address:

Despite access to a safe and effective vaccine, mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) persists in Africa. This is of concern since perinatally-infected infants are at highest risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma, a life-threatening consequence of chronic HBV infection. While tools to prevent HBV MTCT are available, the cost implications of these interventions need consideration prior to implementation. Read More

Liver Int 2021 May 7. Epub 2021 May 7.

Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the main causes of acute hepatitis and the de facto global burden is underestimated. HEV-related clinical complications are often undetected and are not considered in the differential diagnosis. Convincing findings from studies suggest that HEV is clinically relevant not only in developing countries but also in industrialized countries. Read More

Clin Sci (Lond) 2021 May;135(9):1083-1101

Department of Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa, IA, U.S.A.

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy effecting ∼5-8% of pregnancies in the United States, and ∼8 million pregnancies worldwide. Preeclampsia is clinically diagnosed after the 20th week of gestation and is characterized by new onset hypertension accompanied by proteinuria and/or thrombocytopenia, renal insufficiency, impaired liver function, pulmonary edema, or cerebral or visual symptoms. This broad definition emphasizes the heterogeneity of the clinical presentation of preeclampsia, but also underscores the role of the microvascular beds, specifically the renal, cerebral, and hepatic circulations, in the pathophysiology of the disease. Read More