Recent advances in the diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury

Drug-induced liver injury(DILI)is a major problem in the United States,commonly leading to hospital admission.Diagnosing DILI is difficult as it is a diagnosis of exclusion requiring a temporal relationship between drug exposure and liver injury and a thorough work up for other causes.In addition,DILI has a very variable clinical and histologic presentation that can mimic many different etiologies of liver disease.Objective scoring systems can assess the probability that a drug caused the liver injury but liver biopsy findings are not part of the criteria used in these systems.This review will address some of the recent updates to the scoring systems and the role of liver biopsy in the diagnosis of DILI.

Drug induced acute pancreatitis: Does it exist?

As the incidence of acute pancreatitis continues to rise, establishing the etiology in order to prevent recurrence is important. Although the etiology of acute pancreatitis is not difficult in the majority of patients, almost a quarter of patients are initially labeled as having idiopathic acute pancreatitis. When confronted with a patient with acute pancreatitis and no clear etiology defined as an absence alcoholism, gallstones(ultrasound and/or MRI), a normal triglyceride level, and absence of tumor, it often appears reasonable to consider a drug as the cause of acute pancreatitis. Over 100 drugs have been implicated by case reports as causing acute pancreatitis. While some of these case reports are well written, many case reports represent poorly written experiences of the clinician simply implicating a drug without a careful evaluation. Over-reliance on case reports while ignoring randomized clinical trials and large pharmacoepidemiologic surveys has led to confusion about drug induced acute pancreatitis. This review will explain that drug induced acute pancreatitis does occur, but it is rare, and over diagnosis leads to misconceptions about the disease resulting in inappropriate patient care, increased litigation and a failure to address the true entity: idiopathic acute pancreatitis.

Ayurvedic drug induced liver injury

Drug induced liver injury is responsible for 50% of acute liver failure in developed countries. Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicine have been linked to liver injury. This case describes the first documented case of Punarnava mandur and Kanchnar guggulu causing drug induced liver injury. Drug induced liver injury may be difficult to diagnosis, but use of multi-modalities tools including the ACG algorithms, causative assessment scales, histological findings, and imaging, is recommended. Advanced imaging, such as magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, may possibly have a greater role than previously reported in literature.

Liver injury associated with drug intake during pregnancy

Drug use during pregnancy is not common.Drug-induced liver injury(DILI)is a potential complication that is rare but can adversely affect both the mother and the fetus.Although many drugs can directly cause hepatotoxicity,idiosyncratic liver injury is common in pregnancy.Underreporting of adverse drug reactions,lack of adequate literature regarding drug safety in pregnancy,and the inherent difficulty in diagnosing DILI during pregnancy make the management of this condition challenging.This review attempts to describe the existing literature regarding DILI in pregnancy,which is mainly in the form of case reports;several studies have looked at the safety of antithyroid drugs,antiretroviral drugs,and paracetamol,which have an indication for use in pregnancy;the relevant data from these studies with regard to DILI has been presented.In addition,the review describes the diagnosis of DILI,grading the disease severity,assessment of causality linking the drug to the adverse event,regulatory guidelines for evaluating the potential of drugs to cause liver injury,efforts to ensure better participation of women in clinical trials and studies in pregnant women population in particular,and the challenges involved in generating adequate research evidence.The establishment of DILI registries in various countries is an encouraging development;however,there is a need for promoting active,spontaneous reporting of adverse events during pregnancy to ensure rapid generation of evidence regarding the safety of a drug in pregnant women.

Drug induced autoimmune hepatitis:An unfortunate case of herbal toxicity from Skullcap supplement:A case report

BACKGROUND The surge in traditional herbal dietary supplement(HDS)popularity has led to increased drug-induced liver injuries(DILI).Despite lacking evidence of efficacy and being prohibited from making medical claims,their acceptance has risen over sevenfold in the last two decades,with roughly 25%of United States(US)adults using these supplements monthly.An estimated 23000 emergency room visits annually in the US are linked to HDS side effects.NIH-funded research suggests HDS contribute to 7-20%of DILI cases,with similar trends in Europe—Spain reporting 2%and Iceland up to 16%.Patients with acute liver failure from HDS undergo liver transplantation more frequently than those from prescription medicines.Here we describe a case of drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis due to Skullcap supplements,this association appears to be the first documented instance in literature.CASE SUMMARY A middle-aged Caucasian woman,previously healthy,presented with sudden jaundice.Four months earlier,her liver enzymes were normal.She mentioned recent use of Skullcap mushroom supplements.Tests for chronic liver disease were negative.The first liver biopsy indicated severe resolving drug-induced liver injury.Despite treatment,she was readmitted due to worsening jaundice.Followup tests raised concerns about autoimmune hepatitis.A subsequent biopsy confirmed this diagnosis.The patient responded as expected to stopping the medication with improvement in liver enzymes.CONCLUSION This scenario highlights an uncommon instance of DILI caused by Skullcap supplements.It's crucial for hepatologists to recognize this connection due to the increasing prevalence of herbal supplements.

A Case of Infectious Mononucleosis Induced Jaundice Complicated by Possible Drug Induced Liver Injury (DILI)

In this case, a young female presented with non-specific features such as fever, sore throat, headache and fatigue. She went on to develop epigastric pain, darkening of urine and jaundice, with no resolution of prior symptoms. Physical and Laboratory tests confirmed the primary diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis, however, prior history of treatment with multiple drugs led to a diagnosis of DILI as a complication. Appropriate treatment with I.V. antibiotics, hepatoprotective agents, steroids as well as discontinuation of all potential hepatotoxic agents showed significant improvement in patients’ symptoms and overall condition.

Drug-induced liver injury and COVID-19:Use of artificial intelligence and the updated Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method in clinical practice

BACKGROUND Liver injury is a relevant condition in coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)inpatients.Pathophysiology varies from direct infection by virus,systemic inflammation or drug-induced adverse reaction(DILI).DILI detection and monitoring is clinically relevant,as it may contribute to poor prognosis,prolonged hospitalization and increase indirect healthcare costs.Artificial Intelligence(AI)applied in data mining of electronic medical records combining abnormal liver tests,keyword searching tools,and risk factors analysis is a relevant opportunity for early DILI detection by automated algorithms.AIM To describe DILI cases in COVID-19 inpatients detected from data mining in electronic medical records(EMR)using AI and the updated Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method(RUCAM).METHODS The study was conducted in March 2021 in a hospital in southern Brazil.The NoHarm©system uses AI to support decision making in clinical pharmacy.Hospital admissions were 100523 during this period,of which 478 met the inclusion criteria.From these,290 inpatients were excluded due to alternative causes of liver injury and/or due to not having COVID-19.We manually reviewed the EMR of 188 patients for DILI investigation.Absence of clinical information excluded most eligible patients.The DILI assessment causality was possible via the updated RUCAM in 17 patients.RESULTS Mean patient age was 53 years(SD±18.37;range 22-83),most were male(70%),and admitted to the non-intensive care unit sector(65%).Liver injury pattern was mainly mixed,mean time to normalization of liver markers was 10 d,and mean length of hospitalization was 20.5 d(SD±16;range 7-70).Almost all patients recovered from DILI and one patient died of multiple organ failure.There were 31 suspected drugs with the following RUCAM score:Possible(n=24),probable(n=5),and unlikely(n=2).DILI agents in our study were ivermectin,bicalutamide,linezolid,azithromycin,ceftriaxone,amoxicillin-clavulanate,tocilizumab,piperacillin-tazobactam,and albendazole.Lack of essential clinical information excluded most patients.Although rare,DILI is a relevant clinical condition in COVID-19 patients and may contribute to poor prognostics.CONCLUSION The incidence of DILI in COVID-19 inpatients is rare and the absence of relevant clinical information on EMR may underestimate DILI rates.Prospects involve creation and validation of alerts for risk factors in all DILI patients based on RUCAM assessment causality,alterations of liver biomarkers and AI and machine learning.

Current remarks and future directions on the interactions between metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease and COVID-19

During the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,particular interest rose regarding the interaction between metabolic dysfunctionassociated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)and the COVID-19 infection.Several studies highlighted the fact that individuals with MAFLD had higher probability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and more severe adverse clinical outcomes.One of the proposed mechanisms is the inflammatory response pathway,especially the one involving cytokines,such as interleukin 6,which appeared particularly elevated in those patients and was deemed responsible for additional insult to the already damaged liver.This should increase our vigilance in terms of early detection,close follow up and early treatment for individuals with MAFLD and COVID-19 infection.In the direction of early diagnosis,biomarkers such as cytokeratin-18 and scoring systems such as Fibrosis-4 index score are proposed.COVID-19 is a newly described entity,expected to be of concern for the years to come,and MAFLD is a condition with an ever-increasing impact.Delineating the interaction between these two entities should be brought into the focus of research.Reducing morbidity and mortality of patients with COVID-19 and MAFLD should be the ultimate objective,and the optimal way to achieve this is by designing evidence-based prevention and treatment policies.

Insights into skullcap herb-induced liver injury

This editorial addresses the growing concern of herb-induced liver injury(HILI),focusing on a unique case of Skullcap-induced HILI report.This editorial underscore the significant mortality rate linked to Skullcap-induced HILI,emphasizing the importance of vigilant monitoring and intervention.As herbal supplement usage rises,collaboration among clinicians and researchers is crucial to comprehend and address the complexities of HILI,particularly those involving Skullcap.

Acute Eosinophilic Pneumonia (AEP) Due to Daptomycin: Is Autoimmunity a Clinico-Pathophysiologic Bridge to AEP?

Daptomycin induced acute eosinophilic pneumonia is a rare and potentially life threatening condition characterized by rapid respiratory failure, pulmonary infiltrates and eosinophilia. Risk factors for acute eosinophilic pneumonia include smoking, environmental irritants or inhalants and certain medications such as Daptomycin [1]. In this review of literature, we aim to explore the potential triggers for developing acute eosinophilic pneumonia in patients exposed to Daptomycin. The exact immune mechanism for daptomycin induced AEP is unknown, however the current proposed mechanism describes a T helper 2 lymphocyte response to inactivated daptomycin in the pulmonary surfactant, which leads to eosinophilia. Disordered T regulatory cell function is seen in patients with certain cancers, allergies and autoimmune conditions. We propose that patients with these underlying risk factors may be at increased risk of developing AEP after becoming exposed to Daptomycin. Understanding potential risk factors is crucial for health care workers as it allows them to identify susceptible populations, explore preventative measures and treat accordingly.

Herb-induced liver injury: Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND The use of herbal supplements and alternative medicines has been increasing in the last decades.Despite popular belief that the consumption of natural products is harmless,herbs might cause injury to various organs,particularly to the liver,which is responsible for their metabolism in the form of herb-induced liver injury(HILI).AIM To identify herbal products associated with HILI and describe the type of lesion associated with each product.METHODS Studies were retrieved using Medical Subject Headings Descriptors combined with Boolean operators.Searches were run on the electronic databases Scopus,Web of Science,MEDLINE,BIREME,LILACS,Cochrane Library for Systematic Reviews,SciELO,Embase,and Opengray.eu.Languages were restricted to English,Spanish,and Portuguese.There was no date of publication restrictions.The reference lists of the studies retrieved were searched manually.To access causality,the Maria and Victorino System of Causality Assessment in Drug Induced Liver Injury was used.Simple descriptive analysis were used to summarize the results.RESULTS The search strategy retrieved 5918 references.In the final analysis,446 references were included,with a total of 936 cases reported.We found 79 types of herbs or herbal compounds related to HILI.He-Shou-Wu,Green tea extract,Herbalife,kava kava,Greater celandine,multiple herbs,germander,hydroxycut,skullcap,kratom,Gynura segetum,garcinia cambogia,ma huang,chaparral,senna,and aloe vera were the most common supplements with HILI reported.Most of these patients had complete clinical recovery(82.8%).However,liver transplantation was necessary for 6.6%of these cases.Also,chronic liver disease and death were observed in 1.5%and 10.4%of the cases,respectively.CONCLUSION HILI is normally associated with a good prognosis,once the implied product is withdrawn.Nevertheless,it is paramount to raise awareness in the medical and non-medical community of the risks of the indiscriminate use of herbal products.

Severe liver injury due to herbal and dietary supplements and the role of liver transplantation

Herbal and dietary supplements(HDS)are increasingly used worldwide for numerous,mainly unproven health benefits.The HDS industry is poorly regulated compared to prescription medicines and most products are easily obtainable.Drug induced liver injury(DILI)is a well-recognized entity associated with prescription and over the counter medications and many reports have emerged of potential HDS-related DILI.There is considerable geographic variability in the risk and severity of DILI associated with HDS but the presentation of severe liver injury is similar with a hepatocellular pattern accompanied by jaundice.This type of injury can lead to acute liver failure and the need for liver transplantation.Patients will often fail to mention their use of HDS,considering it natural and therefore harmless.Hence physicians should understand that these products can be associated with DILI and explicitly ask about HDS use in any patient with otherwise unexplained acute liver injury.

Mechanisms and consequences of COVID-19 associated liver injury: What can we affirm?

Since the first reports of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)cases in December 2019 in China,numerous papers have been published describing a high frequency of liver injury associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection,many of them proposing a link between these findings and patient outcomes.Increases in serum aminotransferase levels(ranging from 16%to 62%)and bilirubin levels(ranging from 5%to 21%)have been reported and seem to be more often observed in patients with severe forms of COVID-19.Although absolute changes in these parameters are frequently seen,other variables,such as the ratio above the upper limit of normal,the onset of liver injury as a complication in severe cases and histopathological findings,reinforce that liver changes are of dubious clinical relevance in the course of this disease.Other factors must also be considered in these analyses,such as the repercussions of hemodynamic changes,the presence of thrombotic events,and,mainly,the possible drug-induced liver injury with the current,yet off-label,treatment.This paper aimed to analyze the currently available data on liver injury in patients with COVID-19.

Atypical causes of cholestasis

Cholestatic liver disease consists of a variety of disorders. Primary sclerosing cholangitis and primary biliary cirrhosis are the most commonly recognized cholestatic liver disease in the adult population, while biliary atresia and Alagille syndrome are commonly recognized in the pediatric population. In infants, the causes are usually congenital or inherited. Even though jaundice is a hallmark of cholestasis, it is not always seen in adult patients with chronic liver disease. Patients can have “silent” progressive cholestatic liver disease for years prior to development of symptoms such as jaundice and pruritus. In this review, we will discuss some of the atypical causes of cholestatic liver disease such as benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis, progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, Alagille Syndrome, biliary atresia, total parenteral nutrition induced cholestasis and cholestasis secondary to drug induced liver injury.

Liver immunology and herbal treatment

Beyond the metabolic functions, the liver recently has been defined as an organ of immune system(IS), which have central regulatory role for innate and adaptive immunity. The liver keeps a delicate balance between hepatic screening of pathogenic antigens and immune tolerance to self-antigens. Herbal treatments with immunological effects have potential to alter this hepatic immune balance towards either therapeutic side or diseases side by inducing liver injury via hepatotoxicity or initiation of autoimmune diseases. Most commonly known herbal treatments, which have therapeutic effect on liver and IS, have proven via in vitro, in vivo, and/or clinical studies were summarized in this review.

Hepatic complications induced by immunosuppressants and biologics in inflammatory bowel disease

The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases(IBD)is rising worldwide.The therapeutic options for IBD are expanding,and the number of drugs with new targets will rapidly increase in coming years.A rapid step-up approach with close monitoring of intestinal inflammation is extensively used.The fear of side effects represents one the most limiting factor of their use.Despite a widespread use for years,drug induced liver injury(DILI)management remains a challenging situation with Azathioprine and Methotrexate.DILI seems less frequent with anti-tumor necrosis factor agents and new biologic therapies.The aim of this review is to report incidence,physiopathology and practical guidelines in case of DILI occurrence with the armamentarium of old and new drugs in the field of IBD.

Glutathione-S-transferases genes-promising predictors of hepatic dysfunction

diseases pathogenesis are genes that encodes the synthesis of glutathione-Stransferase(GST),known as the second phase enzyme detoxification system that protects against endogenous oxidative stress and exogenous toxins,through catalisation of glutathione sulfuric groups conjugation and decontamination of lipid and deoxyribonucleic acid oxidation products.The group of GST enzymes consists of cytosolic,mitochondrial and microsomal fractions.Recently,eight classes of soluble cytoplasmic isoforms of GST enzymes are widely known:α-,ζ-,θ-,κ-,μ-,π-,σ-,andω-.The GSTs gene family in the Human Gene Nomenclature Committee,online database recorded over 20 functional genes.The level of GSTs expression is considered to be a crucial factor in determining the sensitivity of cells to a broad spectrum of toxins.Nevertheless,human GSTs genes have multiple and frequent polymorphisms that include the complete absence of the GSTM1 or the GSTT1 gene.Current review supports the position that genetic polymorphism of GST genes is involved in the pathogenesis of various liver diseases,particularly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,hepatitis and liver cirrhosis of different etiology and hepatocellular carcinoma.Certain GST allelic variants were proven to be associated with susceptibility to hepatological pathology,and correlations with the natural course of the diseases were subsequently postulated.

Comprehensive review of hepatotoxicity associated with traditional Indian Ayurvedic herbs

With growing antipathy toward conventional prescription drugs due to the fear of adverse events,the general and patient populations have been increasingly using complementary and alternative medications(CAMs)for managing acute and chronic diseases.The general misconception is that natural herbal-based preparations are devoid of toxicity,and hence short-and long-term use remain justified among people as well as the CAM practitioners who prescribe these medicines.In this regard,Ayurvedic herbal medications have become one of the most utilized in the East,specifically the Indian sub-continent,with increasing use in the West.Recent well-performed observational studies have confirmed the hepatotoxic potential of Ayurvedic drugs.Toxicity stems from direct effects or from indirect effects through herbal metabolites,unknown herb-herb and herbdrug interactions,adulteration of Ayurvedic drugs with other prescription medicines,and contamination due to poor manufacturing practices.In this exhaustive review,we present details on their hepatotoxic potential,discuss the mechanisms,clinical presentation,liver histology and patient outcomes of certain commonly used Ayurvedic herbs which will serve as a knowledge bank for physicians caring for liver disease patients,to support early identification and treatment of those who present with CAM-induced liver injury.

Immune-mediated liver injury following COVID-19 vaccination

Liver injury secondary to vaccination is a rare adverse event that has recently come under attention thanks to the continuous pharmacovigilance following the widespread implementation of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)vaccination protocols.All three most widely distributed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine formulations,e.g.,BNT162b2,mRNA-1273,and ChAdOx1-S,can induce liver injury that may involve immune-mediated pathways and result in autoimmune hepatitis-like presentation that may require therapeutic intervention in the form of corticosteroid administration.Various mechanisms have been proposed in an attempt to highlight immune checkpoint inhibition and thus establish causality with vaccination.The autoimmune features of such a reaction also prompt an in-depth investigation of the newly employed vaccine technologies.Novel vaccine delivery platforms,e.g.,mRNA-containing lipid nanoparticles and adenoviral vectors,contribute to the inflammatory background that leads to an exaggerated immune response,while patterns of molecular mimicry between the spike(S)protein and prominent liver antigens may account for the autoimmune presentation.Immune mediators triggered by vaccination or vaccine ingredients per se,including autoreactive antibodies,cytokines,and cytotoxic T-cell populations,may inflict hepatocellular damage through wellestablished pathways.We aim to review available data associated with immunemediated liver injury associated with COVID-19 vaccination and elucidate potential mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis.

Anabolic androgenic steroid-induced liver injury:An update

Anabolic androgenic steroids(AASs)are a group of molecules including endogenous testosterone and synthetic derivatives that have both androgenic and anabolic effects.These properties make them therapeutically beneficial in medical conditions such as hypogonadism.However,they are commonly bought illegally and misused for their anabolic,skeletal muscle building,and performanceenhancing effects.Supraphysiologic and long-term use of AASs affects all organs,leading to cardiovascular,neurological,endocrine,gastrointestinal,renal,and hematologic disorders.Hepatotoxicity is one of the major concerns regarding AASs treatment and abuse.Testosterone and its derivatives have been most often shown to induce a specific form of cholestasis,peliosis hepatis,and hepatic benign and malignant tumors.It is currently believed that mechanisms of pathogenesis of these disorders include disturbance of antioxidative factors,upregulation of bile acid synthesis,and induction of hepatocyte hyperplasia.Most toxicity cases are treated with supportive measures and liver function normalizes with discontinuation of AAS.However,some long-term consequences are irreversible.AAS-induced liver injury should be taken in consideration in patients with liver disorders,especially with the increasing unintentional ingestion of supplements containing AAS.In this paper,we review the most current knowledge about AAS-associated adverse effects on the liver,and their clinical presentations,prevalence,and pathophysiological mechanisms.