Early fault prediction and detection of hydrocephalus shunting system

Trends of various intracranial pressure (ICP) parameters for high pressure hydrocephalus patients are utilized to detect various shunt faults in their early stages, as well as, to monitor the effect of such faults on shunt performance. A method was proposed to predict the time required for ICP to be abnormal and for the valve to reach full blockage condition. Furthermore, an auto valve schedule updating method is proposed and used to temporarily deal with detected faults until the patient is checked up by his/her physician. The proposed algorithms were evaluated using numerical simulation.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt:A promising therapy for recompensation in cirrhotic patients

This is a retrospective study focused on recompensation after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)procedure.The authors confirmed TIPS could be a treatment for recompensation of patients with cirrhosis according to Baveno VII.The paper identified age and post-TIPS portal pressure gradient as independent predictors of recompensation in patients with decompensated cirrhosis after TIPS.These results need to be validated in a larger prospective cohort.

Efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts in treating cirrhotic esophageal-gastric variceal bleeding

BACKGROUND Esophageal-gastric variceal bleeding(EGVB)represents a severe complication among patients with cirrhosis and often culminates in fatal outcomes.Interven-tional therapy,a rapidly developing treatment modality over the past few years,has found widespread application in clinical practice due to its minimally inva-sive characteristics.However,whether transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)treatment has an impact on patient prognosis remains controversial.METHODS A retrospective study was conducted on ninety-two patients presenting with cirrhotic EGVB who were admitted to our hospital between September 2020 and September 2022.Based on the different modes of treatment,the patients were assigned to the study group(TIPS received,n=50)or the control group(per-cutaneous transhepatic varices embolization received,n=42).Comparative ana-lyses were performed between the two groups preoperatively and one month postoperatively for the following parameters:Varicosity status;hemodynamic parameters[portal vein flow velocity(PVV)and portal vein diameter(PVD);platelet count(PLT);red blood cell count;white blood cell count(WBC);and hepatic function[albumin(ALB),total bilirubin(TBIL),and aspartate transaminase(AST)].The Generic Quality of Life Inventory-74 was utilized to assess quality of life in the two groups,and the 1-year postoperative rebleeding and survival rates were compared.RESULTS Following surgical intervention,there was an improvement in the incidence of varicosity compared to the preoperative status in both cohorts.Notably,the study group exhibited more pronounced enhancements than did the control group(P<0.05).PVV increased,and PVD decreased compared to the preoperative values,with the study cohort achieving better outcomes(P<0.05).PLT and WBC counts were elevated postoperatively in the two groups,with the study cohort displaying higher PLT and WBC counts(P<0.05).No differences were detected between the two groups in terms of serum ALB,TBIL,or AST levels either preoperatively or postoperatively(P<0.05).Postoperative scores across all dimensions of life quality surpassed preoperative scores,with the study cohort achieving higher scores(P<0.05).At 22.00%,the one-year postoperative rebleeding rate in the study cohort was significantly lower than that in the control group(42.86%;P<0.05);conversely,no marked difference was obser-ved in the 1-year postoperative survival rate between the two cohorts(P>0.05).CONCLUSION TIPS,which has demonstrated robust efficacy in managing cirrhotic EGVB,remarkably alleviates varicosity and improves hemodynamics in patients.This intervention not only results in a safer profile but also contributes significantly to a more favorable prognosis.

Novel CABIN score outperforms other prognostic models in predicting in-hospital mortality after salvage transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunting

BACKGROUND Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is now established as the salvage procedure of choice in patients who have uncontrolled or severe recurrent variceal bleeding despite optimal medical and endoscopic treatment.AIM To analysis compared the performance of eight risk scores to predict in-hospital mortality after salvage TIPS(sTIPS)placement in patients with uncontrolled variceal bleeding after failed medical treatment and endoscopic intervention.METHODS Baseline risk scores for the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation(APACHE)II,Bonn TIPS early mortality(BOTEM),Child-Pugh,Emory,FIPS,model for end-stage liver disease(MELD),MELD-Na,and a novel 5 category CABIN score incorporating Creatinine,Albumin,Bilirubin,INR and Na,were calculated before sTIPS.Concordance(C)statistics for predictive accuracy of inhospital mortality of the eight scores were compared using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUROC)analysis.RESULTS Thirty-four patients(29 men,5 women),median age 52 years(range 31-80)received sTIPS for uncontrolled(11)or refractory(23)bleeding between August 1991 and November 2020.Salvage TIPS controlled bleeding in 32(94%)patients with recurrence in one.Ten(29%)patients died in hospital.All scoring systems had a significant association with in-hospital mortality(P<0.05)on multivariate analysis.Based on in-hospital survival AUROC,the CABIN(0.967),APACHE II(0.948)and Emory(0.942)scores had the best capability predicting mortality compared to FIPS(0.892),BOTEM(0.877),MELD Na(0.865),Child-Pugh(0.802)and MELD(0.792).CONCLUSION The novel CABIN score had the best prediction capability with statistical superiority over seven other risk scores.Despite sTIPS,hospital mortality remains high and can be predicted by CABIN category B or C or CABIN scores>10.Survival was 100%in CABIN A patients while mortality was 75%for CABIN B,87.5%for CABIN C,and 83%for CABIN scores>10.

Bayesian network-based survival prediction model for patients having undergone post-transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for portal hypertension

BACKGROUND Portal hypertension(PHT),primarily induced by cirrhosis,manifests severe symptoms impacting patient survival.Although transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is a critical intervention for managing PHT,it carries risks like hepatic encephalopathy,thus affecting patient survival prognosis.To our knowledge,existing prognostic models for post-TIPS survival in patients with PHT fail to account for the interplay among and collective impact of various prognostic factors on outcomes.Consequently,the development of an innovative modeling approach is essential to address this limitation.AIM To develop and validate a Bayesian network(BN)-based survival prediction model for patients with cirrhosis-induced PHT having undergone TIPS.METHODS The clinical data of 393 patients with cirrhosis-induced PHT who underwent TIPS surgery at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between January 2015 and May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Variables were selected using Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression methods,and a BN-based model was established and evaluated to predict survival in patients having undergone TIPS surgery for PHT.RESULTS Variable selection revealed the following as key factors impacting survival:age,ascites,hypertension,indications for TIPS,postoperative portal vein pressure(post-PVP),aspartate aminotransferase,alkaline phosphatase,total bilirubin,prealbumin,the Child-Pugh grade,and the model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)score.Based on the above-mentioned variables,a BN-based 2-year survival prognostic prediction model was constructed,which identified the following factors to be directly linked to the survival time:age,ascites,indications for TIPS,concurrent hypertension,post-PVP,the Child-Pugh grade,and the MELD score.The Bayesian information criterion was 3589.04,and 10-fold cross-validation indicated an average log-likelihood loss of 5.55 with a standard deviation of 0.16.The model’s accuracy,precision,recall,and F1 score were 0.90,0.92,0.97,and 0.95 respectively,with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve being 0.72.CONCLUSION This study successfully developed a BN-based survival prediction model with good predictive capabilities.It offers valuable insights for treatment strategies and prognostic evaluations in patients having undergone TIPS surgery for PHT.

Alterations in the gut microbiome after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in patients with hepatitis B virus-related portal hypertension

BACKGROUND Gut microbiota(GM)affects the progression and response to treatment in liver diseases.The GM composition is diverse and associated with different etiologies of liver diseases.Notably,alterations in GM alterations are observed in patients with portal hypertension(PH)secondary to cirrhosis,with hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection being a major cause of cirrhosis in China.Thus,understanding the role of GM alterations in patients with HBV infection-related PH is essential.AIM To evaluate GM alterations in patients with HBV-related PH after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)placement.METHODS This was a prospective,observational clinical study.There were 30 patients(with a 100%technical success rate)recruited in the present study.Patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding due to HBV infection-associated PH who underwent TIPS were enrolled.Stool samples were obtained before and one month after TIPS treatment,and GM was analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing.RESULTS One month after TIPS placement,8 patients developed hepatic encephalopathy(HE)and were assigned to the HE group;the other 22 patients were assigned to the non-HE group.There was no substantial disparity in the abundance of GM at the phylum level between the two groups,regardless of TIPS treatment(all,P>0.05).However,following TIPS placement,the following results were observed:(1)The abundance of Haemophilus and Eggerthella increased,whereas that of Anaerostipes,Dialister,Butyricicoccus,and Oscillospira declined in the HE group;(2)The richness of Eggerthella,Streptococcus,and Bilophila increased,whereas that of Roseburia and Ruminococcus decreased in the non-HE group;and(3)Members from the pathogenic genus Morganella appeared in the HE group but not in the non-HE group.CONCLUSION Intestinal microbiota-related synergism may predict the risk of HE following TIPS placement in patients with HBVrelated PH.Prophylactic microbiome therapies may be useful for preventing and treating HE after TIPS placement.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for recompensating decompensated cirrhosis?

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is a medical procedure that has been used to manage variceal bleeding and ascites in patients with cirrhosis.It can prevent further decompensation and improve the survival of high-risk decompensated patients.Recent research indicates that TIPS could increase the possibility of recompensation of decompensated cirrhosis when it is combined with adequate suppression of the causative factor of liver disease.However,the results of the studies have been based on retrospective analysis,and further validation is required by conducting randomized controlled studies.In this context,we highlight the limitations of the current studies and emphasize the issues that must be addressed before TIPS can be recommended as a potential recompensating tool.

Road to recompensation:BavenoⅦcriteria and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in liver cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis has long been considered a point of no return,with limited hope for recovery.However,recent advancements,particularly the Baveno VII criteria and the utilization of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS),have illuminated the concept of hepatic recompensation.In this editorial we comment on the article by Gao et al published in the recent issue.This editorial provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of understanding cirrhosis,the criteria for recompensation,and the efficacy of TIPS in achieving recompensation.We discuss key findings from recent studies,including the promising outcomes observed in patients who achieved recompensation post-TIPS insertion.While further research is needed to validate these findings and elucidate the mechanisms underlying recompensation,the insights presented here offer renewed hope for patients with decompensated cirrhosis and highlight the potential of TIPS as a therapeutic option in their management.

Arterial Duct Stenting Versus Modified Blalock-Taussig Shunt in Patient with Ductal-Dependent Pulmonary Circulation: Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis

Objective:Patients with ductal-dependent pulmonary circulation require alternative bloodflow to provide and maintain adequate oxygenation.Modified Blalock-Taussig Shunt(MBTS)has been the standard for providing such a result.Currently,less invasive methods such as Arterial Duct(AD)stenting have been performed as alter-natives.This study aims to compare the outcome of AD stenting and MBTS.Method:Systematic research was performed in online databases using the PRISMA protocol.The outcomes measured were 30-day mortality,com-plication,unplanned intervention,oxygen saturation,duration of hospital,and ICU length of stay.Any compara-tive study provided with full text is included.The outcome of each study was analyzed using a trandom effects model with relative risk and mean difference as the effect size.Bias risk assessment was conducted using the New-castle-Ottawa Scale.All analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.4.1.Result:A total of 11 studies with 3154 samples included in this study.There is no significant difference in 30-day mortality between the two groups(p-value=0.10).However,there is significantly less complication(RR 0.53[0.35,0.82];p-value=0.004)and unplanned intervention(RR 0.59[0.38,0.92];p-value=0.02)in the AD stent group.Comparison of the Nakata index showed no significant difference(p-value=0.88).Post-operative oxygen saturation was measured signifi-cantly higher in the AD stenting(MD 1.80[0.85,2.74];p-value=0.0002).However,AD stent group shows sig-nificantly lower long-term oxygen saturation(MD-8.43[-14.38,-2.48];p-value=0.005).Both hospital and ICU length of stay was significantly shorter in the AD stent group(MD-8.30[-11.13,-5.48];p-value<0.00001;MD-5.09[-7.79,-2.38];p-value=0.0002).Conclusion:AD stenting provides comparable outcomes relative to MBTS as it provides less complication and unplanned intervention and higher post-procedural O2 saturation.However,MBTS proved its superiority in maintaining higher long-term oxygen saturation and still became the preferred option to manage complex cases where stenting is either challenging or unsuccessful.

Research status and hotspots in transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts based on CiteSpace bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is an important technique for treating complications related to portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis,and the number of publications in the TIPS field continues to rise.AIM To facilitate an understanding of the research status and hotspots in the field of TIPS using CiteSpace bibliometric analysis.METHODS CiteSpace is a software that depicts the strength of relationships through graphics and connections with diverse functionalities and can be used to analyze the status and hotspots of areas of research.Articles on TIPS in the Web of Science Core Collection were retrieved,and CiteSpace software was used to visualize and analyze the number of publications,journals,countries,institutions,authors,keywords,and citations.RESULTS A total of 985 relevant documents were included in the analysis.From January 2013 to December 2022,the number of publications increased annually.The journal,institution,and author with the greatest number of publications in the field of TIPS are the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology,the University of Bonn,and Jonel Trebicka,respectively.The main keywords used in this field are“transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt”,“portal hypertension”,“cirrhosis”,“management”,“stent”,“hepatic encephalopathy”,“refractory ascite”,“survival”,“risk”,and“variceal bleeding”.The greatest obstacle to TIPS placement is currently the occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy.The research hotspots are the mechanism,risk factors,management,and control of hepatic encephalopathy.CONCLUSION This bibliometric analysis reported the research status and hotspots of TIPS.Research on postoperative hepatic encephalopathy is the research hotspot in this field.

Spleen volume is associated with overt hepatic encephalopathy after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in patients with portal hypertension

BACKGROUND Portal shunt and immune status related to the spleen are related to the occurrence of hepatic encephalopathy(HE).It is unknown whether spleen volume before transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is related to postoperative HE.AIM To investigate the relationship between spleen volume and the occurrence of HE.METHODS This study included 135 patients with liver cirrhosis who underwent TIPS,and liver and spleen volumes were elevated upon computed tomography imaging.The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to compare the difference in the incidence rate of HE among patients with different spleen volumes.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify the factors affecting overt HE(OHE).Restricted cubic spline was used to examine the shapes of the dose-response association between spleen volumes and OHE risk.RESULTS The results showed that 37(27.2%)of 135 patients experienced OHE during a 1-year follow-up period.Compared with preoperative spleen volume(901.30±471.90 cm3),there was a significant decrease in spleen volume after TIPS(697.60±281.0 cm^(3))in OHE patients.As the severity of OHE increased,the spleen volume significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with patients with a spleen volume≥782.4 cm^(3),those with a spleen volume<782.4 cm^(3) had a higher incidence of HE(P<0.05).Cox regression analysis showed that spleen volume was an independent risk factor for post-TIPS OHE(hazard ratio=0.494,P<0.05).Restricted cubic spline model showed that with an increasing spleen volume,OHE risk showed an initial increase and then decrease(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Spleen volume is related to the occurrence of OHE after TIPS.Preoperative spleen volume is an independent risk factor for post-TIPS OHE.

Hepatic recompensation according to the Baveno VII criteria via a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: Is this true?

Hepatic recompensation is firstly described in the Baveno VII criteria,which requires the fulfillment of strict criteria.First,a primary cause of cirrhosis must be addressed,suppressed,or cured.Second,complications of liver cirrhosis,inclu-ding ascites,encephalopathy,and variceal hemorrhage,must disappear without any intervention.Finally,liver function indicators must be improved.Moreover,without addressing/suppressing/curing cirrhosis and improvement in liver syn-thetic function,complications,including ascites and variceal hemorrhage can be improved by a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS),which is not evidence of hepatic recompensation.Therefore,on the basis of the definition of hepatic recompensation,TIPS does not achieve hepatic recompensation.

Milestones to optimize of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt technique as a method for the treatment of portal hypertension complications

This editorial describes the milestones to optimize of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)technique,which have made it one of the main methods for the treatment of portal hypertension complications worldwide.Innovative ideas,subsequent experimental studies and preliminary experience of use in cirrhotic patients contributed to the introduction of TIPS into clinical practice.At the moment,the main achievement in optimize of TIPS technique is progress in the qualitative characteristics of stents.The transition from bare metal stents to extended polytetrafluoroethylene–covered stent grafts made it possible to significantly prevent shunt dysfunction.However,the question of its preferred diameter,which contributes to an optimal reduction of portal pressure without the risk of developing post-TIPS hepatic encephalopathy,remains relevant.Currently,hepatic encephalopathy is one of the most common complications of TIPS,significantly affecting its effectiveness and prognosis.Careful selection of patients based on cognitive indicators,nutritional status,assessment of liver function,etc.,will reduce the incidence of post-TIPS hepatic encephalopathy and improve treatment results.Optimize of TIPS technique has significantly expanded the indications for its use and made it one of the main methods for the treatment of portal hypertension complications.At the same time,there are a number of limitations and unresolved issues that require further randomized controlled trials involving a large cohort of patients.

Development and validation of a predictive model for acute-onchronic liver failure after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

BACKGROUND Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is a cause of acute-onchronic liver failure(ACLF).AIM To investigate the risk factors of ACLF within 1 year after TIPS in patients with cirrhosis and construct a prediction model.METHODS In total,379 patients with decompensated cirrhosis treated with TIPS at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from 2017 to 2020 were selected as the training cohort,and 123 patients from Nanfang Hospital were included in the external validation cohort.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent predictors.The prediction model was established based on the Akaike information criterion.Internal and external validation were conducted to assess the performance of the model.RESULTS Age and total bilirubin(TBil)were independent risk factors for the incidence of ACLF within 1 year after TIPS.We developed a prediction model comprising age,TBil,and serum sodium,which demonstrated good discrimination and calibration in both the training cohort and the external validation cohort.CONCLUSION Age and TBil are independent risk factors for the incidence of ACLF within 1 year after TIPS in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.Our model showed satisfying predictive value.

Correlation between serum markers and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt prognosis in patients with cirrhotic ascites

BACKGROUND Individuals with refractory ascites in the context of liver cirrhosis typically face an adverse prognosis.The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is an efficacious intervention,but there is a lack of reliable tools for postoperative pro-gnosis assessment.Previously utilized clinical biochemical markers,such as the serum albumin concentration(Alb),sodium(Na+)concentration,and serum creatinine(Scr),have limited predictive value.Therefore,the quest for novel,specific biomarkers to evaluate the post-TIPS prognosis in patients with liver cirrhosis and refractory ascites holds significant practical importance.A retrospective analysis was conducted on 75 patients with liver cirrhosis and refractory ascites who underwent TIPS at our institution from August 2019 to August 2021.These patients were followed up regularly for two years,and the death toll was meticulously documented.The patients were allocated into a survival group(n=45 patients)or a deceased group(n=30 patients)based on their prognosis status.The clinical data of the two groups were collected,and Child-Pugh scores and MELD scores were calculated for analysis.Spearman correlation analysis was carried out to evaluate the correlation of prognosis with Child-Pugh grade,MELD score,and Cys C level.Additionally,a multiple-factor analysis utilizing the Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify independent risk factors affecting the post-TIPS prognosis of patients with liver cirrhosis and refractory ascites.The receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC)ascertained the predictive value of the Cys C concen-tration,Child-Pugh grade,and MELD score for the prognosis of liver cirrhosis with refractory ascites in post-TIPS patients.RESULTS During a 2-year follow-up period,among 75 patients with liver cirrhosis and refractory ascites who underwent TIPS treatment,30 patients(40.00%)passed away.The deceased cohort exhibited heightened aspartate aminotrans-ferase,alanine aminotransferase,total bilirubin,Scr,prothrombin time,Cys C,international normalized ratio,Child-Pugh,and MELD scores compared to those of the survival cohort,while Alb and Na+levels were attenuated in the deceased group(P<0.05).Spearman analysis revealed moderate to high positive correlations between prognosis and Child-Pugh score,MELD score,and Cys C level(r=0.709,0.749,0.671,P<0.05).Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model demonstrated that the independent risk factors for post-TIPS prognosis in patients with liver cirrhosis and refractory ascites were Cys C(HR=3.802;95%CI:1.313-11.015),Child-Pugh(HR=3.030;95%CI:1.858-4.943),and MELD(HR=1.222;95%CI:1.073-1.393)scores.ROC analysis confirmed that,compared to those of the classic prognostic models for Child-Pugh and MELD scores,the predictive accuracy of Cys C for post-TIPS prognosis in patients with liver cirrhosis and refractory ascites was slightly lower.This analysis yielded sensitivity and specificity values of 83.33%and 82.22%,respectively.The area under the curve value at this juncture was 0.883,with an optimal cutoff value set at 1.95 mg/L.CONCLUSION Monitoring the serum Cys C concentration is valuable for assessing the post-TIPS prognosis in patients with liver cirrhosis and refractory ascites.Predictive models based on serum Cys C levels,as opposed to Scr levels,are more beneficial for evaluating the condition and prognosis of patients with ascites due to cirrhosis.

Enhancing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt procedure efficiency with digital subtraction angiography image overlay technology in esophagogastric variceal bleeding

BACKGROUND Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)is a pivotal intervention for managing esophagogastric variceal bleeding in patients with chronic hepatic schistosomiasis.AIM To evaluate the efficacy of digital subtraction angiography image overlay tech-nology(DIT)in guiding the TIPS procedure.METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent TIPS at our hospital,comparing outcomes between an ultrasound-guided group and a DIT-guided group.Our analysis focused on the duration of the portosystemic shunt puncture,the number of punctures needed,the total surgical time,and various clinical indicators related to the surgery.RESULTS The study included 52 patients with esophagogastric varices due to chronic hepatic schistosomiasis.Results demonstrated that the DIT-guided group expe-rienced significantly shorter puncture times(P<0.001)and surgical durations(P=0.022)compared to the ultrasound-guided group.Additionally,postoperative assessments showed significant reductions in aspartate aminotransferase,B-type natriuretic peptide,and portal vein pressure in both groups.Notably,the DIT-guided group also showed significant reductions in total bilirubin(P=0.001)and alanine aminotransferase(P=0.023).CONCLUSION The use of DIT for guiding TIPS procedures highlights its potential to enhance procedural efficiency and reduce surgical times in the treatment of esophagogastric variceal bleeding in patients with chronic hepatic schistoso-miasis.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for esophagogastric variceal bleeding in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and portal vein tumor thrombus

BACKGROUND Whether hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)with portal vein tumor thrombus(PVTT)and acute esophagogastric variceal bleeding(EGVB)can improve the success rate of endoscopic hemostasis and overall survival(OS)from transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)remains controversial.AIM To compare the clinical outcomes between TIPS and standard treatment for such HCC patients.METHODS This monocenter,retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed as HCC with PVTT and upper gastrointestinal bleeding.Patients were grouped by the treatment(TIPS or standard conservative treatment).The success rate of en-doscopic hemostasis,OS,rebleeding rates,and main causes of death were ana-lyzed.RESULTS Between July 2015 and September 2021,a total of 77 patients(29 with TIPS and 48 with standard treatment)were included.The success rate of endoscopic hemostasis was 96.6%in the TIPS group and 95.8%in the standard treatment group.All the 29 patients in TIPS group successful underwent TIPS procedure and had a better OS compared with standard treatment within the first 160 days after treatment(68 days vs 43 days,P=0.022),but shorter OS after 160 days(298 days vs 472 days, P = 0.022). Cheng’s Classification of PVTT, total bilirubin and Child-Pugh class wereindependently negative associated with OS (all P < 0.05). The main causes of death were liver failure or hepaticencephalopathy (75.9%) in the TIPS group and rebleeding (68.8%) in the standard treatment.CONCLUSIONTIPS could reduce the risk of early death due to rebleeding and prolong short-term survival in HCC patients withPVTT and acute EGVB, which deserves further investigation.

Development of a new Cox model for predicting long-term survival in hepatitis cirrhosis patients underwent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts

BACKGROUND Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)placement is a procedure that can effectively treat complications of portal hypertension,such as variceal bleeding and refractory ascites.However,there have been no specific studies on predicting long-term survival after TIPS placement.AIM To establish a model to predict long-term survival in patients with hepatitis cirrhosis after TIPS.METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 224 patients who un-derwent TIPS implantation.Through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses,various factors were examined for their ability to predict survival at 6 years after TIPS.Consequently,a composite score was formulated,encompassing the indication,shunt reasonability,portal venous pressure gradient(PPG)after TIPS,percentage decrease in portal venous pressure(PVP),indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min(ICGR15)and total bilirubin(Tbil)level.Furthermore,the performance of the newly developed Cox(NDC)model was evaluated in an in-ternal validation cohort and compared with that of a series of existing models.RESULTS The indication(variceal bleeding or ascites),shunt reasonability(reasonable or unreasonable),ICGR15,post-operative PPG,percentage of PVP decrease and Tbil were found to be independent factors affecting long-term survival after TIPS placement.The NDC model incorporated these parameters and successfully identified patients at high risk,exhibiting a notably elevated mortality rate following the TIPS procedure,as observed in both the training and validation cohorts.Additionally,in terms of predicting the long-term survival rate,the performance of the NDC model was significantly better than that of the other four models[Child-Pugh,model for end-stage liver disease(MELD),MELD-sodium and the Freiburg index of post-TIPS survival].CONCLUSION The NDC model can accurately predict long-term survival after the TIPS procedure in patients with hepatitis cirrhosis,help identify high-risk patients and guide follow-up management after TIPS implantation.

Shunting branch of portal vein and stent position predict survival after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

AIM: To evaluate the effect of the shunting branch of the portal vein (PV) (left or right) and the initial stent position (optimal or suboptimal) of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).

Effect of rapamycin on hepatic osteodystrophy in rats with portasystemic shunting

AIM： TO study if T-cell activation related to portasystemic shunting causes osteoclast-mediated bone loss through RANKL-dependent pathways. We also investigated if T-cell inhibition using rapamycin would protect against bone loss in rats. METHODS： Portasystemic shunting was performed in male Sprague-Dawley rats and rapamycin 0.1 mg/kg was administered for 15 wk by gavage. Rats received powderized chow and supplemental feeds to prevent the effects of malnutrition on bone composition. Weight gain and growth was restored after surgery in shunted animals. At termination, biochemical parameters of bone turnover and quantitative bone histology were assessed. Markers of T-cell activation, inflammatory cytokine production, and RANKL-dependent pathways were measured. In addition, the roles of IGF-1 and hypogonadism were investigated. RESULTS： Portasystemic shunting caused low turnover osteoporosis that was RANKL independent. Bone resorbing cytokine levels, including IL-1, IL-6 and TNFα, were not increased in serum and TNFα and RANKL expression were not upregulated in PBMC. Portasystemic shunting increased the circulating CD8＋ T-cell population. Rapamycin decreased the circulating CD8＋ T-cell population, increased CD8＋ CD25＋ T-regulatory cell population and improved all parameters of bone turnover. CONCLUSION： Osteoporosis caused by portasystemic shunting may be partially ameliorated by rapamycin in the rat model of hepatic osteodystrophy.