Kazunori Yoh

Clinical significance of serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin positive Mac-2-binding protein level and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentration in autoimmune hepatitis.

We aimed to examine the relationship between the Wisteria floribunda agglutinin positive Mac‐2‐binding protein (WFA+‐M2BP) level and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hCRP) concentration and liver histological findings for patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

Impact of serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin positive Mac‐2‐binding protein and serum interferon‐γ‐inducible protein‐10 in primary biliary cirrhosis

We aimed to examine the relationship between serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin positive Mac‐2‐binding protein (WFA+‐M2BP) levels and serum interferon‐γ‐inducible protein‐10 (IP‐10) levels and liver histological findings for patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) compared with other laboratory fibrotic or inflammatory parameters.

Clinical significance of serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin positive Mac-2-binding protein level in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

To examine the relationship between the Wisteria floribunda agglutinin positive Mac‐2‐binding protein (WFA+‐M2BP) level and histological findings for patients with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

Serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2-binding protein for patients with chronic hepatitis B and C: a comparative study.

We compared Wisteria floribunda agglutinin‐positive Mac‐2‐binding protein (WFA+‐M2BP) levels between patients with chronic hepatitis B (n=249) and chronic hepatitis C (n=386) based on the degree of liver fibrosis. We examined WFA+‐M2BP levels in patients with F4 (cirrhosis), F3 or more (advanced fibrosis) and F2 or more (significant fibrosis) in the two groups. We further examined the relationship between five fibrosis markers and the degree of fibrosis. The WFA+‐M2BP values ranged from 0.25 cut‐off index (COI) to 12.9 COI in patients with hepatitis B and 0.34–20.0 COI in patients with hepatitis C (P<.0001). The median WFA+‐M2BP values in F4 in the two groups were 2.83 COI in patients with hepatitis B and 5.03 COI in patients with hepatitis C (P=.0046). The median WFA+‐M2BP values in F3 or more in the two groups were 1.79 COI in patients with hepatitis B and 3.79 COI in patients with hepatitis C (P<.0001). The median WFA+‐M2BP values in F2 or more in the two groups were 1.49 COI in the hepatitis B cohort and 3.19 COI in the hepatitis C group (P<.0001). Among five liver fibrosis markers, WFA+‐M2BP had the highest correlation coefficient (rs=.629) in terms of correlation with the degree of fibrosis in the patients with hepatitis C and had the second highest rs value (.415) in the hepatitis B group. Although WFA+‐M2BP could be a useful indicator of liver fibrosis, WFA+‐M2BP levels in the two groups significantly differed even in the same degree of fibrosis. Individual cut‐off values in each aetiology for the degree of fibrosis should be determined.

Factors Associated With Protein-energy Malnutrition in Chronic Liver Disease: Analysis Using Indirect Calorimetry

AbstractWe aimed to elucidate the incidence of protein–energy malnutrition (PEM) in patients with chronic liver disease and to identify factors linked to the presence of PEM.A total of 432 patients with chronic liver disease were analyzed in the current analysis. We defined patients with serum albumin level of ⩽3.5 g/dL and nonprotein respiratory quotient (npRQ) value using indirect calorimetry less than 0.85 as those with PEM. We compared between patients with PEM and those without PEM in baseline characteristics and examined factors linked to the presence of PEM using univariate and multivariate analyses.There are 216 patients with chronic hepatitis, 123 with Child–Pugh A, 80 with Child–Pugh B, and 13 with Child–Pugh C. Six patients (2.8%) had PEM in patients with chronic hepatitis, 17 (13.8%) in patients with Child–Pugh A, 42 (52.5%) in patients with Child–Pugh B, and 10 (76.9%) in patients with Child–Pugh C (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that Child–Pugh classification (P < 0.001), age ≥64 years (P = 0.0428), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) ≥40 IU/L (P = 0.0023), and branched-chain amino acid to tyrosine ratio (BTR) ⩽5.2 (P = 0.0328) were independent predictors linked to the presence of PEM. On the basis of numbers of above risk factors (age, AST, and BTR), the proportions of patients with PEM were well stratified especially in patients with early chronic hepatitis or Child–Pugh A (n = 339, P < 0.0001), while the proportions of patients with PEM tended to be well stratified in patients with Child–Pugh B or C (n = 93, P = 0.0673).Age, AST, and BTR can be useful markers for identifying PEM especially in patients with early stage of chronic liver disease.

Elevated serum myostatin level is associated with worse survival in patients with liver cirrhosis

We aimed to elucidate the relationship between serum myostatin levels and other markers including skeletal muscle mass and to investigate the influence of serum myostatin levels on survival for patients with liver cirrhosis (LC).

Proposal of a predictive model for advanced fibrosis containing Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2-binding protein in chronic hepatitis C.

We aimed to construct a predictive model for advanced fibrosis containing Wisteria floribunda agglutinin‐positive Mac‐2‐binding protein (WFA+‐M2BP) level in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and to validate its accuracy in an independent cohort.

Clinical implication of serum Wisteria floribunda Agglutinin-Positive Mac-2-binding protein in treatment naïve chronic hepatitis B.

To examine the relationship between serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin‐positive Mac‐2‐binding protein (WFA+‐M2BP) levels and liver histological findings for patients with treatment naïve chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Comparison of sleep disorders in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with interferon‐based therapy and direct acting antivirals using actigraphy

This study aimed to compare the severity of sleep problems between chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients treated with interferon (IFN)‐based triple therapy (pegylated [Peg]‐IFN plus ribavirin [RBV] plus simeprevir [SMV]) and those who received IFN‐free direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) therapy.

Clinical implication of serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin positive Mac-2-binding protein level on hepatitis B e-antigen loss or seroconversion in hepatitis B e-antigen positive patients.

Aim: To examine the impact of pretreatment Wisteria floribunda agglutinin positive Mac‐2‐binding protein (WFA+‐M2BP) level on hepatitis B e‐antigen (HBeAg) loss or HBeAg seroconversion (SC) for patients with nucleoside/nucleotide analog (NUC) therapy naive HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB).