Complications of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) include increased short-term mortality. Extrahepatic organ failures result from chronic liver disease and acute hepatic injury. This combination characterizes end-stage liver disease. Its rapid progression makes it challenging for hepatologists and intensivists to treat. The varied definitions of this condition lead to varied clinical presentations. Hepatic or extrahepatic failures are more prevalent in chronic hepatitis B or cirrhosis patients who receive an additional injury. Numerous intensity parameters and prognosis ratings, including those for hepatitis B virus (HBV), have been developed and verified for various patients and causes of the disease. Liver regeneration, liver transplantation (LT), or antiviral therapy for HBV-related ACLF are the main treatment aims for various organ failures. LT is the best treatment for HBV-ACLF. In some HBV-related ACLF patients, nucleos(t)ide analogs and artificial liver assistance may enhance survival. Combining epidemiological and clinical studies, this review updates our understanding of HBV-ACLF\'s definition, diagnosis, epidemiology, etiology, therapy, and prognosis.

Bevezetés: A palliatív ellátás javítja a krónikus, progresszív betegségben szenvedő, súlyos állapotú betegek életminőségét. Célkitűzés: Célunk volt, hogy felmérjük a belgyógyászati osztályunkon kezelt, krónikus, progresszív betegségben szenvedő, súlyos állapotú betegek palliatív ellátásának szükségességét és a betegek jellemzőit. Módszer: Retrospektív tanulmányunk a 2020. január 1. és 2024. január 31. között klinikánkra a Sürgősségi Betegellátó Osztályról felvett, palliatív konzíliumba referált betegek betegségjellemzőit, a klinikai diagnózis és a palliatív ellátás időpontjait, a betegek felvételének okát, állapotukat, tüneteiket, esetleges haláluk helyét és idejét vizsgálta. Eredmények: A 197 beteg átlagéletkora 71 év volt, 45%-uk volt férfi. Daganatos betegségben 95, egyéb krónikus, progresszív betegségben 5%-uk szenvedett. Az elsődleges daganat leggyakoribb helye a tüdő, a vastagbél és az emlő volt. A nem daganatos betegek szervelégtelenségben vagy neurológiai kórképben szenvedtek. Korai palliatív ellátásban a daganatos betegek 4%-a részesült. A betegek funkcionális stádiumának átlaga ECOG 3,4, illetve a Karnofsky-index szerint 24% volt. A vezető tünetek a fájdalom, az étvágytalanság és a fulladás voltak. Daganatos betegeknél a diagnózis és a palliatív gondozás kezdete között eltelt idő átlaga 110 hétnek bizonyult, 17%-uknál a két időpont megegyezett. A palliatív gondozás kezdete és a klinikai palliatív konzílium között átlagosan 26 nap telt el, 71%-uknál a két időpont megegyezett. Családi megbeszélés a betegek 33%-ánál valósult meg, mely alacsony arány részben a COVID–19-pandémia alatti beteglátogatási korlátozásoknak tudható be. A vizsgálat végéig a betegek 88%-a elhunyt, csupán 27%-a az otthonában. A palliatív ellátás kezdete és a halál időpontja között átlagosan 82 nap telt el. Megbeszélés: Eredményeink azt mutatják, hogy a palliatív ellátási igényű betegek tüneti terhei jelentősek. A daganatos betegek diagnózisa sokszor késői, korai palliatív ellátásuk ritkán történik meg, palliatív gondozásba későn kerülnek, és sokszor nem az otthonukban halnak meg, ahol utolsó időszakuk eltöltését preferálnák. A nem daganatos, krónikus progresszív kórképben szenvedőknél ritkán gondolunk a palliatív ellátás szükségességére. Következtetés: A krónikus, progresszív betegségben szenvedők korai palliatív ellátása javítja az életminőségüket. Orv Hetil. 2024; 165(26): 1010–1016.

OBJECTIVE: Necroptosis, a programmed inflammatory cell death, is involved in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis (AP). We compared levels of interleukin (IL)-33 (released upon necroptosis), sST2 (soluble IL-33 receptor), MLKL, RIPK1 and RIPK3 (necroptosis executioner proteins), and proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF and IL-1β at various severity categories and stages of AP.
METHODS: Plasma from 20 patients with early mild AP (MAP) (symptom onset < 72 h), 7 with severe AP (SAP) without and 4 with persistent organ failure (OF) at sampling, 8 patients with late SAP and 20 healthy controls (HC) were studied by ELISAs.
RESULTS: Early sST2 and IL-6 levels predicted the development of SAP and were higher in both MAP and early and late SAP than in HC. RIPK3 levels were higher than in HC in the patients who had or would later have SAP. MLKL levels were associated with the presence of OFs, particularly in the late phase, but were also higher in MAP than in HC.
CONCLUSIONS: sST2, RIPK3 and IL-6 levels may have prognostic value in AP. Elevated MLKL levels are associated with OF in AP. Better understanding of necroptosis in AP pathophysiology is needed to evaluate whether inhibiting and targeting necroptosis is a potential therapeutic option in AP.

UNASSIGNED: Links have been established between SARS-CoV-2 and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). However, the relationships between inflammation, ERS, and the volume of organ damage are not well known in humans. The aim of this study was to explore whether ERS explains lung damage volume (LDV) among COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a single-center retrospective study (ancillary analysis of a prospective cohort) including severe COVID-19 ICU patients who had a chest computed tomography (CT) scan 24 h before/after admission to assess LDV. We performed two multivariate linear regression models to identify factors associated with plasma levels of 78 kDa-Glucose-Regulated Protein (GRP78; ERS marker) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6; inflammation marker) at admission.
UNASSIGNED: Among 63 patients analyzed, GRP78 plasma level was associated with LDV in both multivariate models (β = 22.23 [4.08;40.38]; p = 0.0179, β = 20.47 [0.74;40.20]; p = 0.0423) but not with organ failure (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score) at admission (r = 0.03 [-0.22;0.28]; p = 0.2559). GRP78 plasma level was lower among ICU survivors (1539.4 [1139.2;1941.1] vs. 1714.2 [1555.2;2579.1] pg./mL. respectively; p = 0.0297). IL-6 plasma level was associated with SOFA score at admission in both multivariate models (β = 136.60 [65.50;207.70]; p = 0.0003, β = 193.70 [116.60;270.90]; p < 0.0001) but not with LDV (r = 0.13 [-0.14;0.39]; p = 0.3219). IL-6 plasma level was not different between ICU survivors and non-survivors (12.2 [6.0;43.7] vs. 30.4 [12.9;69.7] pg./mL. respectively; p = 0.1857). There was no correlation between GRP78 and IL-6 plasma levels (r = 0.13 [-0.13;0.37]; p = 0.3106).
UNASSIGNED: Among severe COVID-19 patients, ERS was associated with LDV but not with systemic inflammation, while systemic inflammation was associated with organ failure but not with LDV.

BACKGROUND: Fluid resuscitation reduces mortality and morbidity in acute pancreatitis (AP); however, whether glucose-containing fluids negatively impact AP remains uncertain. We aimed to examine the association between glucose-containing fluids and AP outcomes.
METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with AP between January 2015 and December 2018. Glucose density was defined as total glucose content divided by total fluid volume (g/dl) on day 1, and was considered high if the level exceeded the median. Endpoints were early organ failure (OF), including cardiovascular, renal, or respiratory system failure within 7 days; 30-day OF; ICU admission; and AP-related 90-day mortality. Logistic regression models, restricted cubic spline curves, and Cox proportional hazards models were used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS: From the database, 1,146 patients with AP were included. Early OF occurred in 8.8% of patients within 7 days. The high glucose-density group (>5 g/dl) had increased risk of early OF (9.7% vs. 8.2%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.80; P = 0.039), respiratory failure (8.0% vs. 6.2%; aOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.09-3.24; P = 0.024), cardiovascular failure (3.4% vs. 2.4%; aOR, 3.59; 95% CI, 1.28-10.0; P = 0.015), and ICU admission (6.8% vs. 5.8%; aOR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.08-3.94; P = 0.029), with a dose-response effect observed for cardiovascular failure and ICU admission. A significant increase 30-day OF risk (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.70; 95% CI, 1.19-2.45) was also noted.
CONCLUSIONS: Excess glucose-containing fluid was associated with increased risks of overall, respiratory, and cardiovascular OF and ICU admission in AP.

Lung cancer represents the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with around 1.8 million deaths in 2020. For this reason, there is an enormous interest in finding early diagnostic tools and novel therapeutic approaches, one of which is extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are nanoscale membranous particles that can carry proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), mediating various biological processes, especially in cell-cell communication. As such, they represent an interesting biomarker for diagnostic analysis that can be performed easily by liquid biopsy. Moreover, their growing dataset shows promising results as drug delivery cargo. The aim of our work is to summarize the recent advances in and possible implications of EVs for early diagnosis and innovative therapies for lung cancer.

The kidney injury molecule (KIM)-1 is shed from proximal tubular cells in acute kidney injury (AKI), relaying tubular epithelial proliferation. Additionally, KIM-1 portends complex immunoregulation and is elevated after exposure to lipopolysaccharides. It thus may represent a biomarker in critical illness, sepsis, and sepsis-associated AKI (SA-AKI). To characterise and compare KIM-1 in these settings, we analysed KIM-1 serum concentrations in 192 critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Irrespective of kidney dysfunction, KIM-1 serum levels were significantly higher in patients with sepsis compared with other critical illnesses (191.6 vs. 132.2 pg/mL, p = 0.019) and were highest in patients with urogenital sepsis, followed by liver failure. Furthermore, KIM-1 levels were significantly elevated in critically ill patients who developed AKI within 48 h (273.3 vs. 125.8 pg/mL, p = 0.026) or later received renal replacement therapy (RRT) (299.7 vs. 146.3 pg/mL, p < 0.001). KIM-1 correlated with markers of renal function, inflammatory parameters, hematopoietic function, and cholangiocellular injury. Among subcomponents of the SOFA score, KIM-1 was elevated in patients with hyperbilirubinaemia (>2 mg/dL, p < 0.001) and thrombocytopenia (<150/nL, p = 0.018). In univariate and multivariate regression analyses, KIM-1 predicted sepsis, the need for RRT, and multi-organ dysfunction (MOD, SOFA > 12 and APACHE II ≥ 20) on the day of admission, adjusting for relevant comorbidities, bilirubin, and platelet count. Additionally, KIM-1 in multivariate regression was able to predict sepsis in patients without prior (CKD) or present (AKI) kidney injury. Our study suggests that next to its established role as a biomarker in kidney dysfunction, KIM-1 is associated with sepsis, biliary injury, and critical illness severity. It thus may offer aid for risk stratification in these patients.

Introduction Peritonitis refers to the inflammation of the peritoneum and peritoneal cavity. Causes of peritonitis can be bacterial (gastrointestinal or non-gastrointestinal), chemical, traumatic, or ischemic. Peritonitis can be localized or diffuse, acute or chronic. Peritonitis can be primary, secondary, or tertiary, according to the pathogenesis. Peritonitis developed secondary to hollow viscus perforation is a life-threatening condition and a common cause of emergency surgery in India. The Mannheim peritonitis index (MPI) is a simple scoring system that can accurately predict the outcome of peritonitis. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of MPI in predicting mortality risk or prognosis in patients with peritonitis due to hollow viscus perforation. Materials and methods This observational cross-sectional study at the Department of General Surgery, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, involved 111 patients with peritonitis due to hollow viscus perforation from December 2021 to March 2022. Detailed history, clinical examination, relevant blood tests, and radiological investigations established a diagnosis of perforation peritonitis, followed by a score assessment. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results Patients >50 years had higher mortality (i.e., 18/43) than patients <50 years (i.e., 13/68). Overall mortality was 31, which included one in low risk, 12 in intermediate risk, and 18 in the high-risk group. Mortality was lowest in the low-risk group (i.e., 1/30), highest in the high-risk group (i.e., 18/40), and 12/41 in the intermediate-risk group; the p-value was <0.05, which was highly significant. Mortality was higher in patients presenting after 24 hours, having organ failure, and non-colonic sepsis. Conclusion The MPI scoring system is simple, easy to calculate, cost-effective, precise, and effective in assessing mortality and morbidity risk in patients with peritonitis due to hollow viscus perforation. It can also guide further management strategies.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a heterogeneous clinical syndrome characterized by low cardiac output leading to end-organ hypoperfusion. Organ dysoxia ranging from transient organ injury to irreversible organ failure and death occurs across all CS etiologies but differing by incidence and type. Herein, we review the recognition and management of respiratory, renal and hepatic failure complicating CS. We also discuss unmet needs in the CS care pathway and future research priorities for generating evidence-based best practices for the management of extra-cardiac sequelae. The complexity of CS admitted to the contemporary cardiac intensive care unit demands a workforce skilled to care for these extra-cardiac critical illness complications with an appreciation for how cardio-systemic interactions influence critical illness outcomes in afflicted patients.

BACKGROUND: Preservation of organ function and viability is a crucial factor for survival in cardiogenic shock (CS) patients. There is not information enough on cytoprotective substances that may delay organs damage in CS. We hypothesize that cytidine-5-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline) can act as a cytoprotective pharmacological measure that diminishes the target organ damage. So, we aimed to perform a review of works carried out in our institution to evaluate the effect of therapeutic cytoprotection of the CDP-choline.
CONCLUSIONS: CDP-choline is an intermediate metabolite in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine. It is also a useful drug for the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative diseases and has shown an excellent pharmacological safety profile as well. We review our institution\'s work and described the cytoprotective effects of CDP-choline in experimental models of heart, liver, and kidney acute damage, where this compound was shown to diminish reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias, oxidative stress, apoptotic cell death, inflammation, lactic acid levels and to preserve mitochondrial function.
CONCLUSIONS: We propose that additional research is needed to evaluate the impact of cytoprotective therapy adjuvant to mitigate target organ damage in patients with CS.