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Christos Liaskos

Publications and source records attributed to Christos Liaskos.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Presence of high avidity anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with autoimmune cholestatic liver diseases.

We studied the prevalence and clinical significance of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) as similar data are missing. Ninety-nine PBC patients, 41 PSC, 228 HCV, 50 HBV, 111 with other non-viral and non-autoimmune liver disorders and 267 healthy were investigated. In order to evaluate the avidity of aCL, urea 2 M was used. IgG and/or IgM aCL were detected in 40% of PBC and PSC patients, in 26.2% of disease controls (P < 0.05) and 2.25% of healthy (P < 0.05). In PBC, IgG aCL associated with presence of cirrhosis, increased Mayo risk score and thrombocytopenia, while in PSC with longer disease duration and biochemical activity. Anti-beta2-GPI was detected in only three patients. Both in PBC and PSC, resistance of aCL to urea was high, similar to that observed in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). We demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of aCL in PBC and PSC compared to other liver diseases and healthy. aCL were associated with more severe disease in PBC and biochemical activity in PSC, but they rather seem to be "non-pathogenic" (co-factor-independent). However, their avidity was comparable with that of APS, indicating the need for prospective studies in order to address whether aCL in PBC and PSC may contribute to APS development or the progression of hepatic disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Alterations of leptin during IFN-alpha therapy in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Leptin has a particular profibrogenic role in the liver. We investigated whether IFN-alpha influences leptin production in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and C (CHC). Leptin was determined in serial samples from 63 CHB and 42 CHC IFN-alpha treated patients. Furthermore, we evaluated whether leptin alterations were associated with patients' characteristics. METHODS: Sera were investigated at serial time-points using an enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-assay. Controls consisted of 36 patients with autoimmune liver diseases and 44 healthy patients. RESULTS: Leptin levels before IFN-alpha administration were higher in CHB and CHC compared to healthy (P<0.004) and diseased controls (P=0.0001). In CHB patients, we observed a significant reduction of leptin during IFN-alpha treatment and lasting for up to 6 months after the end of treatment, followed by an increase reaching pretreatment levels at 1.5 years after stopping therapy. The pattern of leptin alterations was similar in CHC patients where leptin's decrease was more pronounced at 6 months after the end of treatment. Biochemical or virological response to treatment was not associated with leptin reduction in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides information on leptin kinetics during IFN-alpha treatment and follow-up in CHB and CHC patients and suggests IFN-alpha as a potential inhibitor of leptin production.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Impact of parietal cell autoantibodies and non-organ-specific autoantibodies on the treatment outcome of patients with hepatitis C virus infection: a pilot study.

AIM: Various side effects have been reported in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who were treated with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), including the appearance or exacerbation of underlying autoimmune diseases and the development of a variety of organ and non-organ specific autoantibodies (NOSA). However, very few studies in adults have been strictly designed to address: whether the prevalence and the titre of organ and NOSA in serial samples of HCV-treated patients were affected by IFN-alpha, and the impact of these autoantibodies on the treatment outcome of HCV patients. METHODS: We investigated whether parietal cell autoantibodies (PCA) and/or NOSA were related with treatment-outcome in 57 HCV-treated patients (19 sustained-responders, 16 relapsers, 22 non-responders). Serum samples from patients were studied blindly at three time-points (entry, end of treatment and end of followup). For the detection of autoantibodies we used indirect immunofluorescence, commercial and in-house ELISAs. RESULTS: Sustained biochemical response was associated with ANA-negativity at the entry or end of follow up. Sustained virological response was associated with the absence of PCA at the entry. Combined virological and biochemical sustained response (CVBSR) was associated with the absence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) at the end of follow up and PCA-negativity at the entry. Sustained virological and CVBSR were associated with a reduction of ANA and SMA titers during therapy. CONCLUSION: Although PCA and/or NOSA seropositivity should not affect the decision to treat HCV patients, the presence of some of them such as ANA, PCA and SMA before treatment or their increase during therapy with IFN-alpha may predict a worse response, indicating the need for a closer monitoring during treatment of HCV patients positive for these autoantibodies.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence and clinical significance of anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis.

There are few case reports on the association between autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and anticardiolipin antibodies (anti-CLAbs) and/or antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS). We studied the anti-CLAbs prevalence in AIH and other hepatic diseases. We also investigated whether anti-CLAbs are co-factor dependent and which is their avidity since co-factor dependency or increased resistance is associated with APLS. Fifty-nine AIH patients, 228 HCV, 50 HBV, 123 with other non-viral and non-autoimmune liver disorders (nV-nALD) and 267 healthy people were investigated for anti-CLAbs and antibodies against beta-2-glycoprotein I (anti-beta2-GPI). Resistance of IgG anti-CLAbs was evaluated using 2 M urea. IgG anti-CLAbs detected in 39% of AIH, 19.7% of HCV (p=0.006), 14% of HBV (p=0.01), 8.1% of nV-nALD (p=0.000) and 1.1% of healthy (p=0.000). IgG anti-CLAbs were associated with the presence of cirrhosis and active AIH while their resistance to urea was high. Anti-beta2-GPI was detected in two AIH patients. We demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of anti-CLAbs in patients with AIH compared to other diseases and healthy people. Anti-CLAbs were associated with AIH stage but no association was found with APLS clinical manifestations (thrombosis, pregnancy morbidity, thrombocytopenia). However, their avidity was comparable with that of APLS indicating the need for prospective studies in order to address whether anti-CLAbs in AIH may contribute to the progression of liver disease or APLS development.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

HCV-RNA qualitative assay based on transcription mediated amplification improves the detection of hepatitis C virus infection in patients on hemodialysis: results from five hemodialysis units in central Greece.

BACKGROUND: End-stage renal disease patients (ESRD) on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) are at increased risk of acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. An early and accurate diagnosis of HCV infection is important for the prevention of viral transmission and the management of ESRD patients on HD but conventional ELISA and PCR have often failed to reveal active HCV infection. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the prevalence of HCV infection in ESRD patients from all HD units in central Greece using a sensitive HCV-RNA transcription mediated amplification (TMA) assay and compared its sensitivity with that of anti-HCV ELISA. STUDY DESIGN: Anti-HCV antibody (third generation ELISA), HCV-RNA (TMA) and HCV genotypes (HCV TMA-LiPA) were determined in 366 ESRD Greek patients. RESULTS: In total, 132 (36%) ESRD patients were HCV positive by ELISA or TMA; 44 by TMA alone, 16 by ELISA alone and 72 positive by both assays. More than half of the viraemic patients had genotype 3a. CONCLUSIONS: HCV-RNA (TMA) assay appears to increase the accuracy in the diagnosis of HCV infection in HD patients compared to the anti-HCV ELISA and could serve as an additional screening tool in these patients.

Female↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence and clinical significance of immunoglobulin A antibodies against tissue transglutaminase in patients with diverse chronic liver diseases.

The prevalence of celiac disease (CD) and the prevalence and clinical significance of anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies (tTGAbs) in a large series of patients with chronic liver diseases were assessed. We studied 738 patients (462 with chronic viral hepatitis, 117 with autoimmune liver diseases, 113 with alcoholic or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and 46 with other liver disorders) and 1,350 healthy controls (HC). Immunoglobulin A (IgA) tTGAbs were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and a microsphere-based flow cytometric assay. Positive sera were investigated for IgA antiendomysial antibodies (EmA). IgA tTGAb-positive subjects were invited to undergo a small-intestinal biopsy and HLA-DQ allele typing. Four of 1,350 HC (0.3%) tested tTGAb(+) EmA(+) and underwent a biopsy (CD confirmation in all). Four of 738 liver disease patients tested tTGAbs(+) EmA(+) (0.54%; not statistically significant). Two were HCV infected (1.24%; not statistically significant), and two had transaminasemia of unknown origin. Forty-three patients tested tTGAbs(+) EmA(-) (5.8%; P<0.001 compared to HC). Inhibition experiments verified the existence of specific IgA anti-tTG reactivity. Twenty-six of 43 patients underwent a biopsy (all negative for CD). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed age (P=0.008), cirrhosis (P=0.004), alkaline phosphatase (P=0.026), and antinuclear antibodies (P=0.012) as independent risk factors for tTGAb reactivity among the patients. It was concluded that CD prevalence is the same in HC and patients with chronic liver diseases. The prevalence of tTGAbs is higher in hepatic patients compared to HC, but their specificity for CD diagnosis in this group of patients is low. tTGAbs in patients appear to be associated with the presence of autoimmunity, cirrhosis, and cholestasis, irrespective of the origin of the liver disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Primary biliary cirrhosis presented as peripheral eosinophilia in asymptomatic women with or without elevated alkaline phosphatase.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease characterized by the destruction of biliary epithelial cells, presumably by autoimmune mechanism(s). Although lymphocytes play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of PBC, the possible involvement of eosinophils has also been suggested. Recent studies have shown that eosinophilia possibly occurs in the peripheral blood of PBC patients. We present four cases of asymptomatic middle-aged women with moderate-to-high eosinophilia observed during random investigation. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was increased in two of them. As a result of clinical and laboratory evaluations the early stages of PBC were diagnosed in all the patients, as attested by the detection of high titres of anti-mitochondrial antibodies and the characteristic lesions on liver biopsies. Liver function tests and eosinophils returned within normal limits after 2 months of treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid, suggesting that its potential immunomodulatory actions may extend to eosinophils. Our report further supports the possibility that eosinophilia may occur in PBC, especially in its early stages. From the clinical point of view, we believe that PBC should be considered in the differential diagnosis of eosinophilia with an otherwise unknown origin. In particular, PBC should be suspected in a patient when other causes of eosinophilia have been excluded, irrespective of the presence or absence of symptoms, or the presence or absence of elevated ALP. In such cases further evaluation for anti-mitochondrial antibodies should be done. These observations might assist the development of future therapeutic concepts in the management of PBC, at least for patients in early stages of the disease.

Adult↗