An observational study of liver function tests in lead and mercury exposed waste workers

Pivotal studies have demonstrated that pharmacotherapy with pegvisomant (Somavert) is a highly effective treatment for acromegaly. Since clinical experience with the drug was very limited, the Pegvisomant Observational Study was launched in Germany immediately with the drug becoming commercially available to patients early in 2004. Its purpose was to record safety and efficacy data on as many patients as possible. As of 12th August 2008 a total of 371 patients (185 males, 186 females) had been included in the study. They were on pegvisomant therapy for an average of 118 weeks. Median and mean doses of pegvisomant were 15 and 16.4 mg/day respectively. Treatment efficacy was monitored by IGF1 levels and the patients symptoms were evaluated by completion of a questionnaire (patient-assessed acromegaly symptom questionnaire). Safety data included liver function tests, fasting glucose, HbA1c measurements, and tumor size monitoring by repeated magnetic resonance imaging. Normalization of IGF1 ranged from 55.7% of the 273 patients assessed after 6 months to 71.3% of 202 patients assessed after 24 months of treatment. It was 70.7% after 36 months (133 patients), 64.8% at 48 months (71 patients), and 58.4% after 60 months (24 patients). In 39 patients (10.9%) treatment was discontinued due to serious adverse events or adverse events with 25 (6.7%) of these patients having a potential causal relationship with the pegvisomant treatment. Liver function tests became abnormal in 20 patients and another three patients were recorded to have hepatobiliary disorders. Tumor size increase was reported in 20 patients, but only confirmed in nine patients by careful revision of all available images. Local injection site reactions were observed in 12 patients. In conclusion, in this large group of pegvisomant-treated patients, long-term data for up to 5 years of treatment are now available. In 71.3% of patients with previously not sufficiently treatable acromegaly, IGF1 levels were normalized by pegvisomant therapy. Elevated transaminases usually normalized after discontinuation but in half of the affected patients also despite continuation of treatment without dose alteration. Tumor progression was a rare event. It did not exceed the expected rate in patients with acromegaly not treated with pegvisomant. As from this presently largest database of acromegalic patients treated with pegvisomant, long-term results are encouraging. The German data are now merged into the global ACROSTUDY and will constitute a major portion of the international ACROSTUDY project as a continuing global web-based observational study.

Download Full-text

‘Liver function tests’ on the intensive care unit: a prospective, observational study

Intensive Care Medicine ◽

10.1007/s00134-009-1511-7 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 35 (8) ◽

pp. 1406-1411 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

S. J. Thomson ◽

M. L. Cowan ◽

I. Johnston ◽

S. Musa ◽

M. Grounds ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Liver Function ◽

Observational Study ◽

Prospective Observational Study ◽

Liver Function Tests ◽

Function Tests

Download Full-text

Six Months of Treatment with Risperidone May Be Associated with Nonsignificant Abnormalities of Liver Function Tests in Children and Adolescents: A Longitudinal, Observational Study from Turkey

Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology ◽

10.1089/cap.2009.0113 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 20 (5) ◽

pp. 407-413 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Ayten Erdogan ◽

Mehmet Goksin Karaman ◽

Esra Ozdemir ◽

Nihal Yurteri ◽

Ali Evren Tufan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Function ◽

Observational Study ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Liver Function Tests ◽

Longitudinal Observational Study ◽

Function Tests

Download Full-text

Effectiveness of phosphatidylcholine as adjunctive therapy in improving liver function tests in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and metabolic comorbidities: real-life observational study from Russia

BMJ Open Gastroenterology ◽

10.1136/bmjgast-2019-000368 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. e000368 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Igor V Maev ◽

Aleksey A Samsonov ◽

Liudmila K Palgova ◽

Chavdar S Pavlov ◽

Elena N Shirokova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Liver Disease ◽

Liver Function ◽

Observational Study ◽

Fatty Liver Disease ◽

Liver Function Tests ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Alcoholic Fatty Liver ◽

Function Tests ◽

Metabolic Comorbidities ◽

Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

ObjectiveNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of abnormal results of liver function tests. Earlier research showed that polyenylphosphatidylcholine (PPC) has hepatoprotective effects and thus can be used for the treatment of NAFLD and the prevention of its progression. Accordingly, the aim of this observational study was to evaluate if PPC administered as adjunctive therapy in routine clinical practice can effectively improve liver function tests of NAFLD in Russian patients with associated metabolic comorbidities.DesignA total of 2843 adult patients with newly diagnosed NAFLD, who had a least one of four comorbidities, namely, overweight/obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolaemia, and who were prescribed 1.8 g/day of PPC as an adjunctive treatment to standard care, were enrolled during 2015–2016. Laboratory data were collected at baseline and 12 and 24 weeks of the study, and included liver function tests (aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)), fasting plasma glucose, and lipid profile.ResultsOverall, 2263 patients (79.6%) had at least two metabolic comorbidities associated with NAFLD, and overweight/obesity was the most common comorbidity reported in 2298 (80.8%) patients. At 24 weeks, there was a significant decrease in liver enzyme levels (all p<0.001 compared with baseline). Across the four comorbidity subgroups, there was a mean drop of ALT levels ranging from 19.7 to 22.0 U/L, AST from 16.9 to 18.4 U/L, and GGT from 17.2 to 18.7 U/L. Similar findings were reported in subgroups with either one, two, three, or four comorbidities, with a significant decrease in liver enzyme levels ranging from 18.4 to 22.4 U/L for ALT, 14.8 to 18.7 U/L for AST, and 15.5 to 19.5 U/L for GGT.ConclusionsAdjuvant treatment with PPC resulted in consistent improvements in liver enzymes in patients with newly diagnosed NAFLD and associated metabolic comorbidities.Trial registration numberNCT00063622.

Download Full-text