Background & Aims: Malnutrition is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in patients with cirrhosis. Accurate assessment of energy requirements is needed to optimize dietary intake. Resting energy expenditure (REE), the major component of total energy expenditure, can be measured using indirect calorimetry (mREE) or estimated using prediction equations (pREE). This study assessed the usefulness of predicted estimates of REE in this patient population. Methods: Individual mREE data were available for 900 patients with cirrhosis (mean [+/- 1 SD] age 55.7 +/- 11.6 years-old; 70% men; 52% south-east Asian) and 282 healthy controls (mean age 36.0 +/- 12.8 years-old; 52% men; 18% south-east Asian). Metabolic status was classified using thresholds based on the mean +/- 1 SD of the mREE in the healthy controls. Comparisons were made between mREE and pREE estimates obtained using the HarrisBenedict, Mifflin, Schofield and Henry equations. Stepwise regression was used to build 3 new prediction models which included sex, ethnicity, body composition measures, and model for end-stage liver disease scores. Results: The mean mREE was significantly higher in patients than controls when referenced to dry body weight (22.4 +/- 3.8 cf 20.8 +/- 2.6 kcal/kg/24 hr; p <0.001); there were no significant sex differences. The mean mREE was significantly higher in Caucasian than Asian patients (23.1 +/- 4.4 cf 21.7 +/- 2.9 kcal/kg/24 hr; p <0.001). Overall, 37.1% of Caucasian and 25.3% of Asian patients were classified as hypermetabolic. The differences between mREE and pREE were both statistically and clinically relevant; in the total patient population, pREE estimates ranged from 501 kcal/24 hr less to 548 kcal/24 hr more than the mREE. Newly derived prediction equations provided better estimates of mREE but still had limited clinical utility. Conclusions: Prediction equations do not provide useful estimates of REE in patients with cirrhosis. REE should be directly measured. Lay summary: People with cirrhosis are often malnourished and this has a detrimental effect on outcome. Provision of an adequate diet is very important and is best achieved by measuring daily energy requirements and adjusting dietary intake accordingly. Prediction equations, which use information on age, sex, weight, and height can be used to estimate energy requirements; however, the results they provide are not accurate enough for clinical use, particularly as they vary according to sex and ethnicity. (C) 2022 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding is defined as bleeding from a source that cannot be identified on upper or lower gastrointestinal endoscopy, being capsule endoscopy the next step in those patients. Some patients may be unsuitable for conventional endoscopy and performing a capsule pan-endoscopic test as a first line procedure might potentially reduce the number of endoscopies and their subsequent risk. The aim of our study was to analyse our experience with capsule endoscopy in the bleeding patient setting. We retrospectively reviewed the first 100 pan-endoscopic capsule procedures performed in our centre from August 2011 until December 2016. 61.2% of our patients had positive findings; 46.26% had a previous negative gastroscopy and in 67.7% of them the capsule detected small bowel lesions and in 80.64%, colonic findings. Taking into consideration that our population were high-risk patients (mainly because of comorbidities), and that we use up to 45 ml of sodium phosphate, we analysed sodium, potassium and creatinine changes before and after procedure. The mean "before" values were respectively 140.68, 4.04 and 1.36. The mean "after" values were 140.28, 3.9 and 1.35 (p=n.s) According to our findings in 64.5% of patients with negative gastroscopy no other endoscopic studies would be needed. According to capsule results, in all our study sample, in 68.6% of cases conventional endoscopy could have been avoided. Panendoscopy with capsule may be useful and safe in bleeding high-risk patients, by selecting the patients who need therapeutic endoscopy, avoiding up to 68.6% of diagnostic endoscopies in our series.

The present evidence-based guidelines are focused on the use of device-assisted enteroscopy in the management of small-bowel diseases. A panel of experts selected by the Spanish and Portuguese small-bowel study groups reviewed the available evidence focusing on the main indications of this technique, its role in the management algorithm of each indication, and its diagnostic and therapeutic yield. A set of recommendations was issued accordingly.

The present evidence-based guidelines are focused on the use of device-assisted enteroscopy in the management of small-bowel diseases. A panel of experts selected by the Spanish and Portuguese small bowel study groups reviewed the available evidence focusing on the main indications of this technique, its role in the management algorithm of each indication and on its diagnostic and therapeutic yields. A set of recommendations were issued accordingly.

AIM To analyze the diagnostic yield (DY), therapeutic impact (TI) and safety of capsule endoscopy (CE). METHODS This is a multi-centre, observational, analytical, retrospective study. A total of 163 patients with suspicion of celiac disease (CD) (mean age = 46.4 +/- 17.3 years, 68.1% women) who underwent CE from 2003 to 2015 were included. Patients were divided into four groups: seronegative CD with atrophy (Group-I n = 19), seropositive CD without atrophy (Group-II, n = 39), contraindication to gastroscopy (Group-III, n = 6), seronegative CD without atrophy, but with a compatible context (Group-IV, n = 99). DY, TI and the safety of CE were analysed. RESULTS The overall DY was 54% and the final diagnosis was villous atrophy (n = 65, 39.9%), complicated CD (n = 12, 7.4%) and other enteropathies (n = 11, 6.8%; 8 Crohn's). DY for groups I to IV was 73.7%, 69.2%, 50% and 44.4%, respectively. Atrophy was located in duodenum in 24 cases (36.9%), diffuse in 19 (29.2%), jejunal in 11 (16.9%), and patchy in 10 cases (15.4%). Factors associated with a greater DY were positive serology (68.3% vs 49.2%, P = 0.034) and older age (P = 0.008). On the other hand, neither sex nor clinical presentation, family background, positive histology or HLA status were associated with DY. CE results changed the therapeutic approach in 71.8% of the cases. Atrophy was associated with a greater TI (92.3% vs 45.3%, P < 0.001) and 81.9% of the patients responded to diet. There was one case of capsule retention (0.6%). Agreement between CE findings and subsequent histology was 100% for diagnosing normal/other conditions, 70% for suspected CD and 50% for complicated CD. CONCLUSION CE has a high DY in cases of suspicion of CD and it leads to changes in the clinical course of the disease. CE is safe procedure with a high degree of concordance with histology and it helps in the differential diagnosis of CD.

Objective Hypermetabolism in cirrhosis is associated with a high risk of complications and mortality. However, studies about underlying mechanisms are usually focussed on isolated potential determinants and specific etiologies, with contradictory results. We aimed at investigating differences in nutrition, metabolic hormones, and hepatic function between hypermetabolic and nonhypermetabolic men with cirrhosis of the liver. Patients and methods We prospectively enrolled 48 male cirrhotic inpatients. We evaluated their resting energy expenditure (REE) and substrate utilization by indirect calorimetry, body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, liver function, and levels of major hormones involved in energy metabolism by serum sample tests. Patients with ascites, specific metabolic disturbances, and hepatocellular carcinoma were excluded. Results REE and REE adjusted per fat-free mass (FFM) were significantly increased in cirrhotic patients. Overall, 58.3% of cirrhotic patients were classified as hypermetabolic. Groups did not differ significantly in age, etiology of cirrhosis, liver function, presence of ascites, use of diuretics, â-blockers, or presence of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts. Hypermetabolic cirrhotic patients had lower weight, BMI (P< 0.05), nonprotein respiratory quotient (P< 0.01), leptin (P<0.05), and leptin adjusted per fat mass (FM) (P<0.05), but higher FFM% (P< 0.05) and insulin resistance [homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)] (P<0.05). Only HOMA-IR, leptin/FM, and FFM% were independently related to the presence of hypermetabolism. Conclusion Hypermetabolic cirrhotic men are characterized by lower weight, higher FFM%, insulin resistance, and lower leptin/FM when compared with nonhypermetabolic men. HOMA-IR, FFM%, and leptin/FM were independently associated with hypermetabolism, and may serve as easily detectable markers of this condition in daily clinical practice.

Background: There is a high prevalence of nutritional disorders in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). This study was designed to assess the relationships between liver function, IFG-I/IGFBP-3, nutritional status, leptin, ghrelin and glucagon in 21 patients waiting for liver transplantation (LT). Methods: We studied 21 men aged 56±2.1 years who were on the LT list. They were classified according to Child-Pugh(CP) score from low to high liver dysfunction in CPA (n=4),CPB (n=11) and CPC (n=6). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and body fat (%) was measured by air-displacement plethysmography. Resting energy expenditure (REE) and its variation over Harris-Benedict values (GER%) were assessed by indirect calorimetry. Fasting serum samples were taken to measure albumin, glucose, insulin, HbA1c, leptin, total ghrelin,glucagon, IGF-I and IGFBP3. Results: There were no differences in fat % and leptin values in the three groups according to CP classification. The CPC group showed higher ghrelin values than CPA and CPB(p<0.05). All groups displayed high glucagon levels and GER%values superior to 100%. Positive correlations were found between glucagon and GER% (r=0.56; p<0.01) and between glucagon and ghrelin values (r=0.66; p<0.01). IGF-I and IGFBP3 were low in all groups and showed a positive correlation with plasma albumin (r=0.52; p<0.05 and r=0.45; p<0.05 respectively). Conclusions: These results show an increase in ghrelin plasma values in patients with severe liver dysfunction. Hyperglucagonemia was correlated with GER%, supporting a role of glucagon in the hypermetabolic state associated to LC,raising the possibility of becoming a therapeutic target. The measurement of IGF-I/IGFBP3 represents a good marker of liver function in patients with LC.