Aim: to present data on the prevalence of various phenotypes of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the features of its diagnosis and treatment in various regions of the Russian Federation following a meeting of chief gastroenterologists.

Key points. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) holds the leading position among non-infectious liver diseases in the Russian Federation, its prevalence is 37.3 % and does not tend to decrease.

To get information on various aspects of NAFLD diagnosis and treatment, opinion of 18 chief external regional gastroenterologists and leading specialists in the field of liver diseases was studied by analyzing the responses to questions specially formulated for them. Information on the situation in the Ural, Privolzhsky, Southern, Central and North-western Federal Districts was obtained. Regional statistics on the prevalence of NAFLD and its certain phenotypes (steatosis, steatohepatitis, cirrhosis), diagnostic instruments and treatment approaches which are used in clinical practice, as well as on the most common associated conditions was presented.

Conclusions. The collected information allows to improve both administrative and treatment and diagnostic-related activities in managing patients suffering from this disease.

Aim: to review the modern approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of C. difficile-associated disease in adults and present the resolution of the Expert Council held on March 25, 2023 in Moscow.

General provisions. C. difficile is the most important nosocomial pathogen which spores are also commonly found in the environment. Microbiota impairment, primarily due to the use of antibacterial drugs, is a key stage in the development of C. difficile-associated disease. A search for an infection should be carried out only in patients with diarrhea, and it is advisable to use at least 2 laboratory methods. The drug of choice for first-line treatment is vancomycin. If drug treatment is ineffective or the patient has recurrent clostridial infection, fecal microbiota transplantation should be considered. The probiotic strain Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 has a direct inhibitory effect on C. difficile toxin A, promotes normalization of the intestinal microbiota composition, and decreases the inflammatory reaction in colonic mucosa colonized with a toxigenic strain of C. difficile.

Conclusions. Addition of the probiotic strain Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745 to antibacterial therapy promotes both primary and secondary prevention of C. difficile-associated disease.

Aim: to assess the level of stress hormones (cortisol in saliva), neurotransmitters (serotonin in blood serum, dopamine in blood plasma) in relation to eating habits, anxiety and depression levels in patients with IBS.

Materials and methods. An open cohort prospective study was conducted with the inclusion of 263 patients with an established diagnosis of IBS, among them 189 (71.9 %) women and 74 (28.1 %) men. The average age of patients with IBS was 29 [25; 35] years. The control group included 40 healthy volunteers. All individuals included in the study were assessed for diet and eating habits using the WHO CINDI program questionnaire, “Information on Nutrition and Eating Behavior”, the severity of anxiety and depression according to the HADS questionnaire, the level of specific anxiety in relation to gastrointestinal symptoms according to the VSI questionnaire, quality of life according to the IBS-QoL questionnaire. In addition, the enzyme immunoassay method was used to assess the levels of cortisol in the morning and evening portions of saliva, serotonin in the blood serum and dopamine in the blood plasma.

Results. Among patients with IBS there is a statistically significantly higher level of cortisol in the morning and evening portions of saliva (U = 19.5, p < 0.001 and U = 111.5, p < 0.001, respectively), serotonin in blood serum (U = 269.0, p = 0.042) and lower plasma dopamine levels (U = 93.5, p = 0.0002) compared with controls. The mean salivary cortisol level among patients with IBS was 45.39 [29.86; 70.10] ng/ml in the morning and 19.21 [13.98; 23.50] ng/ml in the evening, while in the group of healthy individuals it was 19.0 [16.5; 21.7] and 9.7 [8.5; 10.5] ng/ml, respectively. The average content of serotonin in blood serum in patients with IBS was 188.78 [150.41; 230.32] ng/ml, among healthy individuals — 142.80 [130.52; 154.15] ng/ml. The average content of dopamine in blood plasma in patients with IBS was 28.83 [20.08; 41.54] ng/ml, in healthy individuals — 58.20 [48.15; 66.62] ng/ml.

Conclusion. In patients with IBS the secretion of the stress hormone (cortisol) and neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine) is closely related to the nature of nutrition, the level of anxiety and depression, and is also associated with the clinical variant and severity of the course of the disease.

Aim: to evaluate the frequency of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and build predictive models of the development of PVT for patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) of A and B/C classes by Child-Pugh.

Materials and methods. Research design is a case-control. The Case group included 130 patients with newly diagnosed PVT not caused by invasive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); 29 patients were assigned to class A, 101 patients were assigned to class B/C. From the database of cirrhotic patients without PVT 60 Controls for class A and 205 for B/C were selected using sratified randomization by sex, age and etiology of cirrhosis. The Mann-Whitney U-test and Pearson's chi-squared test were used to compare the groups. Odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) were calculated. Logistic regression models are constructed with the separation of the sample into training and test (0.7; 0.3). The operational characteristics of the models were calculated on the test sample; ROC analysis was carried out, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated.

Results. The overall frequency of PVT was 4.1 % (95 % CI 2.7-5.8 %) in class A and 10.4 % (95 % CI 8.5-12.5 %) class B/C. Patients with class A and B/C PVT differed from the corresponding controls by more severe portal hypertension: the frequency of bleeding / number of interventions on varices compared with the control were 41/45 % vs. 7/8 % (p < 0.001) for class A and 25.7/30.7 % vs. 16.1/16.1 % (p < 0.05) for class B/C, ascites frequency was 24 % vs. 8 % (p < 0.05) for class A and 89.1 % vs. 68.3 % (p < 0.001) for class B/C. The cutoff by the portal vein diameter was the same for both classes — 13.4 mm; the spleen length was similar and amounted 17.5 mm for class A, 17.1 mm for class B/C. Patients with PVT differed from the corresponding controls by neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio: class A 2.33 (1.82; 3.61) vs. 1.76 (1.37; 2.20), p < 0.01, class B/C 2.49 (1.93; 3.34) vs. 2.15 (1.49; 3.26), p < 0.05. Patients of class B/C had a higher incidence of newly diagnosed malignant tumors - 23.8% (primarily HCC that does not invade the portal vein), compared with control and cases of class A - 6.3 % and 3 % (p < 0.05), respectively. The best model for class A included variceal bleeding, ascites, portal vein diameter, absolute number of neutrophils, for class B — ascites, spleen length, portal vein diameter, malignant tumors / local factors; sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and AUC were 79.3 %, 90 %, 86.5 %, 0.897 and 73.3 %, 68.3 %, 69.9 %, 0.789, respectively.

Conclusion. Independently of the Child-Pugh class of LC, the main risk factor for PVT is severe portal hypertension.

Aim: evaluation of the incidence of COVID-19 infection after three-component H. pylori eradication therapy while taking N-acetyl-glucosaminyl-N-acetyl-muramyl dipeptide (GMDP).

Materials and methods. A prospective randomized comparative clinical study was carried out. The study included 208 patients (147 men, 61 women; mean age — 48.1 ± 14.5 years) with duodenal ulcer associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) who underwent eradication therapy. H. pylori in the gastric mucosa was detected by a morphological method and a rapid urease test before treatment and 6-8 weeks after the end of treatment and the withdrawal of all drugs. Patients were divided into three groups according to treatment protocols: omeprazole 0.04 g/day, clarithromycin 1 g/day, amoxicillin 2 g/day (OСA; n = 103); omeprazole 0.04 g/day, clarithromycin 1 g/day, amoxicillin 2 g/day + GMDP 0.001 g/day (OCAL1; n = 61) or 0.01 g/day (OCAL10; n = 44) for 10 days. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by PCR was carried out from April 2020 to April 2022. Tracking completeness was 96.6 %.

Results. The frequency of H. pylori eradication depending on “intention to treat” (ITT) and “per protocol” (PP): OCA — 79 % (95 % CI: 71-87) and 83 % (95 % CI: 75-91); OCAL1 — 95 % (95 % CI: 88-100) and 97 % (95 % CI: 92-100); OCAL10 — 96 % (95 % CI: 89-100) and 98 % (95 % CI: 93-100) respectively. The frequency of adverse reactions depending on ITT and PP: OCA — 24 % (95 % CI: 16-33) and 26 % (95 % CI: 17-35); OCAL1 — 2 % (95 % CI: 0.01-8) and 2 % (95 % CI: 0.01-8); OCAL10 — 2 % (95 % CI: 0.01-7) and 2 % (95 % CI: 0.01-7). The incidence of COVID-19 infection depending on ITT and PP: OCA — 9 % (95 % CI: 3-14) and 9 % (95 % CI: 3-15); OCAL1 + OCAL10 — 1 % (95 % CI: 0.003-1.9) and 1 % (95 % CI: 0.001-2.9), respectively.

Conclusions. In H. pylori-infected patients, GMDP (an immunomodulator based on L. bulgaricus) at a dose of 1-10 mg/day, during a 10-day triple eradication therapy, allows a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the frequency of H. pylori eradication and reduce the incidence of adverse reactions compared with a 10-day protocol without adjuvant therapy with GMDP. There was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the incidence of COVID-19 infection after H. pylori eradication therapy with GMDP.

Aim: to improve the results of treatment in patients with hemorrhoids of the 2nd and 3rd stages.

Materials and methods. The prospective study included 60 patients with hemorrhoids of the 2nd and 3rd stages. All patients underwent destruction of internal hemorrhoids with a fiber laser with a diode pump with a wavelength of 1940 nm. The technique is based on the effect of laser energy on the cavernous tissue of the internal hemorrhoidal node and on the terminal branches of the upper rectal artery. The efficiency of the destruction of internal hemorrhoids and the frequency of relapses of the disease were evaluated. The effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated using anoscopy, measurement of the size of internal hemorrhoidal nodes, transrectal ultrasound with dopplerography. The analysis of the intensity of the pain syndrome, the consumption of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the assessment of the quality of life on the SF-36 scale was carried out. Sphincterometry was performed in all patients to determine the possible effect of laser radiation on the rectal locking apparatus. To assess the possible causes of complications, a single-factor analysis of the amount of energy transferred to each hemorrhoidal node and the total amount of energy spent on the operation was conducted.

Results. In all patients, by day 7 after surgery, the pain syndrome in 43 patients (75.4 %) corresponded to 0 points according to VAS. In 3 patients (5 %) intraoperative hemorrhage developed. In the early postoperative period, 5 patients (8.3 %) had 7 complications: 5 cases of thrombosis of the external hemorrhoidal node and 2 — of acute urinary retention. The conducted single-factor analysis showed the dependence of the development of complications on the energy transferred to each hemorrhoidal node and its total amount for the entire operation. In terms of up to 6 months, there were no signs of a return of the disease in any case (hemorrhoidal prolapse and blood discharge). The detected hemorrhoids before the operation, a month after the operation, were not visualized, which persisted after 6 months. The performed transrectal ultrasound examination with spectral-wave dopplerography for up to 6 months allowed to diagnose a persistent decrease in blood flow along the terminal branches of the upper rectal artery compared with preoperative values. When performed sphincterometry, there was no change in the parameters of the anal sphincter function compared to preoperative parameters.

Conclusion. The proposed method applying a fiber laser with a diode pump with a wavelength of 1940 nm makes it possible to affect transdermally the internal hemorrhoidal node without damaging the mucosa of the anal canal. The absence of postoperative wounds in the anal canal leads to a decrease in pain syndrome, and by day 7 there are no clinical manifestations of hemorrhoids. The method of laser destruction of internal hemorrhoids can be used in outpatient conditions and can improve the quality of life of patients in the early postoperative period.

Aim: to evaluate features of intrahepatic cholestasis (IHC) pathogenesis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), as well as role of ademetionine in treatment of this condition.

Key statements. NAFLD is the most frequent chronic diffuse liver disease. Increase in proportion of people with excess weight, obesity, and metabolic dysregulation leads to higher rates of NAFLD. Concomitant IHC is present in 30 % of NAFLD patients, while it is associated with more active disease course and possible worsening of prognosis. Impairment of adipocyte and hepatocyte metabolism, gut dysbiosis, and inherent factors are recognized as significant factors for NAFLD development. In NAFLD patients most of IHC cases are related to functional cholestasis. IHC in NAFLD is associated with increased risks of fibrosis and all-cause death. Ademetionine may restore transmethylation and improve rheologic properties of hepatocyte membranes in liver disease. In IHC patients treatment with ademetionine led to decreased serum bilirubin concentrations, as well as lowering of the liver transaminases' and alkaline phosphatase activities. At the same time improvement of symptoms severity, including itching, was noted. Taking into account the efficacy of ademetionine in IHC in NAFLD patients, its' use was included in the national clinical guidelines.

Conclusion. Use of ademetionine in NAFLD with concomitant IHC is feasible from pathogenesis perspective and may be effective in clinical practice.

Aim: to present observation of a patient diagnosed with functional dyspepsia based on current guidelines, and having increased eosinophil counts in the biopsy specimen of duodenal mucosa. To consider possible causes of duodenal eosinophilia in the light of present-day concepts.

Highlights. Patient K., 40 years old, complained of dyspeptic phenomena, the first appearance of which she had noted at the age of 18. The patient noted poor tolerance to canned and fermented foods, which provoked an increase in dyspepsia and sometimes caused watery diarrhea. The examination excluded “symptoms of concern”. Successful antihelicobacter eradication therapy was carried out. Morphological examination of the stomach showed phenomena of mild chronic inflammation without intestinal metaplasia or glandular atrophy. A biopsy of the mucosa of the descending part of the duodenum showed a moderate increase in the levels of mononuclears and eosinophils in its lamina propria without penetration into the epithelium of the villi or formation of clusters. The patient suffers from pollinosis; sensitization to birch pollen was diagnosed by a skin prick test. However, she has no oral allergy symptoms, which does not allow linking duodenal eosinophilia to food allergy. Based on current guidelines, the patient was diagnosed with functional dyspepsia. In addition to dietary restrictions, treatment courses with a proton pump inhibitor, itopride, and S-methylmethionine sulfonium chloride, which has an antihistamine effect, were recommended for periods of worsening dyspepsia.

Conclusion. The clinical significance of duodenal eosinophilia and local histamine production in patients with a clinical diagnosis of functional dyspepsia deserves special attention. Triggering factors provoking the worsening of symptoms should be analyzed; in particular, a food diary and exclusion of food allergies are recommended. Histamine-neutralizing drugs may play a role in the treatment of FD with duodenal eosinophilia in the future.

Aim: the reason for the publication was the rare occurrence, as well as the non-specificity of symptoms of the cystic form of duodenal dystrophy. The listed features of this disease lead to difficulties in its differential diagnosis and the choice of the optimal method of treatment.

General statements. The report is devoted to the description of a case of successful treatment of a cystic form of duodenal dystrophy — a chronic inflammation of the pancreatic tissue, ectopic in the wall of the duodenum. A 47-year-old patient was admitted to the clinic with complaints of persistent abdominal pain, periodic vomiting, general weakness, weight loss of 20 kg in three months. With the help of computed tomography, the diagnosis was established, the tumor process was rejected, and chronic pancreatitis was detected in the orthotopic pancreas. Due to the presence of changes in the main pancreas, the patient underwent pancreatoduodenal resection. The features of the operation were pronounced infiltrative changes and pronounced vitreous tissue edema, which made it difficult to mobilize the hepatic flexure of the colon and duodenum.

Conclusion. Pancreatoduodenal resection is the optimal surgical intervention for the combination of cystic form of duodenal dystrophy with sub-/decompensated duodenal stenosis.

Aim: to present a clinical case of pancreatic PEComa with liver metastases with an emphasis on morphological features, radiology diagnostic methods and features of treatment tactics, allowing practitioners to get an idea about this rare mesenchymal tumors composed of “perivascular epithelioid cells”, and a review of literature data on pancreatic PEComa, including 32 author's cases.

General statements. A 22-year-old woman who was surgically treated for pancreatic head PEComa with infiltration of the duct of Wirsung, common bile duct, duodenal wall, focal invasion into the blood and lymphatic vessels, and perineural space infiltration. Synchronously, metastases were detected in both liver lobes, for which she took Everolimus for 6 years under the control of radiology methods with dose adjustment and frequency of administration. At the A.V. Vishnevsky National Medical Research Center of Surgery, the patient underwent right-sided hemihepatectomy and atypical resection of II-III liver segments.

Conclusion. To determine clearer criteria for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PEComa, to identify criteria for the malignancy of these tumors, to develop treatment tactics and further dynamic monitoring, a set of statistical data of significant group and randomized clinical trials are needed. Pancreatic PEComas in this group are extremely rare and often have a benign course. The presented clinical case demonstrates the most malignant form of this tumor with localization in the pancreas and liver metastases.