Highlights d Thousands of gut bacterial genomes from worldwide human populations were sequenced d HGT occurs at high frequency in the gut microbiome of individual persons d HGT occurs more frequently in the microbiome of industrialized and urban populations d Transferred gene functions in the microbiome reflect the lifestyle of the host

Introduction Oesophageal variceal bleeding is a potentially fatal consequence of portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients. In Ghana, bleeding oesophageal varices (OV) are a significant cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding with comparatively high mortality. This study was to determine the prevalence of OV and its clinical correlate in cirrhotic patients. Methods This was a cross sectional hospital based study of 149 subjects with liver cirrhosis from 5 th November, 2015 to 4 th November, 2016. Demographic and other clinical data were collected using standardized questionnaire. Liver function, full blood count, HBsAg and anti-HCV Ab tests were done for all patients. All patients underwent an abdominal ultrasound to assess liver and document ascites. Upper GI endoscopy (UGIE) was done to screen for and grade varices. Results A total of 149 patients with a mean age of 45 ± 12.28 years were evaluated. There were 77.85% and 22.15% men and women respectively, with a male to female ratio of 3.5:1. By Child-Pugh Classification, 12 (8.16%) patients were in class A, 64 (43.54%) in class B and 71 (48.3%) in class C at presentation. On UGIE, 135 (90.60%) had varices and 14 patients (9.40%) had no varices. One hundred and eleven of the varices (82.22%) were large varices and the rest (17.78%) small varices. Conclusion Majority of cirrhotic patients present late with advance disease to this referral centre. Most have large varices on their first screening endoscopy. Prophylactic treatment should be considered for all cirrhotics especially patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis when UGIE cannot be done immediately.

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Introduction Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is one of the most common and life-threatening complications of patients with cirrhotic ascites. Recognition and prompt treatment of this condition is essential to prevent serious morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of SBP among in-patients with cirrhotic ascites attending our facility and to determine the clinical and laboratory parameters associated with SBP. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted involving one hundred and three (103) patients admitted at medical block in the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) with cirrhotic ascites from 25 th March, 2016 to 25 th November, 2016. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Ascitic fluid culture and cell count were conducted. Positive ascitic fluid culture and/or ascitic polymorphonuclear leukocyte ≥ 250cells/mm 3 were diagnostic for SBP. Results Of the 103 patients with cirrhotic ascites, the mean age was 43.5 ± 12.2 years. There were fifty eight (58) male patients. The prevalence of SBP was 25.24% (26/103). Majority, 5 (55.6%) of the bacteria isolated from ascitic fluid with SBP was Escherichia coli. Severe ascites and high INR were found to be independent predictors of SBP. Conclusion SBP is common among patients with cirrhotic ascites admitted at KBTH. Severe ascites and high INR were highly suggestive of SBP. Diagnostic paracentesis should be done immediately on admission to confirm the diagnosis irrespective of the clinical characteristics as part of baseline investigation.

Background Chronic liver diseases including liver cirrhosis are a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Despite the high burden of liver cirrhosis in Ghana, data on this disease is lacking. Objective To determine the sociodemographic characteristics, reasons for admission, and in-hospital mortality of patients with cirrhosis of the liver seen at a district hospital in Ghana. Methods A prospective study was conducted involving one hundred and eighty-six (186) patients admitted on the medical wards in St. Dominic hospital with liver cirrhosis from 1st January 2018 to 24th June 2020. The patient’s demographic and clinical features were documented using a standardized questionnaire. Diagnostic biochemical and haematological tests as well as abdominal ultrasound scans were performed for all patients. They were followed up until death or discharge from hospital. Results One hundred and eighty-six patients (186) with a median age of 46 years were included in the study. HBV was the main etiology of liver cirrhosis (38.7%) followed closely by alcohol consumption (38.3%). In-hospital mortality was 41.3% and the most frequent cause of death was hepatic encephalopathy (68.4%). The following were associated with death; Jaundice, weight loss, elevated bilirubin, international normalized ratio (INR), creatinine, blood urea nitrogen(BUN), Child-Pugh score, model for end-stage liver disease sodium score (MELDNa), and low sodium. However, hepatic encephalopathy, MELDNa, INR and BUN were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality on logistic regression analysis. Conclusions In-hospital mortality in cirrhotic patients was high with the leading cause of death being hepatic encephalopathy. Timely diagnosis and adequate management of hepatic encephalopathy are necessary to prevent death from liver cirrhosis.

Summary Introduction Oesophageal variceal (OV) bleeding is a potentially fatal consequence of portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis. Upper GI endoscopy is recommended for screening for varices in cirrhotics for early detection and treatment, however, this is invasive. The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive values of the noninvasive tests in detecting the presence of OV. Methods A cross-sectional hospital-based study involving 149 patients with liver cirrhosis was carried out at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital from 1 st November 2015 to 25 th November 2016. Relevant clinical parameters assessed included Child-Pugh class, ascites and splenomegaly. Full blood count and liver function tests, abdominal ultrasound and gastroscopy were done for all the participants. Receiver operating characteristic curve was generated to determine the cut-off values for the best sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values of the variables (serum albumin, platelet count (PC), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT), PC/Spleen diameter( SD)) with regard to the presence of OV. Results On gastroscopy, 135 (90.60%) had OV and 14 patients (9.40%) had no OV. One hundred and eleven of the varices (82.22%) were large varices and the rest (17.78%) small varices. The overall mean of serum albumin, PC and PC/SD were not significant predictors of the presence of OV. However, the overall mean of AST/ALT significantly predicted the presence of OV. A PC/SD cut off value of ≤833.3 had 72.62% diagnostic accuracy for diagnosing all OV. Conclusion PC/SD cut-off could be used to screen cirrhotics for OV and treatment initiated in geographical areas lacking endoscopy facilities Funding None declared

Background. Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is one of the most debilitating complications of cirrhosis leading to death. Decrease in HE mortality and recurrence has been linked with timely identification and early treatment. There is a need to document the burden, predictors, and treatment outcomes of HE in an adult population with liver cirrhosis in our setting as only reports from resource-endowed countries abound in the literature. This study aimed therefore to determine the prevalence, predictors, and treatment outcomes of patients with liver cirrhosis admitted at St. Dominic Hospital (SDH) in Akwatia, Ghana. Materials and Methods. A prospective study was conducted involving one hundred and sixty-seven (167) patients admitted at the medical wards in SDH with liver cirrhosis from January 1st, 2018, to March 24th, 2020. The demographic and clinical features of the patients were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Biochemical, haematological, and abdominal ultrasound scans were done for all patients. Patients were then followed up until discharge or death. Results. There were 109 (65.3%) males out of the 167 patients with a mean age of 45.8 and 47.5 years for those with and without HE, respectively. The prevalence of HE was 31.7% (53/167). Out of 53 participants with HE, 75.5% (40/53) died. There was a strong association between HE and death ( p < 0.001 ). The major precipitating factor of HE was infection (64.2%). Severe ascites (OR = 0.009) were clinical feature independently associated with HE, whereas high creatinine (OR = 0.987), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (OR = 1.199), Child–Pugh score (CPS) (OR = 5.899), and low platelets (OR = 0.992) were the laboratory parameters and scores independently predictive of HE. Conclusion. HE was common among patients with liver cirrhosis admitted at SDH with high in-patient mortality. The commonest precipitating factor for HE was infection(s). Severe ascites, low platelet count, high creatinine, BUN, and CPS were independent predictors of HE.

Background: End-stage liver disease (ESLD) is a major burden on public health, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important risk factor. We aimed to describe clinical characteristics of ESLD from cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the performance of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) - platelet ratio index (APRI) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) in Ghana. Methods: We performed an observational cross-sectional study in outpatient hepatology clinics at three teaching hospitals in Ghana, West Africa. One hundred and forty-one HCC, 216 cirrhosis and 218 chronic HBV patients were recruited by convenience sampling. Sociodemographic, history and examination, laboratory, and disease staging information were shown using descriptive statistics. Performance of the APRI score in diagnosis of cirrhosis and Alpha fetoprotein in the diagnosis of HCC was determined using AUROC analysis.Results: Median age at presentation was 44 years for HCC and 46 years for cirrhosis. HBV was found in 69.5% of HCC and 47.2% of cirrhosis cases, and HCV in 6.4% and 3.7% respectively. APRI cut-off of 2 had sensitivity of 45.4% and specificity of 95% in diagnosis of cirrhosis, and cut-off of 1 had sensitivity of 75.9% and specificity of 89%. AUC of AFP was 0.88 (95% CI 0.81-0.94) in diagnosis of HCC. Low monthly income was associated with lower odds of undertaking AFP. Thirty one percent of cirrhotic persons were Child-Pugh C, and 67.9% of HCC patients had advanced or terminal disease at presentation. Conclusions: Our findings emphasize the young age of ESLD patients in Ghana and the advanced nature at presentation. It highlights shortcomings in surveillance and the need for policies to address the burden and improve outcomes in Ghana.