The intestinal microbiota and the human body have a symbiotic relationship, and a dysbalance of this delicate homeostasis can lead to disease. Liver diseases are associated with changes in the gut microbiota. Intestinal dysbiosis is characterized by bacterial overgrowth and changes in the microbiota composition. In addition, most chronic liver diseases are associated with intestinal barrier dysfunction. The contribution of intestinal dysbiosis to chronic liver disease goes beyond disruption of the intestinal barrier.

NAFLD affects 24% of the adult population worldwide. Additionally, about 10% of children and adolescents may have NAFLD. NAFLD is closely associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity. A proportion of subjects with NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) can develop progressive liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer. There are extensive efforts to develop non-invasive tests for NASH. Although no approved therapeutic options for NASH are yet available, a large number of clinical trials are underway.

This program provides a timely review of the mechanistic and clinical information relevant to HCC occurring in HCV by addressing the relevance of the problem and treatment effects. The program will also discuss key basic concepts with relevance to HCC in HCV.Gregory J. Gores Gregory J. Gores, M.D.

This program will include discussions of recently approved regimens and challenging patient populations.  The emphasis in these lectures will be on clinical knowledge and application to individual patient management decisions, the AASLD-IDSA Guidance Panel treatment recommendations, and global perspectives on disease eradication strategies.Andrew J. Muir Andrew Muir, MD, FAASLD is a gastroenterologist whose research activitiesare focused on developing innovative treatments for a variety of liverdiseases. Through his work at the Durham Veterans Administration MedicalCenter, Dr.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) remains the leading cause of acute liver failure in the U.S. This session will review methods that are used by clinical and regulatory scientists to gather information about the hepatotoxicity of a drug or biological agent, during each phase of its life cycle.  The session will highlight the diverse clinical signatures and mechanisms that underlie DILI and discuss critical challenges when analyzing drug-related risk for serious liver toxicity.James L. Boyer James L.

This session will highlight recent key studies in the field of cholestatic and autoimmune liver diseases. Speakers will review data on new therapies for the treatment of PBC and discuss the role of risk stratification in the management of this disease. Additionally, recent studies evaluating new biomarkers and surveillance strategies in PSC will be reviewed to determine their usefulness and applicability. Finally, the session will evaluate the evidence underlying the use of specific second line therapies in autoimmune hepatitis and a treatment algorithm will be proposed.Christopher L.

Qingyu Shen, Jung Woo Eun, Kyungbun Lee, Hyung Seok Kim, Hee Doo Yang, Sang Yean Kim, Eun Kyung Lee, Taemook Kim, Keunsoo Kang, Seongchan Kim, Dal‐Hee Min, Soon‐Nam Oh, Young‐Joon Lee, Hyuk Moon, Simon Weonsang Ro, Won Sang Park, Jung Young Lee, Suk Woo Nam – 23 October 2017 – An accurate tool enabling early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is clinically important, given that early detection of HCC markedly improves survival. We aimed to investigate the molecular markers underlying early progression of HCC that can be detected in precancerous lesions.

Eunkyong Ko, Hyun‐Wook Seo, Guhung Jung – 23 October 2017 – Telomeres protect chromosomal ends from deterioration and have been shown to be susceptible to shortening by reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐induced damage. ROS levels increase during the progression from early to advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). An independent study found that the telomeres in most HCC tissues lengthened during carcinogenic advancement.

Kimberly Struble, Kirk Chan‐Tack, Karen Qi, Lisa K. Naeger, Debra Birnkrant – 23 October 2017 – On July 18, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (SOF/VEL/VOX) (Vosevi) fixed‐dose combination (FDC), an interferon‐free, complete regimen for adult patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis (Child‐Pugh A) who have:

Cyriac Abby Philips, Lijesh Kumar, Philip Augustine – 23 October 2017 – Hepatic myelopathy (HM) is a devastating but rare complication of cirrhosis and portal hypertension that profoundly affects quality of life and improves only with liver transplantation. We present a case where progressive severe spastic paraparesis due to HM was substantially reversed with partial splenic artery emobilization (PSAE). (Hepatology 2018;67:1169–1171)