Page 18 - CIBEREHD-2015-eng

Scientific Programmes
Portal Hypertension and Mechanisms producing Transition to Cirrhosis
COORDINATOR: DR. AGUSTÍN ALBILLOS
Programme 1 focusses on cooperative research into the pathogeny, diagnosis and treatment of hepatic cirrhosis, portal hypertension and its complications. The cooperative translational research done in the Programme specifically studies the pathogenic mechanisms of hepatic fibrogenesis and portal hy- pertension. It seeks to develop drugs and therapeu- tic strategies to improve portal hypertension and its associated complications (bleeding gastroesoph- ageal varices, kidney failure and ascites, bacterial infection, hepatic encephalopathy). The research is structured into five lines: 1) hepatic fibrogenesis, 2) portal hypertension, 3) ascites/renal function and liver failure, 4) bacterial infection and translocation and 5) hepatic encephalopathy. In spite of their clin- ical origin, all the groups in the programme have in- corporated experimental research, which covers the entire translational spectrum, including cellular and molecular biology studies, concept tests in cirrhosis and clinical trials to assess different therapies.
The achievements attained in 2015 were:
• Identifying the protective role of hepatic KLF2 in fibrosis, endothelial dysfunction and portal hyper- tension in cirrhosis.
• Establishing the role of Danis oesophageal stents in handling refractory variceal haemorrhages.
• Characterising the haemodynamic response to beta-blockers in the different stages of compen- sated advanced chronic liver disease.
• Describing the effect of enoxaparin reducing portal pressure through the modification of the structural component of hepatic vascular resist- ance.
• Establishing the prognostic relevance of the sys- temic inflammatory response syndrome in se- vere alcoholic hepatitis.
• Describing the clinical characteristics, the prog- nosis and evolution of the syndrome of acute-on- chronic liver failure.
• Contributing to the consensuses of the VI Con- ferencia de Consenso de Baveno en Hipertensión Portal and of the International Club of Ascites on acute liver damage.
• Establishing the effect of obeticholic acid by re- ducing intestinal bacterial translocation on reduc- ing intestinal inflammation in cirrhosis.
18 I Annual report 2015 I CIBEREHD