Background: Patients with cirrhosis and tense ascites treated by paracentesis alone have a decrease in effective arterial blood volume after ascites removal. Although intravenous albumin is effective in preventing paracentesis induced decreased arterial blood volume, its clinical use is controversial. As paracentesis induces arteriolar vasodilation which plays a role in the development of decreased effective arterial blood volume, administration of a vasoconstrictor (terlipressin) could prevent circulatory alterations due to paracentesis. Aims: To perform a pilot study comparing the effects of terlipressin and albumin on effective arterial blood volume in patients with cirrhosis treated by paracentesis for tense ascites. Methods: Twenty patients with cirrhosis and tense ascites were randomly assigned to be treated by either paracentesis and terlipressin or paracentesis and albumin. Terlipressin (3 mg) or albumin (8 g/l of removed ascites) were administered on the day of paracentesis. Effective arterial blood volume was assessed by measuring plasma renin concentrations at baseline and on the day of hospital discharge (4-6 days after treatment). Decreased effective arterial blood volume was defined as an increase in plasma renin concentrations on the day of hospital discharge of more than 50% of baseline values. Results: Irrespective of the treatment group, mean values for plasma renin concentrations at hospital discharge did not differ from their respective baseline values (p=0.10). Baseline plasma levels of renin concentrations did not differ between the terlipressin and albumin groups (p=0.61). Changes from baseline in plasma renin concentrations did not differ between groups (p=0.39). Three patients in the terlipressin group and three in the albumin group developed decreased arterial blood volume. Conclusions: This randomised pilot study suggests that terlipressin may be as effective as intravenous albumin in preventing a decrease in effective arterial blood volume in patients with cirrhosis treated by paracentesis for tense ascites.

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This study shows that in localized gastric DLBCL with IPI 0-1, a similar 5-year survival rate (>90%) is to be expected with either surgery plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone.

Patients with IBS frequently complain of medication side effects. The goals of this study were to assess the prevalence of drug intolerance as an extra GI manifestation in patients with IBS and to verify the association between drug intolerance and psychological comorbidity. Female patients followed in a tertiary care center completed questionnaires assessing the presence of drug intolerance as well as somatic and psychological extra GI conditions. IBS patients (Rome II criteria; n = 71) were compared to inflammatory bowel disease patients (IBD; n = 96) or to healthy controls (HC; n = 67). The relationship to psychological comorbidity was verified in two different paradigms: (1) by looking at the statistical correlation between drug intolerance and the psychological extra GI symptoms in our IBS patients, and (2) by comparing in a meta-analysis the side effects to placebo (the nocebo effect is presumably increased due to hypervigilance or amplification in psychological disorders) in IBS patients or in patients with comparable medical conditions included in various drug trials approved by Health Canada. Our results show that prevalence of drug intolerance was significantly more elevated in IBS (41% patients) than in HC (7%) or in IBD (27%); somatic and psychological extra GI symptoms were also markedly increased in IBS. In addition, drug intolerance in our IBS patients was significantly associated with somatic comorbidities such as fatigue or multiple symptoms (P < 0.001), but not with psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, mood instability, or sleep disorder. A meta-analysis revealed that the nocebo effect was not different in patients with IBS than in control patients. In conclusion, drug intolerance is a frequent extra GI manifestation of IBS that is not associated with psychological comorbidity; thus, a somatic origin must be explored.