2025
Socioeconomic and demographic disparities in the impact of digestive diseases in the middle East and North Africa (MENA) region
Al Ta’ani O, Al-Ajlouni Y, Lahoud C, Almasaid S, Alhalalmeh Y, Oweis Z, Danpanichkul P, Baidoun A, Alsakarneh S, Dahiya D, Njei B. Socioeconomic and demographic disparities in the impact of digestive diseases in the middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. International Journal For Equity In Health 2025, 24: 85. PMID: 40148874, PMCID: PMC11951616, DOI: 10.1186/s12939-025-02448-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDisability-adjusted life yearsEstimated annual percentage changeSocio-demographic indexAge-standardized incidence rateDisability-adjusted life year ratesGlobal Burden of DiseaseMiddle East and North AfricaGender Inequality IndexHuman Development IndexMiddle East and North Africa regionImpact of socioeconomic disparitiesIncidence rateAge-standardized mortalityAge-standardized ratesAnnual percentage changePercentage changeInfluence disease burdenBurden of DDBurden of diseasePublic health challengeHighest incidence rateSocioeconomic disparitiesDD incidenceTargeted interventionsNorth Africa
2024
Hepatotoxicity Score: A New Method to Adjust for Use of Potentially Hepatotoxic Medications by Chronic Liver Disease Status
Re V, Newcomb C, Carbonari D, Mezochow A, Hennessy S, Rentsch C, Park L, Tate J, Bräu N, Bhattacharya D, Lim J, Mezzacappa C, Njei B, Roy J, Taddei T, Justice A, Torgersen J. Hepatotoxicity Score: A New Method to Adjust for Use of Potentially Hepatotoxic Medications by Chronic Liver Disease Status. Pharmacoepidemiology And Drug Safety 2024, 33: e70069. PMID: 39662972, PMCID: PMC11634562, DOI: 10.1002/pds.70069.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsProton pump inhibitor initiationHazard ratioVeterans Health AdministrationSevere acute liver injuryProton pump inhibitorsChronic liver diseaseAcute liver injuryRates of hospitalizationSafety of medicationsPPI initiativesHealth AdministrationLiver disease statusMedication exposurePharmacoepidemiological studiesMedicationConfoundingScoresReports of hepatotoxicityDisease statusHepatotoxic medicationsDrug exposurePump inhibitorsHepatotoxic drugsOutpatient initiationHepatic safetyThe burden of cirrhosis and other chronic liver disease in the middle east and North Africa (MENA) region over three decades
Al Ta’ani O, Aleyadeh W, Al-Ajlouni Y, Alnimer L, Ismail A, Natour B, Njei B. The burden of cirrhosis and other chronic liver disease in the middle east and North Africa (MENA) region over three decades. BMC Public Health 2024, 24: 2979. PMID: 39468483, PMCID: PMC11514855, DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20445-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAge-standardized incidence rateAge-standardized death ratesDisability-adjusted life yearsBurden of cirrhosisGlobal Burden of DiseaseDisability burdenDeath rateAge-standardized disability-adjusted life yearsPublic health effortsBurden of diseaseSignificant health challengesGender-specific interventionsLiver disease incidenceChronic liver diseaseIncident casesMENA regionHealth effortsCountry-specific trendsHealthcare systemGlobal burdenHealth challengesIncreasing burdenIncidence rateLife yearsEpidemiological trendsThe impact of overweight and obesity on health outcomes in the United States from 1990 to 2021
Al Ta'ani O, Al‐Ajlouni Y, Aleyadeh W, Al‐Bitar F, Alsakarneh S, Saadeh A, Alhuneafat L, Njei B. The impact of overweight and obesity on health outcomes in the United States from 1990 to 2021. Diabetes Obesity And Metabolism 2024, 26: 5455-5465. PMID: 39261301, DOI: 10.1111/dom.15924.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDisability-adjusted life yearsAge-standardized death ratesSocio-demographic indexBody mass indexHigher body mass indexHealth outcomesDeath rateAge-standardized disability-adjusted life yearsComprehensive public health strategyGlobal Burden of Disease dataBurden of disease dataAge-standardized DALY rateAnnual percentage changePublic health strategiesSignificant public health challengeElevated body mass indexPublic health challengeUnited StatesImpact public healthHealth strategiesDALY ratesOlder adultsEnvironmental interventionsGlobal burdenHealth challengesImpact of Recipient and Donor Body Mass Index on Survival Outcomes After Intestinal Transplantation: A United Network for Organ Sharing Database Analysis
Ameyaw A, Boateng S, Annor E, Njei B. Impact of Recipient and Donor Body Mass Index on Survival Outcomes After Intestinal Transplantation: A United Network for Organ Sharing Database Analysis. Annals Of Transplantation 2024, 29: e943994-1-e943994-13. PMID: 38978263, PMCID: PMC11299477, DOI: 10.12659/aot.943994.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBody mass indexDonor body mass indexIncreased risk of mortalityIntestinal transplantationRisk of mortalityIT recipientsSurvival outcomesMass indexIncreased riskLong-term patient survivalImpact of body mass indexRecipient body mass indexMultivariate Cox regression analysisKaplan-Meier survival curvesBody mass index categoriesLower body mass indexImprove survival outcomesCox regression analysisRetrospective cohort studyAssociation of recipientPost-transplant mortalityImpact of recipientUnderweight patientsPatient survivalObesity classAn explainable machine learning model for prediction of high-risk nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Njei B, Osta E, Njei N, Al-Ajlouni Y, Lim J. An explainable machine learning model for prediction of high-risk nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Scientific Reports 2024, 14: 8589. PMID: 38615137, PMCID: PMC11016071, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59183-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNational Health and Nutrition Examination SurveyRisk of progression to cirrhosisClinical risk indexHealth and Nutrition Examination SurveyControlled attenuation parameter valuesNovel therapeutic optionsLiver stiffness measurementProgression to cirrhosisAspartate aminotransferase levelsNutrition Examination SurveyResource-limited settingsFIB-4Fibrosis scorePlatelet countAminotransferase levelsTherapeutic optionsWaist circumferenceClinically applicable modelExamination SurveyNonalcoholic steatohepatitisFAST scoreEarly identificationElastography measurementsStiffness measurementPatients
2019
Expression of the type 3 InsP3 receptor is a final common event in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma
Guerra MT, Florentino RM, Franca A, Lima Filho AC, Dos Santos ML, Fonseca RC, Lemos FO, Fonseca MC, Kruglov E, Mennone A, Njei B, Gibson J, Guan F, Cheng YC, Ananthanarayanan M, Gu J, Jiang J, Zhao H, Lima CX, Vidigal PT, Oliveira AG, Nathanson MH, Leite MF. Expression of the type 3 InsP3 receptor is a final common event in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Gut 2019, 68: 1676-1687. PMID: 31315892, PMCID: PMC7087395, DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2018-317811.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultAnimalsApoptosisCalcium SignalingCarcinogenesisCarcinoma, HepatocellularCell ProliferationCells, CulturedDNA MethylationFemaleGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHepatocytesHumansInositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate ReceptorsLiverLiver NeoplasmsLiver RegenerationMaleMice, KnockoutMiddle AgedSurvival AnalysisConceptsChronic liver diseaseITPR3 expressionLiver cancer cellsLiver diseaseMouse modelFinal common eventCancer cellsSpecimens of patientsIndependent patient cohortsControl liver specimensHuman HCC cellsType 3 InsP3 receptorHuman liver samplesIncreased expression levelCancer deathPatient cohortCommon molecular eventPoor survivalHepatocellular carcinomaLiver specimensNormal liverHCC cellsAbstractTextHCCType 3 isoformImpact of Bariatric Surgery on Outcomes of Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: a Nationwide Inpatient Sample Analysis, 2004–2014
Sharma P, McCarty TR, Yadav S, Ngu JN, Njei B. Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Outcomes of Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: a Nationwide Inpatient Sample Analysis, 2004–2014. Obesity Surgery 2019, 29: 1789-1796. PMID: 30805858, DOI: 10.1007/s11695-019-03780-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSickle cell diseaseVaso-occlusive crisisAcute chest syndromeBariatric surgeryIncidence risk ratioChest syndromeMorbid obesityClinical outcomesHospitalization costsCell diseaseUnited States Nationwide Inpatient Sample databaseNationwide Inpatient Sample databaseOutcomes of patientsMulti-organ failureSurgery-related complicationsHigher hospitalization costsUrinary tract infectionWeight loss surgeryDisease-specific treatmentLength of staySickle cell patientsHospital mortalityRespiratory failureThromboembolic eventsConclusionsBariatric surgeryEffects of Endotoxin on Type 3 Inositol 1,4,5‐Trisphosphate Receptor in Human Cholangiocytes
Franca A, Filho A, Guerra MT, Weerachayaphorn J, dos Santos M, Njei B, Robert M, Lima C, Vidigal P, Banales JM, Ananthanarayanan M, Leite MF, Nathanson MH. Effects of Endotoxin on Type 3 Inositol 1,4,5‐Trisphosphate Receptor in Human Cholangiocytes. Hepatology 2019, 69: 817-830. PMID: 30141207, PMCID: PMC6351171, DOI: 10.1002/hep.30228.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsToll-like receptor 4Alcoholic hepatitisEffect of endotoxinBile duct cellsNF-κBInhibition of TLR4Human cholangiocytesStimulation of TLR4Duct cellsSevere alcoholic hepatitisCholestasis of sepsisForms of cholestasisNF-κB subunitsP65/p50Trisphosphate receptorReceptor 4Clinical conditionsBicarbonate secretionHepatocellular changesITPR3 expressionCholestasisType 3 inositolLPS receptorAgonist stimulusSepsisNational Trends in Use of Opioid Drugs Among Cirrhosis-related Hospitalizations in the United States, 2004 to 2012
McCarty TR, Haque L, Njei B. National Trends in Use of Opioid Drugs Among Cirrhosis-related Hospitalizations in the United States, 2004 to 2012. Journal Of Clinical Gastroenterology 2019, 53: 78-79. PMID: 27984400, DOI: 10.1097/mcg.0000000000000771.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2018
Cannabis Use Is Associated With Increased Risk of Post–Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Pancreatitis
Njei B, Sharma P, McCarty TR, Singh M, Haque L, Aslanian HR, Jamidar P, Muniraj T. Cannabis Use Is Associated With Increased Risk of Post–Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Pancreatitis. Pancreas 2018, 47: 1142-1149. PMID: 30134357, DOI: 10.1097/mpa.0000000000001143.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPost-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitisIncidence risk ratioCholangiopancreatography pancreatitisCannabis useRisk of PEPEndoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitisUS Nationwide Inpatient SampleRate of PEPShorter hospital stayNationwide Inpatient SampleNinth Edition codesImpact of cannabisPoisson regression modelsHospital deathHospital stayIndependent predictorsEdition codesRisk ratioInpatient SampleInternational ClassificationMultivariate analysisPancreatitisPatientsCannabisSignificant increaseImpact of bariatric surgery in patients with HIV infection
Sharma P, McCarty TR, Ngu JN, O'Donnell M, Njei B. Impact of bariatric surgery in patients with HIV infection. AIDS 2018, 32: 1959-1965. PMID: 30157083, PMCID: PMC6126912, DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000001915.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBariatric surgeryIncidence risk ratioMorbid obesityRespiratory failureObese patientsRenal failureClinical outcomesUnited States Nationwide Inpatient Sample databaseNationwide Inpatient Sample databaseObese HIV patientsLife-threatening morbidityUrinary tract infectionWeight loss surgeryRelevant clinical outcomesLength of stayRates of obesityHospital mortalityHIV patientsThromboembolic eventsSecondary outcomesTract infectionsHIV infectionPrimary outcomeMultivariable analysisDischarge diagnosis
2017
Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Outcomes of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a Nationwide Inpatient Sample Analysis, 2004–2014
Sharma P, McCarty TR, Njei B. Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Outcomes of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a Nationwide Inpatient Sample Analysis, 2004–2014. Obesity Surgery 2017, 28: 1015-1024. PMID: 29047047, DOI: 10.1007/s11695-017-2959-0.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBariatric SurgeryDatabases, FactualFemaleHospital CostsHospital MortalityHospitalizationHumansIncidenceInflammatory Bowel DiseasesInpatientsMaleMiddle AgedMorbidityObesity, MorbidPostoperative ComplicationsPrognosisTreatment OutcomeUnited StatesYoung AdultConceptsInflammatory bowel diseaseIncidence risk ratioObese IBD patientsBariatric surgeryMorbid obesityIBD patientsRenal failureBowel diseaseClinical outcomesUnited States National Inpatient Sample (NIS) databaseNational Inpatient Sample databaseOutcomes of patientsLength of stayPaucity of dataHospital mortalityThromboembolic eventsObese patientsSecondary outcomesHospitalized patientsPrimary outcomeMultivariable analysisDischarge diagnosisFistula formationHospitalization costsRisk ratioSurvival after treatment with curative intent for hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with vs without non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease
Wong CR, Njei B, Nguyen MH, Nguyen A, Lim JK. Survival after treatment with curative intent for hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with vs without non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 2017, 46: 1061-1069. PMID: 28960360, DOI: 10.1111/apt.14342.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNon-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseFatty liver diseaseLarger tumor sizeLiver diseaseHCC etiologyCurative intentNAFLD-HCCCurative treatmentTumor sizeMetastatic HCCCardiovascular diseaseHepatocellular carcinomaDecompensated liver diseaseWorse median survivalAbsence of cirrhosisSignificant survival differenceDiagnosis of HCCLess cirrhosisNAFLD groupMedian survivalWorse survivalFavorable survivalIndependent predictorsLiver cirrhosisHCC groupEarly transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in US patients hospitalized with acute esophageal variceal bleeding
Njei B, McCarty TR, Laine L. Early transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt in US patients hospitalized with acute esophageal variceal bleeding. Journal Of Gastroenterology And Hepatology 2017, 32: 852-858. PMID: 27624167, PMCID: PMC5350067, DOI: 10.1111/jgh.13593.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsEarly transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shuntTransjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shuntAcute esophageal variceal bleedingEsophageal variceal bleedingIntrahepatic portosystemic shuntVariceal bleedingUS patientsPortosystemic shuntNationwide Inpatient Sample databaseHospital mortality rateUS clinical practiceDays of hospitalizationFurther bleedingHospital deathRecurrent bleedingEndoscopic therapyInpatient mortalityPreventive therapySecondary outcomesHepatic encephalopathyPrimary outcomeHigh riskHospital reductionMortality ratePatientsVanishing bile duct syndrome in Hodgkin’s lymphoma: A case report and literature review
Bakhit M, McCarty TR, Park S, Njei B, Cho M, Karagozian R, Liapakis A. Vanishing bile duct syndrome in Hodgkin’s lymphoma: A case report and literature review. World Journal Of Gastroenterology 2017, 23: 366-372. PMID: 28127210, PMCID: PMC5236516, DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v23.i2.366.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdultAntineoplastic AgentsBile Duct DiseasesBile Ducts, IntrahepaticBiopsyCholangiopancreatography, Magnetic ResonanceCholestasisExomeHepatocyte Growth FactorHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHodgkin DiseaseHumansHyperbilirubinemiaHypertension, PortalJaundiceLiverLiver Function TestsMaleNeoplasm StagingProto-Oncogene ProteinsSyndromeTomography, X-Ray ComputedConceptsBile duct syndromeHodgkin's lymphomaIntra-hepatic bile ductsBile duct lossBile duct injuryAdverse drug reactionsDifferent pathologic conditionsTransplant evaluationDuct injuryAllograft rejectionClinical recoveryParaneoplastic phenomenonBiliary cirrhosisLiver biopsyLiver failureBile ductAutoimmune diseasesCase reportDrug reactionsEarly recognitionPhysical examPoor responseVBDSHumoral factorsMedical treatment
2016
Vanishing Bile Duct Syndrome in Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Bakhit M, McCarty TR, Park S, Njei B, Cho M, Karagozian R, Liapakis A. Vanishing Bile Duct Syndrome in Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Journal Of Clinical Gastroenterology 2016, 50: 688. PMID: 27203429, PMCID: PMC4980195, DOI: 10.1097/mcg.0000000000000548.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPrevalence of hepatitis delta infection in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999‐2012
Njei B, Do A, Lim JK. Prevalence of hepatitis delta infection in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999‐2012. Hepatology 2016, 64: 681-682. PMID: 26453027, PMCID: PMC4826621, DOI: 10.1002/hep.28279.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2015
Antioxidant Therapy for Pain Reduction in Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis
Rustagi T, Njei B. Antioxidant Therapy for Pain Reduction in Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis. Pancreas 2015, 44: 812-818. PMID: 25882696, DOI: 10.1097/mpa.0000000000000327.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBenefits of antioxidant therapyPain reductionChronic pancreatitisCP patientsAntioxidant therapyMantel-Haenszel and DerSimonian Laird methodsRelative riskPathogenesis of chronic pancreatitisAlcoholic CP patientsWell-designed large studiesConfidence intervalsEfficacy of antioxidant therapyAge of patientsMeta-analysisDerSimonian-Laird methodComprehensive literature searchCP painFollow-upSubgroup analysisClinical studiesPainPatientsControl groupDisease factorsLiterature search
2013
The changing epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in the United States: National health and nutrition examination survey 2001 through 2010
Ditah I, Ditah F, Devaki P, Ewelukwa O, Ditah C, Njei B, Luma H, Charlton M. The changing epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in the United States: National health and nutrition examination survey 2001 through 2010. Journal Of Hepatology 2013, 60: 691-698. PMID: 24291324, DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2013.11.014.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNutrition Examination SurveyHCV infectionExamination SurveyNational Health and Nutrition Examination SurveyHealth and Nutrition Examination SurveyThe National Health and Nutrition Examination SurveyLow economic statusAssociated with HCV infectionHepatitis C virus infectionBurden of HCV infectionForeign born personsPrevalence of anti-HCVChronic HCV infectionC virus infectionPrevalence of HCVUnited StatesIncident casesInfected personsNational healthHIV statusGeneral populationAnti-HCVBlood transfusionHCV RNAHepatitis C
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