Name of the research center: Advanced research center in gastroenterology and hepatology/ acronym CCA-GASTROHEP 

Director of the research center: Professor Sirli Roxana Lucia MD, PhD.

Date of establishment/ acknowledgement: 05.03.2021

Research areas/ research opportunities:

The Center for Advanced Research in Gastroenterology and Hepatology includes 10 full members, 8 associate members (PhD students) and 1 external collaborator  . Our research topics include the following.

One of the main topics is the evaluation of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), this pathology becoming very common in current clinical practice. The aim of this study is to identify an algorithm for early identification of patients with liver fibrosis by non-invasive elastographic methods. A multidisciplinary approach between the departments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Diabetes Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, Biochemistry, Genetics and Cardiology will be needed in order to identify patients with type 2 diabetes and those with metabolic syndrome with severe fibrosis. Patients will be evaluated clinically, by biologic, elastography, genetic and metabolomic tests.

A second proposed topic is the identification of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in clinical practice. It is well known that imaging methods are an essential component in the diagnosis and staging of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Published data show that certain biomarkers (AFP, AFP-L3, DCP) are suboptimal for routine surveillance of patients at risk for HCC. Thus, this prospective study aims to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of five biomarkers: AFP, AFP-L3, DCP, GPC3, CK19 for HCC detection. For this study, our Center will collaborate with the Department of Biochemistry.

The third research topic is the complex assessment of the nutritional status of patients with chronic liver disease. As there is currently no “gold standard” for the nutritional assessment of those patients, we aim to identify easily applicable, non-invasive methods that can be routinely performed. The project objectives include to establish a nutritional status assessment protocol for patients with chronic liver disease that can be easily applied by medical staff and identification of the most sensitive, easily applicable and cost effective nutritional assessment methods. We intend to perform comparative studies between various anthropometric and imaging methods. A collaboration with the Imaging department has already been started to evaluate sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients by CT.

The fourth research topic is metabolomics in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis. The aim is to identify independent metabolic factors that influence the evolution of acute pancreatitis to severe forms with local or systemic complications and the identification of prognostic metabolic factors of severe forms. In this study, metabolomics determinations are desired.

Another research topic will be to evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori and the response to treatment among patients with dyspeptic syndrome. This prospective study will evaluate the efficacy of 2 regimens used to eradicate H. Pylori infection, to determine H. Pylori resistance to Clarithromycin, Levofloxacin and Metronidazole in our geographic area, and to evaluate the existence of H. Pylori 23S rRNA gene mutations. For this study, we will collaborate with the Departments of Microbiology and Medical Genetics.

Members list:

Titular members:

Nr.

Name and surname of the titular member

(didactic/ research personnel)

Didactic/ research degree

1.

Roxana Lucia Sirli

Professor MD, PhD

2.

Alina Popescu

Professor MD, PhD

3.

Adrian Goldis

Associate Professor MD, PhD

4.

Mirela Danila

Senior Lecturer MD, PhD

5.

Iulia Ratiu

Assistant Lecturer, PhD

6.

Miutescu Bogdan

Assistant Lecturer, PhD

7.

Mare Ruxandra-Georgeta

Assistant Lecturer, PhD

8.

Ghiuchici Ana Maria

Assistant Lecturer, PhD

9.

Felix Bende

Assistant Lecturer, PhD

10.

Tudor Moga

Assistant Lecturer, PhD

 

Associated members:

Nr.

Name and surname

Student, masters student, PhD student, postdoctoral student, auxilliary and non-teaching staff

1.

Popa Alexandru

PhD student

2.

Fofiu Renata Brighita

PhD student

3.

Foncea Camelia Gianina

PhD student

4.

Dancu Greta Maria

PhD student

5.

Baldea Victor-Emilian

PhD student

6.

Burciu Calin

PhD student

7.

Topan Mirabela-Madalina

PhD student

8.

Barbulescu Andreea-Severina

PhD student

 

External collaborators:

Nr.

Name and surname

(didactic/ research personnel)

Affiliation

 (Department,

institution/university, city, country)

1.

Ioan Sporea

“Pius Brînzeu” County Emergency Clinical Hospital Timișoara