Current epidemiology of hepatitis E virus infection in the United States: Low seroprevalence in the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey

Ivo Ditah, Fausta Ditah, Pardha Devaki, Calistus Ditah, Patrick S. Kamath, Michael Charlton – 13 May 2014 – Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (NHANES) 1988‐1994 dataset found a relatively high seroprevalence (21%) of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in the U.S. general population. Using data obtained within the NHANES 2009‐2010 survey, where a high performance assay for HEV was used, we estimated the weighted seroprevalence of HEV infection among U.S. individuals 6 years and older. We also evaluated factors associated with HEV seropositivity.

Sorafenib use in the transplant setting

Giulia Castelli, Patrizia Burra, Anna Giacomin, Alessandro Vitale, Marco Senzolo, Umberto Cillo, Fabio Farinati – 9 May 2014 – Liver transplantation (LT) is an established treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and sorafenib (SFN) is a validated treatment for patients harboring advanced tumors. It is still not clear whether the combination of the 2 treatments, with SFN used in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or recurrence setting, is useful and cost‐effective.

Cylindromatosis gene CYLD regulates hepatocyte growth factor expression in hepatic stellate cells through interaction with histone deacetylase 7

Rajeswara R. Pannem, Christoph Dorn, Claus Hellerbrand, Ramin Massoumi – 9 May 2014 – Hepatic fibrosis is considered as a physiological wound‐healing response to liver injury. The process involves several factors, such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), which restrains hepatic injury and facilitates reversibility of fibrotic reaction in response to an acute insult. Chronic liver injury and sustained inflammation cause progressive fibrosis and, ultimately, organ dysfunction. The mechanisms tipping the balance from restoration to progressive liver tissue scarring are not well understood.

Cognitive impairment and electroencephalographic alterations before and after liver transplantation: What is reversible?

Francesca Campagna, Sara Montagnese, Sami Schiff, Anna Biancardi, Daniela Mapelli, Paolo Angeli, Carlo Poci, Umberto Cillo, Carlo Merkel, Angelo Gatta, Piero Amodio – 9 May 2014 – The influence of liver transplantation (LT) on mental performance is debated, as is the role of pretransplant overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE). The aim of this study was to evaluate the time course of the neuropsychological and electroencephalogram (EEG) features of patients with cirrhosis before and after LT with respect to prior OHE.

Risk factors and surgical management of anastomotic biliary complications after pediatric liver transplantation

Tom Darius, Jairo Rivera, Fabio Fusaro, Quirino Lai, Catherine de Magnée, Christophe Bourdeaux, Magdalena Janssen, Philippe Clapuyt, Raymond Reding – 9 May 2014 – Biliary complications (BCs) still remain the Achilles heel of liver transplantation (LT) with an overall incidence of 10% to 35% in pediatric series.

Telaprevir‐based treatment effects on hepatitis C virus in liver and blood

Andrew H. Talal, Rositsa B. Dimova, Eileen Z. Zhang, Min Jiang, Marina S. Penney, James C. Sullivan, Martyn C. Botfield, Ananthsrinivas Chakilam, Rishikesh Sawant, Christine M. Cervini, Marija Zeremski, Ira M. Jacobson, Ann D. Kwong – 8 May 2014 – Understanding hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication has been limited by access to serial samples of liver, the primary site of viral replication. Our understanding of how HCV replicates and develops drug‐resistant variants in the liver is limited.

Impaired functional capacity in potential liver transplant candidates predicts short‐term mortality before transplantation

Maggie M. G. Ow, Paul Erasmus, Gary Minto, Richard Struthers, Moby Joseph, Aileen Smith, Usama M. Warshow, Matthew E. Cramp, Tim J. S. Cross – 8 May 2014 – Liver transplantation (LT) is a lifesaving treatment. Because of the shortage of donor organs, some patients will not survive long enough to receive a transplant. The identification of LT candidates at increased risk of short‐term mortality without transplantation may affect listing decisions.

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