National assessment of early biliary complications following liver transplantation: Incidence and outcomes

David A. Axelrod, Krista L. Lentine, Huiling Xiao, Nino Dzebisashvilli, Mark Schnitzler, Janet E. Tuttle‐Newhall, Dorry L. Segev – 30 January 2014 – Despite improved overall liver transplant outcomes, biliary complications remain a significant cause of morbidity. A national data set linking transplant registry and Medicare claims data for 17,012 liver transplant recipients was used to identify all recipients with a posttransplant biliary diagnosis code within the first 6 months after transplantation.

Long‐term outcomes after liver transplantation for deoxyguanosine kinase deficiency: A single‐center experience and a review of the literature

Enke Grabhorn, Konstantinos Tsiakas, Uta Herden, Lutz Fischer, Peter Freisinger, Thorsten Marquardt, Rainer Ganschow, Andrea Briem‐Richter, René Santer – 30 January 2014 – Deoxyguanosine kinase (DGUOK) deficiency is a well‐known cause of hepatocerebral mitochondrial DNA depletion syndromes, which include a broad spectrum of clinical presentations. Affected patients often develop life‐threatening liver failure, but the benefits of liver transplantation (LT) are controversial because of the frequently severe neurological involvement due to the underlying mitochondrial disease.

Statin therapy is associated with the development of new‐onset diabetes after transplantation in liver recipients with high fasting plasma glucose levels

Yongin Cho, Min Jung Lee, Eun Yeong Choe, Chang Hee Jung, Dong Jin Joo, Myoung Soo Kim, Bong Soo Cha, Joong‐Yeol Park, Eun Seok Kang – 30 January 2014 – New‐onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) and dyslipidemia are important metabolic complications after liver transplantation (LT) that can adversely affect both allograft and patient survival. Statins are used as first‐line therapies for dyslipidemia because of their effectiveness and safety profile. However, it has recently been reported that statin therapy is associated with new‐onset diabetes in the nontransplant population.

Effects of air embolism size and location on porcine hepatic microcirculation in machine perfusion

Maria‐Louisa Izamis, Andreas Efstathiades, Christina Keravnou, Soteria Georgiadou, Paulo N. Martins, Michalakis A. Averkiou – 30 January 2014 – The handling of donor organs frequently introduces air into the microvasculature, but little is known about the extent of the damage caused as a function of the embolism size and distribution. Here we introduced embolisms of different sizes into the portal vein, the hepatic artery, or both during the flushing stage of porcine liver procurement.

Telbivudine or lamivudine use in late pregnancy safely reduces perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus in real‐life practice

Hua Zhang, Calvin Q. Pan, Qiumei Pang, Ruihua Tian, Miaoe Yan, Xin Liu – 27 January 2014 – Little observational data exist describing telbivudine (LdT) or lamivudine (LAM) use in late pregnancy for preventing hepatitis B mother‐to‐child transmission (MTCT) in real‐world settings. During the period of January 2009 to March 2011, we enrolled hepatitis B e antigen–positive mothers with HBV DNA >6 log10 copies/mL in China. At gestation week 28, the mothers received LdT or LAM until postpartum week 4 or no treatment (NTx). The study endpoints were the safety of LdT/LAM use and MTCT rates.

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