High incidence of treatment‐induced and vaccine‐escape hepatitis B virus mutants among human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis B–infected patients

Karine Lacombe, Anders Boyd, Fabien Lavocat, Christian Pichoud, Joel Gozlan, Patrick Miailhes, Caroline Lascoux‐Combe, Guy Vernet, Pierre‐Marie Girard, Fabien Zoulim – 6 March 2013 – Anti–hepatitis B virus (HBV) nucleos(t)ides analogs (NA) exert selective pressures on polymerase (pol) and surface (S) genes, inducing treatment resistance and increasing the risk of vaccine escape mutants. The rate of emergence for these mutations is largely unknown in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HBV undergoing dual‐active therapy.

Preparing for the inevitable: The death of a living liver donor

Charles Miller, Martin L. Smith, Masato Fujiki, Teresa Diago Uso, Cristiano Quintini – 6 March 2013 – Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is associated with a low but finite and well‐documented risk of donor morbidity and mortality, so organizations and individuals involved in this activity must accept the fact that a donor death is a question of when and not if.

An unbalance between von Willebrand factor and ADAMTS13 in acute liver failure: Implications for hemostasis and clinical outcome

Greg C. G. Hugenholtz, Jelle Adelmeijer, Joost C. M. Meijers, Robert J. Porte, R. Todd Stravitz, Ton Lisman – 6 March 2013 – Emerging evidence supports the concept of a rebalanced hemostatic state in liver disease as a result of a commensurate decline in prohemostatic and antihemostatic drivers. In the present study, we assessed levels and functionality of the platelet‐adhesive protein von Willebrand factor (VWF) and its cleaving protease ADAMTS13 in the plasma of patients with acute liver injury and acute liver failure (ALI/ALF).

Should minors be considered as potential living liver donors?

Laura Capitaine, Kristof Thys, Kristof Assche, Sigrid Sterckx, Guido Pennings – 5 March 2013 – For many patients, living donor liver transplantation represents their only hope of receiving a lifesaving graft. In certain (albeit rare) cases, a minor will be the only suitable donor. Living liver donation by minors has been reported in several countries. In the academic literature and professional guidelines, little attention is paid to the development of an ethical framework for this practice. The focus is frequently limited to the donation of regenerative tissues and kidneys.

Parenchymal alterations in cirrhotic livers in patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome or portopulmonary hypertension

Changqing Ma, Jeffrey S. Crippin, William C. Chapman, Kevin Korenblat, Neeta Vachharajani, Kristen L. Gunter, Elizabeth M. Brunt – 5 March 2013 – Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and portopulmonary hypertension (PPH) are distinct pulmonary vascular complications of cirrhosis. Little is known about possible associated hepatic histopathological features.

Innate immune responses in hepatitis C virus‐exposed healthcare workers who do not develop acute infection

Jens Martin Werner, Theo Heller, Ann Marie Gordon, Arlene Sheets, Averell H. Sherker, Ellen Kessler, Kathleen S. Bean, M'Lou Stevens, James Schmitt, Barbara Rehermann – 5 March 2013 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection typically results in chronic disease with HCV outpacing antiviral immune responses. Here we asked whether innate immune responses are induced in healthcare workers who are exposed to small amounts of HCV, but do not develop systemic infection and acute liver disease.

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