Naohisa Kuriyama, Shuji Isaji, Masashi Kishiwada, Ichiro Ohsawa, Takashi Hamada, Shugo Mizuno, Masanobu Usui, Hiroyuki Sakurai, Masami Tabata, Tomomi Yamada – 28 July 2012 – The problems associated with small‐for‐size liver grafts (ie, high mortality rates, postoperative complications, and acute rejection) remain critical issues in partial orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). In association with partial OLT, splenectomy (SP) is a procedure used to reduce the portal pressure. However, the precise effects of SP on partial OLT have been unclear.

Joanna Agnes Leithead, Matthew R. Smith, Luke B. Materacki, Vandana M. Sagar, Bridget K. Gunson, Simon R. Bramhall, David J. Mutimer, Tahir Shah – 28 July 2012 – Liver retransplantation for late hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) is considered the treatment of choice for select patients. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of data to aid decision making in this setting.

Daniela P. Ladner, Anton I. Skaro, Michael M. Abecassis – 28 July 2012

Massimo Pinzani – 25 July 2012 – “Cirrhosis” is a morphologic term that has been used for almost 200 years to denote the end stage of a variety of chronic liver diseases. The term implies a condition with adverse prognosis due to the well‐known complications of portal hypertension, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver failure. However, recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic liver diseases have changed the natural history of cirrhosis significantly.

Marion Maurel, Jean Rosenbaum – 25 July 2012 – Drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) limits the development and application of many therapeutic compounds and presents major challenges to the pharmaceutical industry and clinical medicine. Acetaminophen‐containing compounds are among the most frequently prescribed drugs and are also the most common cause of DILI. Here we describe a pharmacological strategy that targets gap junction communication to prevent amplification of fulminant hepatic failure and acetaminophen‐induced hepatotoxicity.

Sandra Pommey, Bo Lu, Jennifer McRae, John Stagg, Prue Hill, Evelyn Salvaris, Simon C. Robson, Anthony J.F. d'Apice, Peter J. Cowan, Karen M. Dwyer – 24 July 2012 – Ischemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major limiting event for successful liver transplantation, and CD4+ T cells and invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells have been implicated in promoting IRI. We hypothesized that hepatic overexpression of CD39, an ectonucleotidase with antiinflammatory functions, will protect liver grafts after prolonged cold ischemia.

Tammy T. Hshieh, Vinay Sundaram, Robert M. Najarian, Douglas W. Hanto, Seth J. Karp, Michael P. Curry – 24 July 2012

Ylva Bonde, Torsten Plösch, Folkert Kuipers, Bo Angelin, Mats Rudling – 24 July 2012 – Secretion of cholesterol into bile is important for the elimination of cholesterol from the body. Thyroid hormone (TH) increases biliary cholesterol secretion and hepatic gene expression of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)‐binding cassette, subfamily G (WHITE), member 5 (ABCG5) and ATP‐binding cassette, subfamily G (WHITE), member 8 (ABCG8), two half‐transporters that act as a heterodimeric complex promoting sterol secretion.

Talia B. Baker, Michael Abecassis, Josh Levitsky – 24 July 2012

Yesim Erim, Mingo Beckmann, Sylvia Kroencke, Georgios C. Sotiropoulos, Andreas Paul, Wolfgang Senf, Karl‐Heinz Schulz – 24 July 2012 – In the context of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), German transplantation law stipulates that donor candidates should primarily be relatives of the recipients or persons with distinct and close relationships. In this study, we investigated the influence of the relationship between the donor and the recipient on the donor's emotional strain before transplantation.