Is it safe to use a liver graft from a chagas disease–seropositive donor in a human immunodeficiency virus–positive recipient? A case report addressing a novel challenge in liver transplantation

Nicolás Goldaracena, Michelle Mayer Wolf, Emilio Quiñonez, Margarita Anders, Ricardo Mastai, Lucas McCormack – 16 April 2012 – This is the first report presenting a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–positive patient with fulminant hepatic failure receiving a liver graft from a Chagas disease–seropositive deceased donor.

Hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis in human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis C virus–coinfected patients

Juan Macías, Juan Berenguer, Miguel A. Japón, José A. Girón‐González, Antonio Rivero, Luis F. López‐Cortés, Ana Moreno, Manuel Márquez, José A. Iribarren, Enrique Ortega, Pilar Miralles, Nicolás Merchante, Juan A. Pineda – 16 April 2012 – Hepatic steatosis (HS) is frequent in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐ and hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐coinfected patients. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) and metabolic alterations could induce HS. However, a protective effect of ART has been reported in a paired biopsy study.

Recruitment mechanisms of primary and malignant B cells to the human liver

Shishir Shetty, Tony Bruns, Christopher J. Weston, Zania Stamataki, Ye H. Oo, Heather M. Long, Gary M. Reynolds, Guy Pratt, Paul Moss, Sirpa Jalkanen, Stefan G. Hubscher, Patricia F. Lalor, David H. Adams – 16 April 2012 – B cells are present within chronically inflamed liver tissue and recent evidence implicates them in the progression of liver disease. In addition, a large proportion of hepatic lymphomas are of B‐cell origin.

Donor‐specific human leukocyte antigen antibodies of the immunoglobulin G3 subclass are associated with Chronic rejection and graft loss after liver transplantation

Hugo Kaneku, Jacqueline G. O'Leary, Michiko Taniguchi, Brian M. Susskind, Paul I. Terasaki, Göran B. Klintmalm – 16 April 2012 – In a previous study, we found that 92% of patients with chronic rejection had donor‐specific human leukocyte antigen antibodies (DSAs), but surprisingly, 61% of comparator patients without rejection also had DSAs. We hypothesized that immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses were differentially distributed between the 2 groups.

Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalized liver transplant patients: A nationwide analysis

Muhammad Ali, Ashwin N. Ananthakrishnan, Shahryar Ahmad, Nilay Kumar, Gagan Kumar, Kia Saeian – 14 April 2012 – The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is increasing among hospitalized patients. Liver transplantation (LT) patients are at higher risk for acquiring CDI. Small, single‐center studies (but no nationwide analyses) have assessed this association. We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (2004‐2008) for this retrospective, cross‐sectional study.

Early regeneration of the remnant liver volume after right hepatectomy for living donation: A multiple regression analysis

Salvatore Gruttadauria, Vishal Parikh, Duilio Pagano, Fabio Tuzzolino, Davide Cintorino, Roberto Miraglia, Marco Spada, Giovanbattista Vizzini, Angelo Luca, Bruno Gridelli – 14 April 2012 – Early liver regeneration was studied in a series of 70 patients who underwent right hepatectomy for living donation between November 2004 and January 2010. Liver regeneration was evaluated with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) at a mean of 61.07 days after surgery.

Sustained telomere length in hepatocytes and cholangiocytes with increasing age in normal liver

Suman Verma, Phaedra Tachtatzis, Sue Penrhyn‐Lowe, Cinzia Scarpini, Diana Jurk, Thomas Von Zglinicki, Nick Coleman, Graeme J. M. Alexander – 13 April 2012 – Telomeres, a validated biomarker of aging, comprise multiple nucleotide repeats capping chromosomes that shorten with each cell cycle until a critical length is achieved, precipitating cell senescence.

Subset of Suz12/PRC2 target genes is activated during hepatitis B virus replication and liver carcinogenesis associated with HBV X protein

Leo L. Studach, Stephan Menne, Stefano Cairo, Marie Annick Buendia, Ronald L. Hullinger, Lydie Lefrançois, Philippe Merle, Ourania M. Andrisani – 13 April 2012 – Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for developing liver cancer, and the HBV X protein (pX) has been implicated as a cofactor in hepatocyte transformation. We have shown that HBV replication as well as in vitro transformation by pX are associated with induction of the mitotic polo‐like kinase 1 (Plk1) and down‐regulation of the chromatin remodeling components Suz12 and Znf198.

Serine protease hepsin regulates hepatocyte size and hemodynamic retention of tumor cells by hepatocyte growth factor signaling in mice

Yu‐Chen Hsu, Hsiang‐Po Huang, I‐Shing Yu, Kang‐Yi Su, Shu‐Rung Lin, Wei‐Chou Lin, Hua‐Lin Wu, Guey‐Yueh Shi, Mi‐Hua Tao, Cheng‐Heng Kao, Yao‐Ming Wu, Patricia E. Martin, Shih‐Yao Lin, Pan‐Chyr Yang, Shu‐Wha Lin – 13 April 2012 – The liver architecture plays an important role in maintaining hemodynamic balance, but the mechanisms that underlie this role are not fully understood. Hepsin, a type II transmembrane serine protease, is predominantly expressed in the liver, but has no known physiological functions. Here, we report that hemodynamic balance in the liver is regulated through hepsin.

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