Serum autotaxin is increased in pruritus of cholestasis, but not of other origin, and responds to therapeutic interventions

Andreas E. Kremer, Remco van Dijk, Pamela Leckie, Frank G. Schaap, Edith M.M. Kuiper, Thomas Mettang, Katrin S. Reiners, Ulrike Raap, Henk R. van Buuren, Karel J. van Erpecum, Nathan A. Davies, Christian Rust, Andreas Engert, Rajiv Jalan, Ronald P.J. Oude Elferink, Ulrich Beuers – 2 April 2012 – Pruritus is a seriously disabling symptom accompanying many cholestatic liver disorders. Recent experimental evidence implicated the lysophospholipase, autotaxin (ATX), and its product, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), as potential mediators of cholestatic pruritus.

Vaniprevir with pegylated interferon alpha‐2a and ribavirin in treatment‐naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C: A randomized phase II study

Michael P. Manns, Edward Gane, Maribel Rodriguez‐Torres, Albrecht Stoehr, Chau‐Ting Yeh, Patrick Marcellin, Richard T. Wiedmann, Peggy M. Hwang, Luzelena Caro, Richard J.O. Barnard, Andrew W. Lee, for the MK‐7009 Protocol 007 Study Group – 2 April 2012 – Vaniprevir (MK‐7009) is a macrocyclic hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3/4A protease inhibitor. The aim of the present phase II study was to examine virologic response rates with vaniprevir in combination with pegylated interferon alpha‐2a (Peg‐IFN‐α‐2a) plus ribavirin (RBV).

Smoking increases recurrent viral hepatitis after liver transplantation

Mamatha Bhat, Marc Deschenes, Xianming Tan, Myriam Martel, Venkataramana Bhat, Philip Wong, Peter Metrakos, Peter Ghali – 30 March 2012 – Smoking is a common behavior among transplant candidates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of smoking on a range of complications after liver transplantation. We reviewed data about patient demographics and various complications after liver transplantation that were recorded in the McGill University Health Centre liver transplant database over a 14‐year period. χ2 and multivariate analyses were performed.

Prevalence and clinical outcomes of the 46/1 haplotype, Janus kinase 2 mutations, and ten‐eleven translocation 2 mutations in budd‐chiari syndrome and their impact on thrombotic complications post Liver Transplantation

Rachel H. Westbrook, Nicholas C. Lea, Azim M. Mohamedali, Alexander E. Smith, David W. Orr, Lara N. Roberts, Nigel D. Heaton, Julia A. Wendon, John G. O'Grady, Michael A. Heneghan, Ghulam J. Mufti – 30 March 2012 – Latent myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) can be identified by Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) mutations in patients with idiopathic Budd‐Chiari syndrome (BCS). The incidence and clinical outcomes of JAK2 mutations, novel ten‐eleven translocation 2 (TET2) mutations, and the 46/1 haplotype in BCS are unknown for liver transplantation (LT).

Higher dietary fructose is associated with impaired hepatic adenosine triphosphate homeostasis in obese individuals with type 2 diabetes

Manal F. Abdelmalek, Mariana Lazo, Alena Horska, Susanne Bonekamp, Edward W. Lipkin, Ashok Balasubramanyam, John P. Bantle, Richard J. Johnson, Anna Mae Diehl, Jeanne M. Clark, and the Fatty Liver Subgroup of the Look AHEAD Research Group – 29 March 2012 – Fructose consumption predicts increased hepatic fibrosis in those with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Because of its ability to lower hepatic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, habitual fructose consumption could result in more hepatic ATP depletion and impaired ATP recovery.

Recipient survival and graft survival are not diminished by simultaneous liver‐kidney transplantation: An analysis of the united network for organ sharing database

Eric F. Martin, Jonathan Huang, Qun Xiang, John P. Klein, Jasmohan Bajaj, Kia Saeian – 29 March 2012 – Recipients of solitary liver and kidney transplants are living longer, and this increases their risk of long‐term complications such as recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) and drug‐induced nephrotoxicity. These complications may require retransplantation. Since the adoption of the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease, the number of simultaneous liver‐kidney transplantation (SLK) procedures has increased. However, there are no standardized criteria for organ allocation to SLK candidates.

Donor information for living donor liver transplantation: Where can comprehensive information be found?

Emmanuel Melloul, Dimitri Aristotle Raptis, Christian Eugen Oberkofler, Philipp Dutkowski, Mickael Lesurtel, Pierre‐Alain Clavien – 29 March 2012 – Recently published data show that a large number of candidates for living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) actively look for additional information on the Internet because today it represents the main source of information for many of them. However, little is known about the quality of the information on LDLT available on the Internet.

Subscribe to