Treatment with sildenafil and treprostinil allows successful liver transplantation of patients with moderate to severe portopulmonary hypertension

Trina J. Hollatz, Alexandru Musat, Susanne Westphal, Catherine Decker, Anthony M. D'Alessandro, Jon Keevil, Li Zhanhai, James R. Runo – 8 February 2012 – Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) refers to pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with portal hypertension with or without evidence of an underlying liver disease. Despite the potential for curing PoPH with liver transplantation, the presence of moderate or severe PoPH is associated with increased morbidity and mortality and is, therefore, a contraindication to transplantation.

Immunoprophylaxis against and prevention of recurrent viral hepatitis after liver transplantation

Marie A. Laryea, Kymberly D. Watt – 8 February 2012 – The reinfection of the hepatic allograft with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus can have important sequelae that result in poor long‐term patient and graft survival. Although a response to treatment with antiviral medications can improve these outcomes, not all patients tolerate these medications or experience viral eradication. Avoiding reinfection of the graft is the most effective means of improving the long‐term outcomes for these patient populations.

Presence of precore and core promoter mutants limits the probability of response to peginterferon in hepatitis B e antigen‐positive chronic hepatitis B

Milan J. Sonneveld, Vincent Rijckborst, Stefan Zeuzem, E. Jenny Heathcote, Krzysztof Simon, Hakan Senturk, Suzan D. Pas, Bettina E. Hansen, Harry L.A. Janssen – 6 February 2012 – Peginterferon (PEG‐IFN) treatment of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) results in HBeAg loss in 30% of patients, but clearance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from serum is less often achieved.

Interstrain differences in liver injury and one‐carbon metabolism in alcohol‐fed mice

Masato Tsuchiya, Cheng Ji, Oksana Kosyk, Svitlana Shymonyak, Stepan Melnyk, Hiroshi Kono, Volodymyr Tryndyak, Levan Muskhelishvili, Igor P. Pogribny, Neil Kaplowitz, Ivan Rusyn – 6 February 2012 – Alcoholic liver injury is a major public health issue worldwide. Even though the major mechanisms of this disease have been established over the past decades, little is known about genetic susceptibility factors that may predispose individuals who abuse alcoholic beverages to liver damage and subsequent pathological conditions.

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