Prospects for stem cell transplantation in the treatment of hepatic disease

Benjamin M. Stutchfield, Stuart J. Forbes, Stephen J. Wigmore – 25 June 2010 – Stem cell therapy has the potential to provide a valuable adjunct to the management of hepatic disease. Preclinical studies have demonstrated a range of endogenous repair processes that can be exploited through stem cell therapy. Initial translational studies have been encouraging and have suggested improved liver function in advanced chronic liver disease and enhanced liver regeneration after portal vein embolization.

Improvement in hepatopulmonary syndrome after methadone withdrawal: A case report with implications for disease mechanism

Edmund M. T. Lau, Geoffrey McCaughan, Paul J. Torzillo – 25 June 2010 – Spontaneous resolution of hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) without liver transplantation or improvement in the underlying liver disease has rarely been reported in the literature. Increased endogenous production of nitric oxide has been implicated in the pathogenesis of HPS. We report the case of a 50‐year‐old man with hepatitis C cirrhosis who demonstrated dramatic improvement in HPS after withdrawal from chronic methadone therapy.

Use of model for end‐stage liver disease exception points for early liver transplantation and successful reversal of hepatic myelopathy with a review of the literature

Cary Caldwell, Norman Werdiger, Sofia Jakab, Michael Schilsky, Antonios Arvelakis, Sanjay Kulkarni, Sukru Emre – 25 June 2010 – Hepatic myelopathy (HM) is a rarely reported disorder characterized by progressive spastic paraparesis due to impaired corticospinal tract function in the setting of cirrhosis or portosystemic shunting. HM has not to date been recognized as a Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) exception for transplantation.

Escape hepatitis B virus mutations in recipients of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen–positive liver grafts receiving hepatitis B immunoglobulins

Bruno Roche, Anne‐Marie Roque‐Afonso, Mylene Sebagh, Valerie Delvart, Jean Charles Duclos‐Vallee, Denis Castaing, Didier Samuel – 25 June 2010 – A variety of prophylactic strategies are used to prevent the risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission from antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti‐HBc)–positive donors. The mechanisms underlying the failure of HBV immunoglobulin monoprophylaxis have been poorly evaluated. Seventy‐seven anti‐HBc–positive grafts were used in 21 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)–positive recipients and 56 HBsAg‐negative recipients.

The biopsied donor liver: Incorporating macrosteatosis into high‐risk donor assessment

Austin L. Spitzer, Oliver B. Lao, André A. S. Dick, Ramasamy Bakthavatsalam, Jeffrey B. Halldorson, Matthew M. Yeh, Melissa P. Upton, Jorge D. Reyes, James D. Perkins – 25 June 2010 – To expand the donor liver pool, ways are sought to better define the limits of marginally transplantable organs. The Donor Risk Index (DRI) lists 7 donor characteristics, together with cold ischemia time and location of the donor, as risk factors for graft failure. We hypothesized that donor hepatic steatosis is an additional independent risk factor.

Increased incidence of early de novo cancer in liver graft recipients treated with cyclosporine: An association with C2 monitoring and recipient age

Angela S. W. Tjon, Jerome Sint Nicolaas, Jaap Kwekkeboom, Robert A. de Man, Geert Kazemier, Hugo W. Tilanus, Bettina E. Hansen, Luc J. W. van der Laan, Thanyalak Tha‐In, Herold J. Metselaar – 25 June 2010 – The goal of this study was to determine the risk factors for de novo cancer after liver transplantation (LTx). Retrospective analyses were performed in 385 LTx patients who underwent transplantation between 1986 and 2007. In total, 50 (13.0%) recipients developed de novo malignancy.

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