Pinelopi Manousou, Dimitrios Samonakis, Evangelos Cholongitas, David Patch, James O'Beirne, Amar P. Dhillon, Keith Rolles, Aiden McCormick, Peter Hayes, Andrew K. Burroughs – 24 November 2009 – Less potent immunosuppression is considered to reduce the severity of hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence after liver transplantation. An optimal regimen is unknown. We evaluated tacrolimus monotherapy versus triple therapy in a randomized trial of 103 first transplants for HCV cirrhosis.

Salvador Benlloch, Laura Heredia, Claudia Barquero, José‐Miguel Rayón, Ramón Pina, Victoria Aguilera, Martín Prieto, Marina Berenguer – 24 November 2009 – We previously developed a mathematical model, the Hospital Universitario La Fe (HULF) index, as an alternative to protocol liver biopsy (PLB) to estimate significant fibrosis (SF) in patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) for liver damage caused by chronic HCV infection. In the present study, we sought to validate this noninvasive index.

Rhiana Garritsen, Andrei Tintu, Herold Metselaar, Geert Kazemier – 24 November 2009

Xavier Xiol, Jose Castellote, Xavier Fuentes‐Arderiu – 24 November 2009

Mureo Kasahara, Reiko Horikawa, Seisuke Sakamoto, Takanobu Shigeta, Hideaki Tanaka, Akinari Fukuda, Kiyomi Abe, Keisuke Yoshii, Yasuhiro Naiki, Rika Kosaki, Atsuko Nakagawa – 24 November 2009 – Glycogen storage disease type 1b (GSD‐1b) is due to an autosomal recessive inborn error of carbohydrate metabolism caused by defects in glucose‐6‐phosphatase translocase. Patients with GSD‐1b have severe hypoglycemia with several clinical manifestations of hepatomegaly, obesity, a doll‐like face, and neutropenia. Liver transplantation has been indicated for severe glucose intolerance.

Srinath Chinnakotla, Gary L. Davis, Sugam Vasani, Peter Kim, Koji Tomiyama, Edmund Sanchez, Nicholas Onaca, Robert Goldstein, Marlon Levy, Göran B. Klintmalm – 24 November 2009 – Tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with a poor prognosis. Because immunosuppression is a well‐known risk factor for tumor growth, it is surprising that its possible role in the outcome of liver transplantation has been poorly evaluated.

Allan M. Concejero, Chao‐Long Chen – 24 November 2009 – Live donors are a continuing source of organ grafts for solid organ transplantation in Asia. Ethical issues surrounding the development of living donor organ transplantation in Eastern countries are different from those in Western countries. Donor safety is still the paramount concern in any donor operation. Issues on organ trafficking remain societal concerns in low‐income nations. Religion, cultural background, economic prerogatives, and timely legislation contribute to the social acceptance and maturation of organ donation.

Stephen C. Ward, Thomas D. Schiano, Swan N. Thung, M. Isabel Fiel – 24 November 2009 – Plasma cell hepatitis (PCH) is characterized by plasma cell infiltration seen in allografts of patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) for conditions other than autoimmune hepatitis. We identified 40 PCH patients who underwent LT for hepatitis C virus (HCV) by searching our pathology database (1994–2006) for the keywords liver allograft, lymphoplasmacytic, and plasma cell(s). We selected 2 control patients who received LT for HCV for each PCH case.

24 November 2009

Karl‐Heinz Schulz, Sylvia Kroencke, Mingo Beckmann, Silvio Nadalin, Andreas Paul, Lutz Fischer, Björn Nashan, Wolfgang Senf, Yesim Erim – 24 November 2009 – In a quasi‐experimental design, we investigated the quality of life (QOL) in actual liver donors (n = 43) and potential liver donors (n = 33) before and 3 months after liver transplantation. This is the first study in this field combining a prospective design with an adequate control group.