Alterations in the functional capacity of albumin in patients with decompensated cirrhosis is associated with increased mortality

Rajiv Jalan, Kerstin Schnurr, Rajeshwar P. Mookerjee, Sambit Sen, Lisa Cheshire, Stephen Hodges, Vladimir Muravsky, Roger Williams, Gert Matthes, Nathan A. Davies – 29 July 2009 – Albumin concentration is diminished in patients with liver failure. Albumin infusion improves survival of cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and it is hypothesized that this may be due in part to its detoxifying capabilities. The aim of this study was to perform detailed quantitative and qualitative assessment of albumin function in patients with cirrhosis.

Diagnostic value and utility of the simplified International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group (IAIHG) criteria in acute and chronic liver disease

Andrew D. Yeoman, Rachel H. Westbrook, Thawab Al‐Chalabi, Ivana Carey, Nigel D. Heaton, Bernard C. Portmann, Michael A. Heneghan – 29 July 2009 – Diagnostic criteria for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) have been created and revised by the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group (IAIHG). Simplified criteria have been created, but remain independently unvalidated. We report on the diagnostic accuracy of the simplified criteria in patients across a range of diagnoses, including a subset of patients presenting with fulminant liver failure who required liver transplant.

Specific role for acyl CoA:Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (Dgat1) in hepatic steatosis due to exogenous fatty acids

Claudio J. Villanueva, Mara Monetti, Michelle Shih, Ping Zhou, Steve M. Watkins, Sanjay Bhanot, Robert V. Farese – 29 July 2009 – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, characterized by the accumulation of triacylglycerols (TGs) and other lipids in the liver, often accompanies obesity and is a risk factor for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis. To treat or prevent fatty liver, a thorough understanding of hepatic fatty acid and TG metabolism is crucial.

Thymus cell antigen‐1‐expressing cells in the oval cell compartment

Mladen I. Yovchev, Jialin Zhang, David S. Neufeld, Petar N. Grozdanov, Mariana D. Dabeva – 29 July 2009 – Thymus cell antigen‐1 (Thy‐1)‐expressing cells proliferate in the liver during oval cell (OC)‐mediated liver regeneration. We characterized these cells in normal liver, in carbon tetrachloride‐injured liver, and in several models of OC activation.

Effect of hepatitis C virus and its treatment on survival

Adeel A. Butt, Xiaoqiang Wang, Charity G. Moore – 29 July 2009 – The effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and its treatment on survival is not well defined. We undertook this study to determine the effect of HCV and its treatment on survival in a national cohort of HCV‐infected veterans and uninfected controls. We used a national sample of HCV‐infected persons and HCV‐uninfected controls from the Electronically Retrieved Cohort of HCV Infected Veterans (ERCHIVES) to compare survival between the two groups.

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