Randomized controlled study of extracorporeal albumin dialysis for hepatic encephalopathy in advanced cirrhosis

Tarek I. Hassanein, Flemming Tofteng, Robert S. Brown, Brendan McGuire, Patrick Lynch, Ravindra Mehta, Fin S. Larsen, Jeff Gornbein, Jan Stange, Andres T. Blei – 28 November 2007 – Extracorporeal albumin dialysis (ECAD) may improve severe hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in patients with advanced cirrhosis via the removal of protein or non–protein‐bound toxins. A prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter trial of the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ECAD using molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) was conducted in such patients.

Model for end‐stage liver disease score and systemic inflammatory response are major prognostic factors in patients with cirrhosis and acute functional renal failure

Dominique Thabut, Julien Massard, Alice Gangloff, Nicolas Carbonell, Claire Francoz, Eric Nguyen‐Khac, Christian Duhamel, Didier Lebrec, Thierry Poynard, Richard Moreau – 28 November 2007 – Although it is often functional at presentation, acute renal failure has a poor prognosis in patients with cirrhosis. The role of inflammation, a key event in the outcome of cirrhosis, has never been studied in this setting. We aimed to investigate the predictive factors of mortality in patients with cirrhosis and acute functional renal failure, specifically in relation to inflammatory events.

Treatment extension to 72 weeks of peginterferon and ribavirin in hepatitis c genotype 1–infected slow responders

Brian L. Pearlman, Carole Ehleben, Sophia Saifee – 28 November 2007 – In hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection, the duration of interferon‐based therapy is a critical determinant in achieving sustained virologic response (SVR). Slow or late responders to peginterferon and ribavirin may benefit from an extended treatment course. We sought to determine if therapy extension could improve response rates in a United States population of slow responders.

Hepatitis B virus infection initiates with a large surface protein–dependent binding to heparan sulfate proteoglycans

Andreas Schulze, Philippe Gripon, Stephan Urban – 28 November 2007 – Contrary to many other viruses, the initial steps of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, including attachment to hepatocytes, specific receptor interactions, and membrane fusion, are unsolved. Using HepaRG cells as an in vitro cell culture system, we here report that HBV entry into hepatocytes depends on the interaction with the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) side chains of cell‐surface–associated heparan sulfate proteoglycans.

Glucocorticoid‐induced leucine zipper: A key protein in the sensitization of monocytes to lipopolysaccharide in alcoholic hepatitis

Haifa Hamdi, Amélie Bigorgne, Sylvie Naveau, Axel Balian, Laurence Bouchet‐Delbos, Anne‐Marie Cassard‐Doulcier, Marie‐Christine Maillot, Ingrid Durand‐Gasselin, Sophie Prévot, Jocelyne Delaveaucoupet, Dominique Emilie, Gabriel Perlemuter – 28 November 2007 – Glucocorticoid‐induced leucine zipper (GILZ), a recently identified protein induced by glucocorticoids (GCs), inhibits the nuclear factor κB pathway and the activation of monocytes/macrophages by lipopolysaccharides (LPS).

Liver retransplantation of patients with hepatitis C infection is associated with acceptable patient and graft survival

Marwan Ghabril, Rolland C. Dickson, Victor I. Machicao, Jaime Aranda‐Michel, Andrew Keaveny, Barry Rosser, Hugo Bonatti, Murli Krishna, Maria Yataco, Raj Satyanarayana, Denise Harnois, Winston Hewitt, Darin D. Willingham, Hani Grewal, Christopher B. Hughes, Justin Nguyen – 28 November 2007 – Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of liver transplantation (LT), while liver retransplantation (RT) for HCV is controversial as a result of concerns over poor outcomes. We sought to compare patient and graft survival after RT in patients with and without HCV.

Effect of prophylaxis on fungal infection and costs for high‐risk liver transplant recipients

Alan Reed, Jill Boylston Herndon, Nail Ersoz, Takahisa Fujikawa, Denise Schain, Paul Lipori, Alan Hemming, Qin Li, Elizabeth Shenkman, Bruce Vogel – 28 November 2007 – We sought to determine whether the prophylactic use of amphotericin B products (conventional amphotericin B and liposomal amphotericin B) reduces the incidence of fungal infections in high‐risk liver transplant recipients, and if so, whether this lowers the cost of care.

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