Effect of body mass index on the survival benefit of liver transplantation

Shawn J. Pelletier, Douglas E. Schaubel, Guanghui Wei, Michael J. Englesbe, Jeffrey D. Punch, Robert A. Wolfe, Friedrich K. Port, Robert M. Merion – 28 November 2007 – Obese patients are at higher risk for morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation (LT) than nonobese recipients. However, there are no reports assessing the survival benefit of LT according to recipient body mass index (BMI).

Ischemia‐reperfusion of small liver remnant promotes liver tumor growth and metastases—Activation of cell invasion and migration pathways

Kwan Man, Kevin T. Ng, Chung Mau Lo, Joanna W. Ho, Bai Shun Sun, Chris K. Sun, Terence K. Lee, Ronnie T. P. Poon, Sheung Tat Fan – 28 November 2007 – Elucidating the mechanism of liver tumor growth and metastasis after hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury of a small liver remnant will lay the foundation for the development of therapeutic strategies to target small liver remnant injury, and will reduce the likelihood of tumor recurrence after major hepatectomy or liver transplantation for liver cancer patients.

Classification and prognosis of intrahepatic biliary stricture after liver transplantation

Hae Won Lee, Kyung‐Suk Suh, Woo Young Shin, Eung‐Ho Cho, Nam‐Joon Yi, Jeong Min Lee, Joon Koo Han, Kuhn Uk Lee – 28 November 2007 – Intrahepatic biliary stricture (IHBS) after liver transplantation (LT) may develop in patients with hepatic artery thrombosis, chronic rejection, or ABO incompatibility, as well as in patients with prolonged warm ischemia in non‐heart‐beating donor (NHBD) LT. However, the clinical course and methods of management have not been well defined for IHBSs to date.

Intravenous interferon during the anhepatic phase of liver retransplantation and prevention of recurrence of cholestatic hepatitis C virus

Paul Y. Kwo, Romil Saxena, Oscar W. Cummings, A. Joseph Tector – 28 November 2007 – Cholestatic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection post orthotopic liver transplantation is associated with a poor prognosis. We describe 2 patients who received interferon and ribavirin for cholestatic HCV infection with clearance of HCV RNA from the serum. Both developed signs of graft failure necessitating repeat orthotopic liver transplantation, and at surgery, interferon was administered during the anhepatic phase to prevent graft reinfection.

A randomized controlled trial of late conversion from calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)‐based to sirolimus‐based immunosuppression in liver transplant recipients with impaired renal function

Christopher J.E. Watson, Alexander E.S. Gimson, Graeme J. Alexander, Michael E.D. Allison, Paul Gibbs, Jane C. Smith, Christopher R. Palmer, J. Andrew Bradley – 28 November 2007 – Renal impairment is common in patients after liver transplantation and is attributable in large part to the use of calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)‐based immunosuppression. We sought to determine whether conversion to sirolimus‐based immunosuppression was associated with improved renal function.

High‐density lipoprotein administration attenuates liver proinflammatory response, restores liver endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity, and lowers portal pressure in cirrhotic rats

Dominique Thabut, Khalid A. Tazi, Dominique Bonnefont‐Rousselot, Maria Aller, Olivier Farges, Marie‐Christine Guimont, Zera Tellier, Cecile Guichard, Eric Ogier‐Denis, Thierry Poynard, Richard Moreau, Didier Lebrec – 28 November 2007 – In patients with cirrhosis, endotoxic shock is a major complication of portal hypertension, which is related partly to intrahepatic endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) down‐regulation.

Association of reduced extracellular brain ammonia, lactate, and intracranial pressure in pigs with acute liver failure

Christopher Rose, Lars M. Ytrebø, Nathan A. Davies, Sambit Sen, Geir I. Nedredal, Mireille Belanger, Arthur Revhaug, Rajiv Jalan – 28 November 2007 – We previously demonstrated in pigs with acute liver failure (ALF) that albumin dialysis using the molecular adsorbents recirculating system (MARS) attenuated a rise in intracranial pressure (ICP). This was independent of changes in arterial ammonia, cerebral blood flow and inflammation, allowing alternative hypotheses to be tested.

Regulation of human liver δ‐aminolevulinic acid synthase by bile acids

Anne‐Kathrin Peyer, Diana Jung, Markus Beer, Carmela Gnerre, Adrian Keogh, Deborah Stroka, Mihaela Zavolan, Urs‐A. Meyer – 28 November 2007 – Aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 (ALAS1) is the rate‐limiting enzyme of heme synthesis in the liver and is highly regulated to adapt to the metabolic demand of the hepatocyte. In the present study, we describe human hepatic ALAS1 as a new direct target of the bile acid–activated nuclear receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR).

Iron‐mediated regulation of liver hepcidin expression in rats and mice is abolished by alcohol

Duygu Dee Harrison‐Findik, Elizabeth Klein, Callie Crist, John Evans, Nikolai Timchenko, John Gollan – 28 November 2007 – Alcohol reduces and iron increases liver hepcidin synthesis. This study investigates the interaction of alcohol and iron in the regulation of hepcidin messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in animal models. Mice were administered 10% ethanol for 7 days after an iron‐overloaded diet. Rats were administered regular or ethanol‐Lieber De Carli diets for 7 weeks with or without carbonyl iron. Hfe−/− mice were used as a model for genetic iron overload.

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