Biliary strictures following liver transplantation: Past, present and preventive strategies

Sharad Sharma, Ahmet Gurakar, Nicolas Jabbour – 28 May 2008 – Biliary complications are still the major source of morbidity for liver transplant recipients. The reported incidence of biliary strictures is 5%‐15% after deceased donor liver transplantation and 28%‐32% after right‐lobe live donor surgery. Presentation is usually within the first year, but the incidence is known to increase with longer follow‐up. The anastomotic variant is due to technical factors, whereas the nonanastomotic form is due to immunological and ischemic events, which later may lead to graft loss.

Current diagnosis and management of primary sclerosing cholangitis

Jens J. W. Tischendorf, Andreas Geier, Christian Trautwein – 28 May 2008 – Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an important liver disease with major morbidity and mortality. The diagnosis of PSC is confirmed by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreaticography, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography is performed in patients needing therapeutic endoscopy. As a result of the unknown cause of the disease, current medical therapies are unsatisfactory.

Role of Kupffer cells in the induction of tolerance of orthotopic liver transplantation in rats

Yong Chen, Zuojin Liu, Shaoyong Liang, Xiaofeng Luan, Feiwu Long, Jie Chen, Yong Peng, Lünan Yan, Jianping Gong – 28 May 2008 – Because the role of Kupffer cells (KCs) in liver transplantation (LT) tolerance is not well understood, we investigated their role in liver allograft acceptance in rats. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were randomly assigned to either an LT group or a transplantation group pretreated with GdCl3 (Gd group).

Comparison of four model for end‐stage liver disease–based prognostic systems for cirrhosis

Teh‐Ia Huo, Han‐Chieh Lin, Samantha C. Huo, Pui‐Ching Lee, Jaw‐Ching Wu, Fa‐Yauh Lee, Ming‐Chih Hou, Shou‐Dong Lee – 28 May 2008 – Serum sodium (Na) has been suggested for incorporation into the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) to enhance its prognostic ability for patients with cirrhosis. Three Na‐containing models—the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease with the incorporation of serum sodium (MELD‐Na), the integrated Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (iMELD), and the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease to sodium (MESO) index—were independently proposed for this purpose.

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