Lactulose improves cognitive functions and health‐related quality of life in patients with cirrhosis who have minimal hepatic encephalopathy

Srinivasa Prasad, Radha K. Dhiman, Ajay Duseja, Yogesh K. Chawla, Arpita Sharma, Ritesh Agarwal – 26 February 2007 – Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) has a negative effect on patients' daily functioning. Thus far, no study has investigated the effect of treatment‐related improvement in cognitive functions on health‐related quality of life (HRQOL).

Diagnostic value of HSP70, glypican 3, and glutamine synthetase in hepatocellular nodules in cirrhosis

Luca Di Tommaso, Giada Franchi, Young Nyun Park, Barbara Fiamengo, Annarita Destro, Emanuela Morenghi, Marco Montorsi, Guido Torzilli, Maurizio Tommasini, Luigi Terracciano, Luigi Tornillo, Raffaella Vecchione, Massimo Roncalli – 26 February 2007 – Hepatocellular nodules in cirrhosis include regenerative (large regenerative, LRN) and dysplastic (low and high grade, LGDN and HGDN) nodules, early and grade 1 HCC (eHCC‐G1), and overt HCC. The differential diagnosis may be particularly difficult when lesions such as HGDN and eHCC‐G1 are involved.

Dysfunction and functional restoration of HCV‐specific CD8 responses in chronic hepatitis C virus infection

Amalia Penna, Massimo Pilli, Alessandro Zerbini, Alessandra Orlandini, Sergio Mezzadri, Luca Sacchelli, Gabriele Missale, Carlo Ferrari – 26 February 2007 – The functional impairment of HCV‐specific T cell responses is believed to be an important determinant of HCV persistence, but the functional T cell defects of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CH‐C) are only partially defined. CD8 responses to HLA‐A2–restricted epitopes of HCV and other unrelated viruses were studied in 23 HLA‐A2–positive patients both ex vivo and after in vitro culture.

Final results of a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of the antifibrotic efficacy of interferon‐γ1b in chronic hepatitis C patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis

Paul J. Pockros, Lennox Jeffers, Nezam Afdhal, Zachary D. Goodman, David Nelson, Robert G. Gish, K. Rajender Reddy, Robert Reindollar, Maribel Rodriguez‐Torres, Sarah Sullivan, Lawrence M. Blatt, Sima Faris‐Young – 26 February 2007 – Interferon‐γ1b (IFN‐γ1b) is a pleiotropic cytokine that displays antifibrotic, antiviral, and antiproliferative activity.

Impact of aboriginal ethnicity on HCV core‐induced IL‐10 synthesis: Interaction with IL‐10 gene polymorphisms

Koko Bate Aborsangaya, Iga Dembinski, Suresh Khatkar, Martin Prince Alphonse, Peter Nickerson, Julia D. Rempel – 26 February 2007 – The host immune response is a critical determinant in viral infection outcome. Epidemiological studies indicate that North American indigenous peoples are more resistant to chronic HCV infection than other populations. Due to the prominence of IL‐10 in chronic HCV infection, we investigated the genetic tendency to produce IL‐10 in Caucasian (CA) and First Nation (FN) populations.

Different methods of creatinine measurement significantly affect MELD scores

Evangelos Cholongitas, Laura Marelli, Andrew Kerry, Marco Senzolo, David W. Goodier, Devaki Nair, Michael Thomas, David Patch, Andrew K. Burroughs – 23 February 2007 – Bilirubin (Bil) interferes with creatinine (Cr) measurement. Different laboratory methods are used to overcome this problem. Model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) scoring incorporates Cr and is used to prioritize patients for liver transplantation. Thus, MELD scores may vary with different Cr measurements influencing patients' priority.

Orthotopic liver or multivisceral transplantation as treatment of metastatic neuroendocrine tumors

Michael Olausson, Styrbjörn Friman, Gustaf Herlenius, Christian Cahlin, Ola Nilsson, Svante Jansson, Bo Wängberg, Håkan Ahlman – 22 February 2007 – Liver transplantation can be a therapeutic option for individual patients with neuroendocrine tumors metastatic only to the liver. In this consecutive series of 15 patients (5 multivisceral and 10 orthotopic liver transplantations) with well‐differentiated carcinoids, or endocrine pancreatic tumors, we allowed higher proliferation rate (Ki67 <10%), large tumor burden, and higher age than previous studies.

Early noncardiogenic pulmonary edema and the use of PEEP and prone ventilation after emergency liver transplantation

E. Sykes, J. F. Cosgrove, I. D. Nesbitt, C. B. O'Suilleabhain – 22 February 2007 – Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema in liver transplant recipients is usually secondary to TRALI (transfusion related acute lung injury) or liver ischemic‐reperfusion injury. If persistent, the resultant hypoxemia is associated with increased ventilator days, prolonged length of stay (intensive care and hospital) and increased 28‐day mortality.

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