Ashesh Shah, Avinash Agarwal, Richard Mangus, Joel Lim, Jonathan Fridell, Rodrigo Vianna, A. Joseph Tector – 25 July 2006 – Routine use of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (RATG) induction therapy remains controversial in pediatric liver transplantation. We reviewed our experience of 18 cadaveric liver transplants in 18 children over a span of 2 years. All patients received the same immunosuppression: perioperative steroid therapy with taper, 3 doses of RATG, and maintenance therapy of steroids and tacrolimus started on postoperative day 3. Mean follow‐up was 2.2 ± 0.2 years.

James D. Perkins – 25 July 2006

Alexandre Cerqueira, Lucio Pacheco‐Moreira, Marcelo Enne, Jefferson Alves, Rodrigo Amil, Elizabeth Balbi, José Manoel Martinho – 25 July 2006

Luis Gajate, Ascensión Martín, Elena Elías, Maria T Tenorio, Angélica de Pablo, Cristina Carrasco, Adolfo Martínez, Angel Candela, Javier Zamora, Fernando Liaño – 12 July 2006 – Although renal dysfunction is common after liver transplantation, postoperative renal function after split liver transplantation (SLT) has not been well studied. Renal function immediately after surgery was analyzed retrospectively in 16 patients that received a SLT (SLT group).

Sylvia Kroencke, Christian Wilms, Dieter Broering, Xavier Rogiers, Karl‐Heinz Schulz – 12 July 2006 – While the medical aspects of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) have been investigated to a comparatively large degree, only in recent years have psychosocial aspects like donors' quality of life and attitude towards living donation been dealt with. In the course of a retrospective study, we examined 36 pediatric living liver donors at an average of 4.5 ± 2.8 years postoperatively.

Gerd Otto, Sascha Herber, Michael Heise, Ansgar W. Lohse, Christian Mönch, Fernando Bittinger, Maria Hoppe‐Lotichius, Marcus Schuchmann, Anja Victor, Michael Pitton – 6 July 2006 – Criteria to select patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for liver transplantation (LT) are based on tumor size and number of nodules rather than on tumor biology. The present study was undertaken to assess the role of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in selecting patients with tumors suitable for LT.

Jose A. Carrión, Miquel Navasa, Jaume Bosch, Miquel Bruguera, Rosa Gilabert, Xavier Forns – 5 July 2006 – Recurrence of hepatitis C after liver transplantation (LT) is the main cause of graft loss and retransplantation. Frequent liver biopsies are essential to follow‐up hepatitis C virus (HCV)–induced liver damage. However, liver biopsy is an invasive and expensive procedure. We evaluated prospectively the diagnostic accuracy of noninvasive measurement of liver stiffness (by transient elastography) to assess the severity of hepatitis C recurrence after LT.

Michael Kremer, Ian Neil Hines, Richard Jameson Milton, Michael Daryl Wheeler – 23 June 2006 – Steatohepatitis enhances the severity of liver injury caused by acute inflammation. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that fatty liver due to chronic choline‐deficient diet exacerbates concanavalin A (ConA)‐induced liver hepatitis, which is predominantly facilitated by T cells. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed either control choline‐sufficient diet (CSD) or choline‐deficient diet (CDD) for 6 weeks before ConA administration.

Yvonne Meier, Christiane Pauli‐Magnus, Ulrich M. Zanger, Kathrin Klein, Elke Schaeffeler, Andreas K. Nussler, Natascha Nussler, Michel Eichelbaum, Peter J. Meier, Bruno Stieger – 23 June 2006 – Interindividual variability in hepatic canalicular transporter expression might predispose to the development of hepatic disorders such as acquired forms of intrahepatic cholestasis.

Jeffrey Campsen, Richard Hendrickson, Thomas Bak, Michael Wachs, Igal Kam, Russell Nash, Paul Russ, Marilyn Levi – 23 June 2006