Kimberly A. Powers, Ruy M. Ribeiro, Keyur Patel, Stephen Pianko, Lisa Nyberg, Paul Pockros, Andrew J. Conrad, John McHutchison, Alan S. Perelson – 30 January 2006 – Improved understanding of hepatitis C virus (HCV) dynamics during and after liver transplantation can be useful in optimizing antiviral therapy in transplant recipients. We analyzed serum HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) levels during and after cadaveric liver transplantation in 6 HCV patients.

Pam Kimball, Melissa Baker, Robert A. Fisher – 30 January 2006 – Hepatitis C (HCV) recurrence after liver transplantation is universal although severity varies. We explored whether certain donor cytokine gene polymorphisms may be useful markers of susceptibility to severe recurrence. Allograft tumor necrosis factor (TNF) β and interleukin (IL) 16 gene polymorphisms were correlated with l‐yr clinical outcome among HCV+ recipients. Recipients of donor TNFβ2,2 (n = 8) experienced less recurrence (50% vs. 71%, P < 0.05), less fibrosis (25% vs. 76%, P < 0.01), and less rejection (25% vs.

Ahmet Demirkiran, Alice Kok, Jaap Kwekkeboom, Johannes G. Kusters, Herold J. Metselaar, Hugo W. Tilanus, Luc J.W. van der Laan – 30 January 2006 – Immune regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells play a crucial role in inducing and maintaining allograft tolerance in experimental models of transplantation (Tx). In humans, the effect of Tx and immunosuppression on the function and homeostasis of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) is not well characterized.

Giuseppe Morelli, Alan Reed, Roberto J. Firpi, Victor Machicao, Manal F. Abdelmalek, Consuelo Soldevilla‐Pico, David R. Nelson – 30 January 2006

Jai Young Cho, Kyung‐Suk Suh, Choon Hyuck Kwon, Nam‐Joon Yi, Hwan Hyo Lee, Jean Wan Park, Kwang‐Woong Lee, Jae Won Joh, Suk‐Koo Lee, Kuhn Uk Lee – 30 January 2006 – To overcome the barrier of size match, right lobe graft has been widely used in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We assessed donor outcome, with a focus on remnant liver volume (RLV) after right hepatectomy based on the experiences of 2 LDLT centers, as a means of guiding the establishment of safe RLV limits for donor right hepatectomy.

Surakit Pungpapong, Murli Krishna, Susan C. Abraham, Andrew P. Keaveny, Rolland C. Dickson, Raouf E. Nakhleh – 30 January 2006 – Despite certain strict criteria for suitable organ donors, some unrecognized and unusual diseases have been transmitted through liver transplantation to recipients. In the current series, we review our experience with 14 patients who underwent liver transplantation using donor grafts with unusual pathology, including amyloidosis (6), schistosomiasis (3), iron overload (2), and α‐1 antitrypsin deficiency (3).

Nina Singh, Victor L. Yu – 30 January 2006

James D. Perkins – 30 January 2006 – While transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is a common therapy for cirrhotic patients with diuretic‐resistant or diuretic‐refractory ascites, some patients are unsuitable for the procedure for technical or medical reasons. We report our experience with the use of chronic intravenous albumin infusions to achieve diuresis in this difficult patient population and review the historic experience of chronic albumin infusions as a treatment for ascites.

See Ching Chan, Chung Mau Lo, Yik Wong, Chi Leung Liu, Sheung Tat Fan – 30 January 2006 – The right lobe liver graft has become the workhorse of adult‐to‐adult live donor liver transplantation. Donor right hepatectomy is feasible only because of the immense regenerative ability of the liver. The long‐term biological consequences of this very major donor procedure on the donor however are unknown. Twenty‐nine donors of this procedure in our centre, all of whom included the middle hepatic vein, were studied.

Ji Hoon Shin, Kyu‐Bo Sung, Hyun‐Ki Yoon, Gi‐Young Ko, Kyoung Won Kim, Sung‐Gyu Lee, Shin Hwang, Chul‐Soo Ahn, Ki‐Hun Kim, Deok‐Bog Moon, Ho‐Young Song, Tae‐Yong Ha – 30 January 2006 – Middle hepatic vein (MHV) reconstruction is performed to drain the right paramedian sector to prevent hepatic venous congestion (HVC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate endovascular stent placement in patients with stenosed and/or occluded interposition vein graft (IVG) to segment V hepatic vein (V5) and segment VIII hepatic vein (V8) after living‐donor liver transplantation (LDLT).