Yanli Gu, Olaf Dirsch, Uta Dahmen, Yuan Ji, Qing He, Haidong Chi, Christoph Erich Broelsch – 24 May 2005 – The aim of this study was to assess the impact of donor gender on small‐for‐size (SFS) liver transplantation in male recipients using a rat model. Adult female or male Lewis rats were used as donors and male Lewis rats as recipients. Size‐matched (SM) and SFS liver grafts from either male or female donors were transplanted into male recipients.

Marek J. Mazur, Raymond L. Heilman – 24 May 2005 – Acute renal failure (ARF) is associated with high mortality. Presently, no specific therapy for ARF exists. Therefore, early detection of ARF is critical to prevent its progression. However, serum creatinine, the standard marker to detect ARF, demonstrates major limitations. We prospectively evaluated whether serum cystatin C detected ARF earlier than serum creatinine. In 85 patients at high risk to develop ARF, serum creatinine and cystatin C were determined daily.

Santiago J. Muñoz – 24 May 2005

Oren Shibolet, Mina Rowe, Rifaat Safadi, Izhar Levy, Gideon Zamir, Ahmed Eid, Yoel Donchin, Yaron Ilan, Daniel Shouval – 24 May 2005 – The Israeli population does not meet its transplantation organ needs. Therefore, liver transplantation (LTX) candidates are sometimes transported to centers abroad. We aimed to assess the demographic and clinical issues concerning this policy. Records of all candidates transported (2000–2004) were retrospectively reviewed. Data included etiology, disease severity, outcome, distances traveled and destinations, and medical complication arising en route.

Piero Marchetti – 24 May 2005 – New‐onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) develops in approximately 15% of liver transplant recipients, and a similar proportion of patients have diabetes prior to transplantation. Preexisting diabetes and probably NODM are associated with increased mortality and risk of infection. NODM occurs more frequently among patients with hepatitis C infection; additional risk factors include family history, male gender, increasing weight, and alcoholic cirrhosis.

David E. Kaplan, Kazushi Sugimoto, Fusao Ikeda, Jason Stadanlick, Mary Valiga, Kirti Shetty, K. Rajender Reddy, Kyong‐Mi Chang – 24 May 2005 – Viral genotype and host ethnicity are important predictors of viral clearance during antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Based on the role of T cells in natural HCV clearance, we hypothesized that T cells may contribute to the genotypic and ethnic difference in treatment outcome.

Dariusz M. Lebensztejn, Elžbieta Skiba, Maria Sobaniec‐Lotowska, Maciej Kaczmarski – 24 May 2005

Andres E. Ruf, Federico G. Villamil – 24 May 2005

Gregory J. Quinlan, Greg S. Martin, Timothy W. Evans – 24 May 2005

Andrew Godkin, Miles Davenport, Adrian V.S. Hill – 24 May 2005 – Clearance of acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is associated with a vigorous CD4+ T‐cell response focusing on the core protein. HLA class II glycoproteins present viral peptides to CD4+ T cells and influence the immune responses. HLA‐DRB1*1301/2 have been associated with viral clearance, and HLA‐DRB1*0301 is associated with nonresponse to vaccination with envelope proteins.