Initial response to percutaneous ablation predicts survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Margarita Sala, Josep M. Llovet, Ramon Vilana, Lluís Bianchi, Manel Solé, Carmen Ayuso, Concepció Brú, Jordi Bruix, for the Barcelona Cly'nic Liver Cancer (BCLC) Group – 24 November 2004 – Outcome predictors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are treated with percutaneous ablation are ill defined, and it is unknown if successful therapy is associated with improved survival. In our study, 282 cirrhotic patients with early nonsurgical HCC were treated with percutaneous ablation during a 15‐year period.

Treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavarin in HCV infection with genotype 2 or 3 for 14 weeks: A pilot study

Olav Dalgard, Kristian Bjøro, Kjell Block Hellum, Bjørn Myrvang, Ståle Ritland, Kjell Skaug, Nils Raknerud, Helge Bell – 24 November 2004 – The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of 14 weeks of treatment in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 or 3 who achieve early virological response (EVR). In a noncontrolled multicenter trial, 122 treatment‐naive patients received 1.5 μg/kg pegylated interferon alfa‐2b subcutaneously once weekly and 800 to 1,400 mg/d ribavirin based on body weight.

PGE1‐induced NO reduces apoptosis by D‐galactosamine through attenuation of NF‐κB and NOS‐2 expression in rat hepatocytes

Emilio Siendones, Dalia Fouad, María José M. Díaz‐Guerra, Manuel de la Mata, Lisardo Boscá, Jordi Muntané – 24 November 2004 – Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) reduces cell death in experimental and clinical liver dysfunction. We have previously shown that PGE1 preadministration protects against NO‐dependent cell death induced by D‐galactosamine (D‐GalN) through a rapid increase of nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) activity, inducible NO synthase (NOS‐2) expression, and NO production.

Epoetin alfa improves quality of life in anemic HCV‐infected patients receiving combination therapy

Paul J. Pockros, Mitchell L. Shiffman, Eugene R. Schiff, Mark S. Sulkowski, Zobair Younossi, Douglas T. Dieterich, Teresa L. Wright, Samir H. Mody, K. Linda Tang, Betty L. Goon, Peter J. Bowers, Gerhard Leitz, Nezam H. Afdhal, PROACTIVE Study Group – 24 November 2004 – Anemia and decreased health‐related quality of life (HRQL) are common in patients receiving combination therapy of interferon alfa (IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Gene therapy: Lessons learned from liver transplantation for transthyretin‐amyloidosis

Ole B. Suhr, Gösta Holmgren, Erik Lundgren – 19 November 2004 – Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy is the common form of hereditary generalized amyloidosis and is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid fibrils in the peripheral nerves and other organs. Liver transplantation (LTx) has been utilized as a therapy for familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy because the variant transthyretin (TTR) is predominantly synthesized by the liver, but this therapy has several problems. Thus, we need to develop a new treatment that prevents the production of the variant TTR in the liver.

UW is superior to Celsior and HTK in the protection of human liver endothelial cells against preservation injury

Hermann Janßen, Petra H.E. Janßen, Christoph E. Broelsch – 19 November 2004 – Celsior solution (CS), a new preservation solution in thoracic organ transplantation, was evaluated for its efficacy in cold preservation of human liver endothelial cells (HLEC) and was compared to University of Wisconsin solution (UW) and histidine‐tryptophan‐ketoglutarate solution (HTK, Custodiol). HLEC cultures were preserved at 4°C in CS, UW, and HTK, for 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours, with 6 hours of reperfusion.

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