Effect of high‐dose ursodeoxycholic acid on its biliary enrichment in primary sclerosing cholangitis

Daniel Rost, Gerda Rudolph, Petra Kloeters‐Plachky, Adolf Stiehl – 30 August 2004 – Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) has beneficial effects in cholestatic liver diseases. In primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), there is evidence that high doses (±20 mg/kg) of UDCA may be more effective than average doses. Biliary enrichment of UDCA at such high doses may represent the decisive factor for its beneficial effect.

A dose‐finding study of once‐daily oral telbivudine in HBeAg‐positive patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Ching‐Lung Lai, Seng Gee Lim, Nathaniel A. Brown, Xiao‐Jian Zhou, Deborah M. Lloyd, Yin‐Mei Lee, Man‐Fung Yuen, George C. Chao, Maureen W. Myers – 30 August 2004 – Current therapy for chronic hepatitis B is suboptimal as a result of limited durable response rates, cumulative viral resistance, and/or poor tolerability. Telbivudine has potent antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) in vitro and in the woodchuck model and has a promising preclinical safety profile.

Hepatology highlights

Elwyn Elias – 30 August 2004 – In accordance with increasing demands for evidence‐based practice for ethical, fiscal, and medico‐legal reasons HEPATOLOGY provides a rich source of material that can justly guide the hepatologist's day‐to‐day clinical activity. The first four articles highlighted below constitute such confidence building data.

Permanent access to the portal system for cellular transplantation using an implantable port device

Ahmed A. Darwish, Etienne Sokal, Xavier Stephenne, Mustapha Najimi, Jean de Ville de Goyet, Raymond Reding – 30 August 2004 – A novel application of the implantable Port‐a‐Cath (PAC) system is described in the context of cellular transplantation. A silicone catheter was inserted in a collateral branch of the portal vein and connected to a port device positioned subcutaneously on the left thoracic cage. This permanent vascular access allowed iterative intraportal infusions of allogenic hepatocytes without the need of repeated transhepatic catheterization of the portal vein.

Exploring interactions between rat hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells using gene expression profiling

Salman R. Khetani, Greg Szulgit, Jo A. Del Rio, Carrolee Barlow, Sangeeta N. Bhatia – 30 August 2004 – Cocultivation of primary hepatocytes with a plethora of nonparenchymal cells (from within and outside the liver) has been shown to support hepatic functions in vitro. Despite significant investigation into this phenomenon, the molecular mechanism underlying epithelial–nonparenchymal interactions in hepatocyte cocultures remains poorly understood.

Revisiting liver transplant immunology: From the concept of immune engagement to the dualistic pathway paradigm

Raymond Reding, Hugh F.S. Davies – 30 August 2004 – Ever since the demonstration that allografts are rejected through immune reactions of the host, clinical therapies for organ allografts have relied on immune suppression to prevent these destructive events. A growing body of clinical and experimental data suggests that allografts elicit multiple, interactive immune responses. The result is not inevitably graft rejection, and “spontaneous” acceptance of fully allogeneic liver grafts occurs in rodents without immunosuppression.

Mycophenolate mofetil monotherapy in liver transplant recipients: A single center experience

Kyrsten D. Fairbanks, Paul J. Thuluvath – 30 August 2004 – The long‐term use of calcineurin inhibitors (CIs) is associated with significant morbidity in liver transplant recipients. Although mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is well tolerated, two small studies reported an unacceptable rate of acute allograft rejection in liver transplant recipients receiving MMF monotherapy. In this study, we retrospectively investigated the safety and efficacy of MMF monotherapy in liver transplant recipients. We reviewed the medical records of all patients who underwent liver transplant at our institution.

Subscribe to