Jordi Blanch, Barbara Sureda, Montse Flaviá, Victoria Marcos, Joan de Pablo, Elisa De Lazzari, Antoni Rimola, Victor Vargas, Victor Navarro, Carlos Margarit, Josep Visa – 30 January 2004 – Although the survival rate of patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is highly satisfactory, one of the most important objectives for liver transplantation teams at the present time is to achieve the best possible quality of life and psychosocial functioning for these patients after transplantation.

Elisabetta Cerutti, Chiara Stratta, Renato Romagnoli, Maria Maddalena Schellino, Stefano Skurzak, Mario Rizzetto, Giacomo Tamponi, Mauro Salizzoni – 30 January 2004 – Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is becoming a widespread procedure. However, the risk of surgical and medical complications in healthy donors is still a major concern. Hypercoagulability contributes to thromboembolic complications after surgery, but alterations of hemostasis after liver resection are difficult to predict.

Thomas D. Boyer – 30 January 2004

Jose M. Estrela, Angel L. Ortega, Julian Carretero – 30 January 2004

Shan Zeng, Nikki Feirt, Michael Goldstein, James Guarrera, Nikalesh Ippagunta, Udeme Ekong, Hao Dun, Yan Lu, Wu Qu, Ann Marie Schmidt, Jean C. Emond – 30 January 2004 – Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury associated with liver transplantation and hepatic resection is characterized by hepatocellular damage and a deleterious inflammatory response. In this study, we examined whether receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE) activation is linked to mechanisms accentuating inflammation on I/R in a murine model of total hepatic ischemia.

Sarwa Darwish Murad, Dominique‐Charles Valla, Piet C. de Groen, Guy Zeitoun, Judith A.M. Hopmans, Elizabeth B. Haagsma, Bart van Hoek, Bettina E. Hansen, Frits R. Rosendaal, Harry L.A. Janssen – 30 January 2004 – Budd‐Chiari syndrome (BCS) is a rare disorder that is characterized by hepatic venous outflow obstruction. The aim of this study was to assess determinants of survival and to evaluate the effect of portosystemic shunting. In this international multicenter study, 237 patients with BCS, diagnosed between 1984 and 2001, were investigated.

Fin Stolze Larsen – 30 January 2004

Tai‐Nin Chau, Kam‐Cheong Lee, Hung Yao, Tak‐Yin Tsang, Tat‐Chong Chow, Yiu‐Cheong Yeung, Kin‐Wing Choi, Yuk‐Keung Tso, Terence Lau, Sik‐To Lai, Ching‐Lung Lai – 30 January 2004 – Liver impairment is commonly reported in up to 60% of patients who suffer from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Here we report the clinical course and liver pathology in three SARS patients with liver impairment. Three patients who fulfilled the World Health Organization case definition of probable SARS and developed marked elevation of alanine aminotransferase were included.

Stefano Fiorucci, Elisabetta Antonelli, Eleonora Distrutti, Beatrice Severino, Roviezzo Fiorentina, Monia Baldoni, Giuseppe Caliendo, Vincenzo Santagada, Antonio Morelli, Giuseppe Cirino – 30 January 2004 – In fibroblasts, thrombin induces collagen deposition through activation of a G‐protein–coupled receptor, proteinase‐activated receptor 1 (PAR1). In the current study, we examined whether PAR1 antagonism inhibits hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation in vitro and whether it protects against fibrosis development in a rodent model of cirrhosis.

Rubén Francés, Susana Benlloch, Pedro Zapater, José M. González, Beatriz Lozano, Carlos Muñoz, Sonia Pascual, Juan A. Casellas, Francisco Uceda, José M Palazón, Fernando Carnicer, Miguel Pérez‐Mateo, José Such – 30 January 2004 – Bacterial translocation is currently considered the main pathogenic mechanism leading to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in patients with advanced cirrhosis and ascites. However, to the authors' knowledge there is no information regarding the characteristics of this process in humans.