Julius Špicák, Štefan Vítko, Miroslav Ryska, Pavel Trunecka, František Belina, Marek Krawczyk, Ferenc Perner, Pavel Taimr, Jan Šperl, Halima Hrncárková, Jan Peregrín, Helena Filipová, Karel Filip – 30 December 2003 – The aim of this report is to evaluate the development of liver transplantation in eastern Europe until mid‐1998. Representatives of gastroenterological and hepatological societies of the respective countries answered a questionnaire about the most descriptive items of the issue of liver transplantation.

Michael J. Krowka – 30 December 2003

Pierre Honoré, Olivier Detry, Etienne Hamoir, Thierry Defechereux, Bernard Detroz, Michel Meurisse, Nicolas Jacquet – 30 December 2003 – Retransplantation is common after liver transplantation (LT). However, in the present era of organ shortages, every attempt to save the liver graft should be performed before considering retransplantation. We report our experience with right hepatic lobectomy (RHL) for liver graft salvage. In a retrospective series of 180 adult LTs, 4 patients underwent RHL (Couinaud's segments V, VI, VII, VIII) in the post‐LT period.

Dena M. Bravata, Ingram Olkin, Amber E. Barnato, Emmet B. Keeffe, Douglas K. Owens – 30 December 2003 – The purpose of the study is to evaluate patterns of employment and alcohol use among liver transplant recipients with alcoholic (ALD) and nonalcoholic liver disease (non‐ALD). MEDLINE, EMBASE, and bibliographic searches identified 5,505 potentially relevant articles published between January 1966 and October 1998. Eighty‐two studies reporting data on 5,020 transplant recipients met our inclusion criteria.

Mehmet Arslan, Russell H. Wiesner, Corey Sievers, Kathleen Egan, Nizar N. Zein – 30 December 2003 – The aims of this study are to assess the efficacy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination using an accelerated schedule and double dose of recombinant vaccine in liver transplant recipients and identify factors associated with seroconversion and persistence of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti‐HBs). Three hundred fifty‐six patients were enrolled.

Masahiro Arai, Ronald G. Thurman, John J. Lemasters – 30 December 2003 – Brief periods of ischemia followed by reperfusion render tissues resistant against subsequent prolonged ischemia, a phenomenon called ischemic preconditioning. The effect of ischemic preconditioning on liver transplantation was investigated in relation to sinusoidal endothelial cell injury and Kupffer‐cell activation, which are prominent features of storage and reperfusion injury leading to liver graft failure.

Rafik M. Ghobrial, Chung‐Bao Hsieh, Susan Lerner, Sharon Winters, Nicholas Nissen, Sherfield Dawson, Farin Amersi, Pauline Chen, Douglas Farmer, Hasan Yersiz, Ronald W. Busuttil – 30 December 2003 – A right lobe graft that is drained by the right hepatic vein (RHV) is obtained by transecting the liver on the right side of the middle hepatic vein (MHV). On occasion, a small RHV that only drains a portion of the right lobe, with the predominant outflow achieved by the MHV, is encountered.

Daniel H. Kett, Rita C. Acosta, Michael A. Campos, Miguel J. Rodriguez, Andrew A. Quartin, Roland M.H. Schein – 30 December 2003 – We report a case of portopulmonary hypertension in which the pulmonary hypertension resolved after initial orthotopic liver transplantation. Portopulmonary hypertension recurred when the transplanted liver failed and again resolved after a second liver transplantation. Intravenous epoprostenol was administered perioperatively to control the pulmonary hypertension in both instances.

Mary Ann Huang, Thelma Wiley, Catherine McIsaac – 30 December 2003

Lars E. Schmidt, Allan Rasmussen, Mette Rindom Nørrelykke, Henrik Enghusen Poulsen, Bent Adel Hansen – 30 December 2003 – Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a prodrug immunosuppressant with a high oral bioavailability. Enterohepatic cycling of a glucuronide derivative of MMF contributes substantially to the bioavailability, but is dependent on bacterial deglucuronidation by intestinal flora. This study aims to determine whether an antibiotic regimen with activity against such organisms reduces the bioavailability of MMF by impairing enterohepatic cycling.