Yung‐Chang Chen, Pere Ginès, Jianhui Yang, Sandra N. Summer, Sandor Falk, Nash S. Russell, Robert W. Schrier – 25 March 2004 – Vascular heme oxygenase (HO) regulates vascular tone in normal conditions and in some pathologic circumstances (e.g., sepsis). However, its possible role in the pathogenesis of arterial vasodilation in cirrhosis is unknown. To address this question, the expression and activity of HO in arterial vessels was studied in rats at 1, 2, and 4 weeks after bile duct ligation (BDL) or sham operation.

Ian P.J. Alwayn, Patrick J. Javid, Kathleen M. Gura, Vânia Nosé, Mario Ollero, Mark Puder – 25 March 2004

25 March 2004

Manuel Romero‐Gómez, Lourdes Grande, Inés Camacho – 25 March 2004 – Oral glutamine challenge (OGC) has been found to be safe, and an altered response predicts elevated risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE) in patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). We assessed the survival prognosis of patients with cirrhosis, but without current overt HE, who have an altered OGC and MHE. MHE was inferred using 3 neuropsychological tests. Venous ammonia concentrations were measured pre‐ and post‐60 minutes of a 10 g oral glutamine load.

Arun J Sanyal – 25 March 2004

J. Michael Millis – 22 March 2004

Kellee Slater, Thomas E. Bak, Igal Kam, Michael E. Wachs – 22 March 2004 – Liver transplantation is now an acceptable treatment for small hepatocellular carcinomas in the setting of cirrhosis. Larger tumors in cirrhotic livers and unresectable tumors in noncirrhotic livers (including fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinomas) may also be indications for transplantation. With the limited number of cadaver grafts available, living donor liver transplant is becoming an option for some of these patients.

22 March 2004

John Michael Tredger, Nigel William Brown, Jemimah Adams, Chris Elton Gonde, Anil Dhawan, Mohamed Rela, Nigel Heaton – 22 March 2004 – Predose plasma mycophenolic acid (MPA) concentrations measured with a semi‐automated enzyme‐multiplied immunoassay were related to adverse events (e.g., rejection, leukopenia, infection), drug dose, and clinical status in 147 adult and 63 pediatric liver allograft recipients receiving adjunctive immunosuppression with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF).

Ziad Hassoun, Vijay Shah, Christine M. Lohse, V. Shane Pankratz, Lydia M. Petrovic – 22 March 2004 – Several studies have linked centrilobular necrosis (CN) to acute cellular rejection (ACR) following liver transplantation. However, it may be difficult to establish the diagnosis of ACR when the classic portal features are absent. The aim of the present study was to identify specific features that would help to recognize ACR in biopsies with CN. One hundred and forty liver biopsies with CN were identified from 97 patients who underwent liver transplantation.