Thomas Minor, Susanne Akbar, Yuzo Yamamoto – 30 December 2003 – The shortage of organ donors has led to reconsideration for the use of non–heart‐beating donors (NHBDs). However, graft injury caused by warm ischemia in livers from NHBDs strongly affects posttransplantation outcome. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of adenosine A2 receptor with regard to hepatic viability after cold preservation of NHBD livers. Cardiac arrest was induced in Wistar rats by phrenotomy of the anesthetized nonheparinized animal.

M. Roy First – 30 December 2003

Russell W. Strong – 30 December 2003

J. Ignacio Herrero, Jorge Quiroga, Bruno Sangro, Marcos Girala, Noemí Gómez‐Manero, Fernando Pardo, Javier Alvárez‐Cienfuegos, Jesús Prieto – 30 December 2003 – The management of liver transplant recipients with renal function impairment remains controversial because cyclosporine withdrawal from triple immunosuppression regimens may be followed by graft rejection. A nonnephrotoxic and powerful immunosuppressant such as mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) could allow a reduction of cyclosporine dosage or its withdrawal and an improvement in renal function in these patients.

Marc Deschênes, Clark Forbes, Jean Tchervenkov, Jeffrey Barkun, Peter Metrakos, Joe Tector, Elliott Alpert – 30 December 2003 – Initial poor graft function is associated with increased morbidity and graft loss after liver transplantation. Donor age is a risk factor for the development of initial poor function. The severity of ischemic damage on intraoperative postreperfusion (0Post) allograft biopsy specimens is predictive of subsequent initial poor function.

Atul Humar, Irving Salit – 30 December 2003 – Disseminated infection with Bartonella spp with granulomatous hepatitis was diagnosed in a liver transplant recipient presenting with fever of unknown origin. Pathological findings on liver biopsy were atypical, with scant granulomas seen only after a second biopsy. The patient responded promptly to antibiotic therapy. Infections caused by Bartonella spp should be considered in transplant recipients with fever of unknown origin.

Leonardo Baiocchi, Giuseppe Tisone, Gianpiero Palmieri, Maria Rapicetta, Franco Pisani, Giuseppe Orlando, Carlo Umberto Casciani, Mario Angelico – 30 December 2003 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major causes leading to orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) worldwide. Although viral infection persists in almost all patients, the pathology of recurrent HCV infection after OLT is not well characterized.

W T Merritt – 30 December 2003

W T Merritt – 30 December 2003

P Tissieres, P Durand, C Chardot, B Dousset, D Debray, F Gauthier, D Devictor – 30 December 2003