Fin Stolze Larsen, Gitte Strauss, Kirsten Møller, Bent Adel Hansen – 30 December 2003 – The absence of cerebral blood flow autoregulation in patients with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) implies that changes in arterial pressure directly influence cerebral perfusion. It is assumed that dilatation of cerebral arterioles is responsible for the impaired autoregulation. Recently, frontal blood flow was reported to be lower compared with other brain regions, indicating greater arteriolar tone and perhaps preserved regional cerebral autoregulation.

Mario Rizzetto, Alfredo Marzano – 30 December 2003 – Key Points

Pertti Pere, Krister Höckerstedt, Helena Isoniemi, Leena Lindgren – 30 December 2003 – The autoregulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) is impaired in patients with end‐stage liver disease and encephalopathy. These patients are vulnerable to sudden deterioration of cerebral perfusion and oxygenation during liver transplantation. We compared CBF and metabolism during liver transplantation without venovenous bypass and 24 hours postoperatively in 9 patients with acute liver failure (ALF) and 16 patients with chronic liver disease.

Sammy Saab, Paul Martin, George Y. Soliman, Gustavo A. Machicado, Bennett E. Roth, Gregg Kunder, Steven‐Huy B. Han, Douglas G. Farmer, R. Mark Ghobrial, Ronald W. Busuttil, Rudolph A. Bedford – 30 December 2003 – This study presents the long‐term sequelae of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)‐managed biliary leakage in patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and compares the relative efficacy, safety, and charges of nasobiliary drainage (NBD) versus biliary stenting (BS).

Patrick S. Kamath, Herschel A. Carpenter, Ricardo V. Lloyd, Michael A. McKusick, Jeffery L. Steers, David M. Nagorney, Virginia M. Miller – 30 December 2003 – Endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) may mediate increased resistance to hepatic sinusoidal blood flow. We evaluated the hepatic distribution of ET‐1 in patients with idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH), in which liver architecture may be normal, and in patients with cirrhosis, in which distortion of hepatic sinusoidal architecture is prominent.

Stephen C. Textor, Sandra J. Taler, Vincent J. Canzanello, Lora Schwartz, Jo Ellen Augustine – 30 December 2003 – Calcineurin inhibitors are a mainstay of transplant immunosuppression and commonly induce hypertension. They are highly lipid soluble and penetrate vascular smooth muscle cell membranes readily. Changes in vascular tone are universally observed during administration of these agents, particularly within the kidney, leading to diminished glomerular filtration and enhanced sodium retention.

Chantal Buteau, Carlos V. Paya – 30 December 2003 – Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) DNA was quantitated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 25 healthy subjects, 105 asymptomatic solid‐organ transplant (SOT) recipients, and 15 SOT recipients with symptomatic EBV infections by using a newly developed quantitative‐PCR technique. Patients with symptomatic EBV infections had significantly higher (P < 0.001) median EBV DNA levels than asymptomatic SOT recipients and immunocompetent individuals.

Todd H. Baron – 30 December 2003

Thomas E. Starzl – 30 December 2003 – The mechanism underlying the immunological advantage of hepatic allografts relative to other organs is incompletely understood. We used molecular probes for the repetitive units on the Y chromosome, to identify an increasing number of male liver venous endothelial cells in needle biopsy samples of men who received female donor liver grafts. We have also shown repopulation of liver endothelium by bone marrow derived cells in a male to female mouse bone marrow transplant model.

Robin Patel, Sharlene L. Allen, Janice M. Manahan, Alan J. Wright, Ruud A.F. Krom, Russell H. Wiesner, David H. Persing, Franklin R. Cockerill, Rodney L. Thompson – 30 December 2003 – At Mayo Medical Center (Rochester, MN), surveillance rectal (and other‐site) cultures have been routinely collected from liver transplant recipients as part of a selective bowel decontamination program. Beginning in 1995, vancomycin‐resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization and infection were identified in Mayo Clinic liver and kidney transplant patients through our surveillance cultures.