Amy B. Hahn, Prabhakar Baliga – 30 December 2003 – The effects of microchimerism and possible tolerance have been well studied in orthotopic liver transplantation. In some patients, greater levels of donor cells persist in the periphery. These cells were characterized and their effects on clinical outcome were studied. Peripheral blood was obtained from patients at various times posttransplantation. HLA class II typing was performed by the polymerase chain reaction–sequence‐specific primer method on unfractionated blood and lymphocyte subpopulations.

Bahri M. Bilir, Denis Guinette, Fritz Karrer, David A. Kumpe, Joe Krysl, Janet Stephens, Loris McGavran, Alina Ostrowska, Janette Durham – 30 December 2003 – The majority of patients with acute liver failure (ALF) die waiting for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). No other treatment modality is shown to improve survival. This study was conducted to assess the safety and feasibility of hepatocyte transplantation (HT) and subsequent engraftment and function of donor cells.

Russell H. Wiesner, Ruud A. F. Krom – 30 December 2003

Eduardo de Santibañes, Lucas McCormack, Juan Mattera, Juan Pekolj, Jorge Sívori, Axel Beskow, Daniel D'Agostino, Miguel Ciardullo – 30 December 2003 – A shortage of liver donors for low‐weight transplant recipients has prompted the development of procedures for liver‐reduction, split‐liver, and living related donor transplantations. For pediatric recipients weighing less than 10 kg, the left lateral segment is often still too large. We describe the procedure of monosegmental transplantation using segment II after segment III was resected in situ from a living related donor.

Axel Heinemann, Friedel Wischhusen, Klaus Püschel, Xavier Rogiers – 30 December 2003 – Living donor and split‐liver transplantation techniques require the calculation of a standard liver volume (SLV) as a reference point for the minimal volume necessary for the recipient. We therefore examined whether a widely used formula developed on the basis of a Japanese population sample was also adequate for the Caucasian population. The documentation of volumes of 1332 autopsy livers from a German Forensic Medicine Department was used to create a formula for an SLV for the Caucasian population.

Frank Vinholt Schiødt, Stig Bondesen, Klaus Müller, Allan Rasmussen, Allan Hjortrup, Preben Kirkegaard, Bent Adel Hansen, Niels Tygstrup, Peter Ott – 30 December 2003 – Serum levels of the actin scavenger Gc‐globulin (group‐specific component, vitamin D–binding protein), a member of the albumin multigene family, are decreased in severe liver disease but have not been evaluated in relation to liver transplantation. We measured Gc‐globulin and Gc‐globulin–actin complex ratio daily for 2 weeks after transplantation in 17 patients with end‐stage liver disease.

M. Susan Mandell – 30 December 2003

Alighieri Mazziotti – 30 December 2003

Ashokkumar B. Jain, Randeep Kashyap, Jorge Rakela, Thomas E. Starzl, John J. Fung – 30 December 2003 – The introduction of tacrolimus has shown decreased rates of acute and steroid‐resistant rejection after liver transplantation (LTx). The aim of the present study is to examine the long‐term efficacy and safety of tacrolimus in primary liver transplant recipients. The first 121 consecutive adults (aged >16 years) who underwent primary LTx at a single center from August 1989 to February 1990 were followed up until August 1997.

Karin W. Houben, John L. McCall – 30 December 2003 – Liver resection is the treatment of choice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurring in the absence of underlying chronic liver disease. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is reserved for patients with unresectable disease but remains controversial. The aim of this study was to review the published literature on OLT for HCC in patients without coexisting chronic liver disease. A Medline‐based search identified 126 patients reported in 16 papers over the last 32 years.