Lower Alpha‐Fetoprotein Threshold of 500 ng/mL for Liver Transplantation May Improve Posttransplant Outcomes in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Max L. Goldman, Kali Zhou, Jennifer L. Dodge, Francis Yao, Neil Mehta – 19 December 2021 – Under current United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) policy, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) levels ≥1000 ng/mL are required to show a reduction in AFP level to <500 ng/mL before liver transplantation (LT). However, effects of AFP reduction on post‐LT HCC outcomes among patients with HCC with moderately elevated AFP levels between 100 and <1000 ng/mL are unclear.

Loss of bile salt export pump aggravates lipopolysaccharide‐induced liver injury in mice due to impaired hepatic endotoxin clearance

Jelena Remetic, Ahmed Ghallab, Zaynab Hobloss, Lisa Brackhagen, Reham Hassan, Maiju Myllys, Richard Radun, Veronika Mlitz, Ci Zhu, Maximilian Baumgartner, Waltraud C. Schrottmaier, Marion Mussbacher, Gerald Timelthaler, Hubert Scharnagl, Tatjana Stojakovic, Alice Assinger, Claudia D. Fuchs, Jan G. Hengstler, Michael Trauner – 19 December 2021

Overdiagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: Prevented by guidelines?

Nicole E. Rich, Amit G. Singal – 18 December 2021 – Overdiagnosis refers to detection of disease that would not otherwise become clinically apparent during a patient’s lifetime. Overdiagnosis is common and has been reported for several cancer types, although there are few studies describing its prevalence in HCC surveillance programs. Overdiagnosis can have serious negative consequences including overtreatment and associated complications, financial toxicity, and psychological harms related to being labeled with a cancer diagnosis.

Hepatic fibrosis 2022: Unmet needs and a blueprint for the future

Scott L. Friedman, Massimo Pinzani – 18 December 2021 – Steady progress over four decades toward understanding the pathogenesis and clinical consequences of hepatic fibrosis has led to the expectation of effective antifibrotic drugs, yet none has been approved. Thus, an assessment of the field is timely, to clarify priorities and accelerate progress. Here, we highlight the successes to date but, more importantly, identify gaps and unmet needs, both experimentally and clinically.

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