Liver Transplantation in the Time of COVID19: Barriers and Ethical Considerations for Management and Next Steps

Ariel Jaffe, Michael L. Schilsky, Ranjit Deshpande, Ramesh Batra – 23 June 2020 – The recent outbreak of the novel virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), which causes the corona virus disease of 2019 (COVID19), has spread globally and affects millions of people. This pandemic has taxed our health care system and disrupted normal operations, even life‐saving procedures, such as liver transplants. During these unprecedented times, providers and patients are imperiled and resources for diagnosis and care may be limited.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Increases the Risk of Anxiety and Depression

Christian Labenz, Yvonne Huber, Maurice Michel, Michael Nagel, Peter R. Galle, Karel Kostev, Jörn M. Schattenberg – 22 June 2020 – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), depression, and anxiety disorders are frequent diseases, and data on mutual influence are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to explore the incidence of depression and anxiety in a large primary care cohort in Germany and to study the impact of NAFLD over a 10‐year time frame.

The Microbiome and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Puru Rattan, Carlos D. Minacapelli, Vinod Rustgi – 21 June 2020 – The human microbiome is a vast and complex system encompassing all of the microbes and their genes that occupy the environmentally exposed surfaces of the human body. The gut microbiota and its associated microbiome play an integral role in mammalian metabolism and immune tolerance as well as in immunocompetence. Disruptions in the human gut microbiome are associated with a cycle of hepatocyte injury and regeneration characteristic of chronic liver disease.

Low Health Literacy Is Associated With Frailty and Reduced Likelihood of Liver Transplant Listing: A Prospective Cohort Study

Therese Bittermann, Kristen Dwinnells, Sakshum Chadha, Michael S. Wolf, Kim M. Olthoff, Marina Serper – 21 June 2020 – The effect of low health literacy (HL) on outcomes in end‐stage liver disease (ESLD) is largely unknown. The association of low HL on clinical outcomes was investigated in a prospective cohort of outpatients with ESLD undergoing liver transplantation (LT) evaluation. From 2014 to 2017, 276 patients underwent LT evaluation with assessments of liver disease severity, medical and psychosocial comorbidities, physical frailty, and malnutrition.

Primary Treatment with Molecular‐Targeted Agents for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score‐matching Analysis

Masahito Nakano, Ryoko Kuromatsu, Takashi Niizeki, Shusuke Okamura, Hideki Iwamoto, Shigeo Shimose, Tomotake Shirono, Yu Noda, Naoki Kamachi, Hironori Koga, Takuji Torimura, The Kurume Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan – 20 June 2020 – Sorafenib and lenvatinib, as molecular‐targeted agents, constitute effective primary treatment options for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the choice of optimal primary treatment agent remains controversial.

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