Liver InternationalThis is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.

This page shows you the latest items in this publication.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

793 records returned

TACE it or leave it: hard choices for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma patients beyond perfect healthEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - November 20, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Markus Peck-Radosavljevic Source Type: journals

Endotipsitis-persistent infection of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt: pathogenesis, clinical features and managementEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is in widespread use for the decompression of portal pressure. The entity of persistent TIPS infection, also known as 'endotipsitis' is a rare but serious complication of TIPS insertion. The exact definition of 'endotipsitis' is still debated, but involves persistent bacteremia and fever together with either shunt occlusion, or vegetation, or bacteremia in the presence of a patent shunt, when other sources of bacteremia have been ruled out. To date, approximately 40 cases of 'endotipsitis' have been described, with predominance for male and alcoholic hepatitis patients. ...
Source: Liver International - November 19, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Meir Mizrahi, Tomer Adar, Daniel Shouval, Allan I. Bloom, Oren Shibolet Source Type: journals

Hepatocarcinoma cells stimulate the growth, migration and expression of pro-angiogenic genes in human hepatic stellate cellsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study aimed to investigate the paracrine effects of hepatocarcinoma cells on human HSC using a co-culture system. Huh7 or HepG2 cells, human hepatocarcinoma cell lines, were co-cultured with primary human HSC. Intracellular calcium mobilization, proliferation, migration, expression of pro-angiogenic and fibrogenic genes, smooth muscle [alpha]-actin ([alpha]-SMA) protein expression, inflammatory properties (nuclear factor kappa B activation and interleukin 8 secretion) and intracellular signalling pathways (AKT and ERK) were analysed in HSC. Culture of HSC with Huh7 cells for 24 h stimulated HSC proliferation, migratio...
Source: Liver International - November 19, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Pau Sancho-Bru, Elena Juez, Montserrat Moreno, Valeria Khurdayan, Manuel Morales-Ruiz, Jordi Colmenero, Vicente Arroyo, David A. Brenner, Pere Ginès, Ramón Bataller Source Type: journals

What are 'true normal' liver stiffness values using FibroScan®?: a prospective study in healthy living liver and kidney donors in South KoreaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To identify the normal range of liver stiffness (LS) values by recruiting healthy living liver and kidney donors in South Korea. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) was performed in 69 healthy living liver and kidney donors who were admitted for transplantation. None of the subjects suffered from diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hepatitis B virus infection, hepatitis C virus infection, heart dysfunction, liver dysfunction or metabolic syndrome. LSM failure rate was 2.7%. Among 12 liver donors (17.4%) with available liver histology, eight showed normal liver histology and four showed liver steatosis of (Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - November 19, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Seung Up Kim, Gi Hong Choi, Woong Kyu Han, Beom Kyung Kim, Jun Yong Park, Do Young Kim, Jin Sub Choi, Seung Choul Yang, Eun Hee Choi, Sang Hoon Ahn, Kwang-Hyub Han, Chae Yoon Chon Source Type: journals

Fatigue measurements in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and the risk of mortality during follow-upEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Fatigue was recently suggested to predict an increased risk of mortality in a primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) cohort during follow-up. To analyse the impact of fatigue on prognosis in PBC. Patients with PBC who had earlier completed the fatigue impact scale (FIS) were identified. Prognosis in terms of death and liver transplantation (Tx) was determined. FIS values at baseline were analysed from 208 patients (192 females; median age 59 years (interquartile range 51[ndash]67), median follow-up of 5 years. Overall, 181 patients were alive at follow-up, 22 (12%) died and five (2.4%) underwent transplantation. FIS at baseline w...
Source: Liver International - November 18, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Einar Björnsson, Evangelos Kalaitzakis, Matthias Neuhauser, Felicity Enders, Hardy Maetzel, Roger W. Chapman, Jayant Talwalkar, Keith Lindor, Roberta Jorgensen Source Type: journals

Pioglitazone improves virological response to peginterferon α-2b/ribavirin combination therapy in hepatitis C genotype 4 patients with insulin resistanceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Insulin resistance (IR) affects sustained virological response (SVR). The use of insulin-sensitizing agents has been proposed to improve therapy outcome. The safety and efficacy of pioglitazone on insulin sensitivity and SVR in treatment-naïve patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) genotype 4 with IR receiving standard antiviral therapy were evaluated in a randomized-controlled study. Ninety-seven previously untreated patients with CHC and IR [homeostasis model assessment (HOMA>2)] were randomly assigned into two arms; (arm A; n=48) were given pioglitazone 30 mg/day combined with peginterferon (Peg-IFN)-[alpha]-2b/ribavi...
Source: Liver International - November 17, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Mahmoud Khattab, Mohammed Emad, Asharf Abdelaleem, Mohammed Eslam, Rabab Atef, Yehia Shaker, Lamia Hamdy Source Type: journals

Association among Fas expression in leucocytes, serum Fas and Fas-ligand concentrations and hepatic inflammation and fibrosis in chronic hepatitis CEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Replication of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) may impair immune functions and establish persistent infection. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of HCV on PBMC and their susceptibility to apoptosis in relation to liver inflammation and fibrosis. Eighty-one patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) were enrolled in this study. Flow cytometry was used to determine the amount of T cells (CD4+, CD8+), B cells (CD19+), monocytes (CD14+) and natural killer cells (CD16+) in the peripheral blood and the expression of CD95+ (CD95/APO-1) in each subset. Serum concentrations of s...
Source: Liver International - November 16, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Anatol Panasiuk, Anna Parfieniuk, Janusz Zak, Robert Flisiak Source Type: journals

Systematic review of neoadjuvant transarterial chemoembolization for resectable hepatocellular carcinomaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) offers the only hope for cure. However, in patients undergoing resection, recurrences, in particular, intrahepatic recurrence are common. The effectiveness of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) as a neoadjuvant therapy for unresectable HCC was exploited by numerous liver units and employed preoperatively in the setting of resectable HCC with an aim to prevent recurrence and prolong survival. A systematic literature search of databases (Medline and PubMed) to identify published studies of TACE administered preoperatively as a neoadjuvant treatment for resectable HCC was undert...
Source: Liver International - November 14, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Terence C. Chua, Winston Liauw, Akshat Saxena, Francis Chu, Derek Glenn, Alan Chai, David L. Morris Source Type: journals

A study of muscle tissue oxygenation and peripheral microcirculatory dysfunction in cirrhosis using near infrared spectroscopyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The circulatory dysfunction associated with cirrhosis is well described. Reduced systemic vascular resistance and high cardiac output are the main features of the hyperdynamic state, but involvement of the peripheral microcirculation in this process is poorly understood. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used to assess muscle tissue oxygenation (StO2) in haemorrhagic and septic shock. Vascular occlusion testing (VOT) can produce dynamic changes in StO2 which represent tissue oxygen extraction, delivery, and hence, surrogate markers of microvascular function. We aimed to investigate dynamic StO2 changes in the peri...
Source: Liver International - November 13, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Sam J. Thomson, Matthew L. Cowan, Daniel M. Forton, Sarah J. Clark, Saif Musa, Michael Grounds, Tony M. Rahman Source Type: journals

Is ANCA really related to chronic liver disease?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - November 13, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Valentina De Riva, Marilena Celadin, Marina Pittoni, Mario Plebani, Paolo Angeli Source Type: journals

Hepadnaviral infection augments hepatocyte cytotoxicity mediated by both CD95 ligand and perforin pathwaysEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Recently, we documented that hepatocytes can eliminate contacted cells via the CD95 ligand (CD95L)[ndash]CD95 pathway and that they are also equipped in perforin and granzyme B and can eradicate other cells via the granule exocytosis mechanism. The aim of this study was to assess whether hepadnaviral infection modifies hepatocyte-mediated cell killing. Primary hepatocytes from woodchucks with progressing or resolved hepadnaviral hepatitis and hepatocyte lines transfected with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) genes were examined for cytotoxic effector activity against cell targets susceptible to CD95L and/or perforin-depende...
Source: Liver International - November 13, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Clifford S. Guy, Jinguo Wang, Tomasz I. Michalak Source Type: journals

Age and immunoglobulin G4-associated autoimmune hepatitis: author's responseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - November 12, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Hobyung Chung, Tomohiro Watanabe, Masatoshi Kudo, Tsutomu Chiba Source Type: journals

Hepatitis C treatment completion rates in routine clinical careEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Treatment completion rates for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in clinical practice settings are unknown. We assembled a national cohort of HCV-infected veterans-in-care from 1998 to 2003, using the VA National Patient Care Database for demographical/clinical information, Pharmacy Benefits Management database for pharmacy records and the Decision Support Systems database for laboratory data. We used logistic regression to determine the factors predicting treatment non-completion for HCV. We identified 134 934 HCV-infected veterans of whom 16 043 [11.9%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 11.7[ndash]12.1] were prescribed treatm...
Source: Liver International - November 5, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Adeel A. Butt, Kathleen A. McGinnis, Melissa Skanderson, Amy C. Justice Source Type: journals

Expression of contactin associated protein-like 2 in a subset of hepatic progenitor cell compartment identified by gene expression profiling in hepatitis B virus-positive cirrhosisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hepatic progenitor cells (HPC), a cell compartment capable of differentiating into hepatocytic and biliary lineages, may give rise to the formation of intermediate hepatobiliary cells (IHBC) or ductular reactions (DR). The aim of this study was to analyse the gene expression profiles of DR in cirrhosis and further investigate novel proteins expressed by HPC and their intermediate progeny. DR in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive cirrhotic liver tissues adjacent to hepatocellular carcinoma and interlobular bile ducts (ILBDs) in normal liver tissues were isolated by laser capture microdissection and then subjected to microarra...
Source: Liver International - November 4, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Huafeng Wang, Yabo Gao, Xiaolong Jin, Jiacheng Xiao Source Type: journals

Age and immunoglobulin G4-associated autoimmune hepatitisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - November 4, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Krzysztof Gutkowski, Marek Hartleb Source Type: journals

Plasmin plays a key role in the regulation of profibrogenic molecules in hepatic stellate cellsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Plasmin role in transforming growth factor-[beta] (TGF-[beta])-responsive gene regulation remains to be elucidated. Also, plasmin action on co-repressor Ski-related novel protein N (SnoN) and differential activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are unknown. Thus, the role of plasmin on profibrogenic molecule expression, SnoN transcriptional kinetics and gelatinase activation was investigated. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) were transduced with adenovirus-mediated human urokinase plasminogen activator (Ad-huPA) (4 × 109 viral particles/ml). Overexpression of urokinase plasminogen activator and therefore of plasmin, wa...
Source: Liver International - November 2, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Abril Martínez-Rizo, Miriam Bueno-Topete, Jaime González-Cuevas, Juan Armendáriz-Borunda Source Type: journals

The outcomes of pregnancy in patients with cirrhosis: a population-based studyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The outcomes of pregnancy in patients with cirrhosis are poorly described. Our objective was to assess obstetric outcomes in cirrhotic women and their infants from a population-based perspective. We analysed the 1993[ndash]2005 US Nationwide Inpatient Sample database to identify obstetric hospitalizations among patients with cirrhosis (n=339) and controls matched on age, hospital and year (n=6625). The effect of cirrhosis on maternal and fetal outcomes was evaluated using regression models with adjustment for patient and hospital factors. Between 1993 and 2005, 114 antepartum and 225 delivery admissions in cirrhotic patien...
Source: Liver International - October 28, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Abdel Aziz M. Shaheen, Robert P. Myers Source Type: journals

Evaluation of acoustic radiation force impulse elastography for fibrosis staging of chronic liver disease: a pilot studyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study enrolled 55 consecutive patients with chronic liver disease who underwent a liver biopsy for histological assessment of liver fibrosis by the Metavir scoring system. Liver stiffness of the 55 patients and 25 healthy volunteers was evaluated by ARFI elastography and was expressed as the shear wave velocity. Cut-off values were determined using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Histological liver fibrosis was evaluated by Metavir scoring; F0: six cases, F1: 14 cases, F2: nine cases, F3: nine cases and F4: 17 cases. Liver stiffness determined by ARFI elastography was correlated with histological liver...
Source: Liver International - October 27, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Hirokazu Takahashi, Naofumi Ono, Yuichiro Eguchi, Takahisa Eguchi, Yoichiro Kitajima, Yasunori Kawaguchi, Shunya Nakashita, Iwata Ozaki, Toshihiko Mizuta, Shuji Toda, Sho Kudo, Atsushi Miyoshi, Kohji Miyazaki, Kazuma Fujimoto Source Type: journals

Deleted in liver cancer 1 isoforms are distinctly expressed in human tissues, functionally different and under differential transcriptional regulation in hepatocellular carcinomaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study aimed to document the expression profiles of the three known DLC1 isoforms ([alpha], [beta] and [gamma]) in normal human tissues and human HCCs and address their functional and regulatory differences. We also aimed to determine the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of the DLC1 dominant isoform in human HCCs. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine the expressions of DLC1 isoforms in different normal human tissues and human HCCs. The clinicopathological and prognostic significance of DLC1 expression in HCC samples was also analysed. In addition, the functional roles of DLC1...
Source: Liver International - October 27, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Frankie Chi Fat Ko, Yin-Shan Yeung, Chun-Ming Wong, Lo-Kong Chan, Ronnie Tung Ping Poon, Irene Oi-Lin Ng, Judy Wai Ping Yam Source Type: journals

Vitamin D and the risk of acute allograft rejection following human liver transplantationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study aimed to assess the relationship between acute liver allograft cellular rejection (ACR) and pretransplant serum vitamin D concentration or post-transplant vitamin D supplementation. We studied 133 LT recipients who underwent two per protocol allograft biopsies in the early post-operative period, plus on-demand biopsies as clinically indicated. ACR estimate was given according to the Banff scheme in biopsies obtained along two follow-up periods: (a) from the transplant operation to the end of the second month (0[ndash]2 months); (b) and from the third month to the end of the eighth month (3[ndash]8 months) post-L...
Source: Liver International - October 22, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Davide Bitetto, Carlo Fabris, Edmondo Falleti, Ezio Fornasiere, Elisa Fumolo, Elisabetta Fontanini, Annarosa Cussigh, Giuseppa Occhino, Umberto Baccarani, Mario Pirisi, Pierluigi Toniutto Source Type: journals

Diabetes mellitus as an independent prognostic predictor and its association with renal dysfunction in patients with hepatocellular carcinomaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study investigated the interaction between DM, cirrhosis and renal dysfunction and the impact of these factors on HCC. A prospective database of 1713 HCC patients was analysed. A total of 392 (22.9%) patients were diabetic. Diabetic patients had a significantly higher Child[ndash]Turcotte[ndash]Pugh (CTP) score, model for end-stage liver disease score and serum creatinine level, but had significantly lower serum albumin, sodium, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and bilirubin levels. The serum creatinine level progressively increased and correlated well with increasing CTP class in both diabetic and...
Source: Liver International - October 21, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Teh-Ia Huo, Chia-Yang Hsu, Yi-Hsiang Huang, Cheng-Yuan Hsia, Han-Chieh Lin, Pui-Ching Lee, Che-Chuan Loong, Jen-Huey Chiang, Yi-You Chiou, Shou-Dong Lee Source Type: journals

ABCB11 gene mutations in Chinese children with progressive intrahepatic cholestasis and low γ glutamyltransferaseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 2 (PFIC2) is a severe autosomal recessive liver disorder of childhood that can cause cholestasis and progress to end-stage liver disease. ABCB11 gene mutations causing PFIC2 have been reported in some population groups, but not in mainland Chinese. To elucidate the existence of and characterize ABCB11 gene mutations in mainland Chinese with progressive intrahepatic cholestasis and low [gamma] glutamyltransferase (GGT). Twenty-four children presenting with progressive intrahepatic cholestasis and low GGT were admitted to a tertiary paediatric hospital in eastern China from ...
Source: Liver International - October 21, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Li-Yan Liu, Zhong-Lin Wang, Xiao-Hong Wang, Qi-Rong Zhu, Jian-She Wang Source Type: journals

Clinical significance and expression of cyclin kinase subunits 1 and 2 in hepatocellular carcinomaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The mammalian cyclin kinase subunit (Cks) family has two members, Cks1 and Cks2, which were identified based on the protein sequence homology to yeast Cks. Overexpression of Cks1 and Cks2 has been reported to be associated with high aggressiveness and a poor prognosis in various malignancies, including gastric, breast and prostate carcinomas. Yet, whether Cks1 and Cks2 are overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains uncharacterized. To investigate whether overexpression of the Cks family is clinically relevant to HCC, and whether expression patterns of Cks1 and Cks2 in HCC have diagnostic and prognostic value. ...
Source: Liver International - October 20, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Dong-Yan Shen, Zan-Xi Fang, Pan You, Ping-Guo Liu, Fen Wang, Chun-Ling Huang, Xiao-Bin Yao, Zi-Xuan Chen, Zhong-Ying Zhang Source Type: journals

The effects of hepatitis C recurrence on health-related quality of life in liver transplant recipientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) remains the definitive treatment for hepatitis C (HCV). Although HCV is the number one indication for OLT in the USA, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) scores are consistently lower for HCV patients when compared with all OLT indications. HCV is unique in that 95% of transplanted patients experience virological recurrence of HCV hepatitis. Despite few physical manifestations of disease at the time of HCV recurrence, patients report an impaired quality of life and functional status compared with OLT recipients without recurrence. Studies show that patient knowledge of the diagnosi...
Source: Liver International - October 20, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Hillary Bownik, Sammy Saab Source Type: journals

A large liver tumourEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - October 19, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Mauricio Gabrielli, Eduardo Figueroa, Luis Ibañez, Nicolás Jarufe Source Type: journals

Hepatic resection for inflammatory hepatocellular adenomas: pathological identification of micronodules expressing inflammatory proteinsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study demonstrates that the real number of IHCA is greater than that predicted from imaging-based analyses. In addition, we show that patients with more than one nodule present a greater chance to display more and larger undetected micronodules than patients with a single nodule. (Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - October 19, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Paulette Bioulac-Sage, Hervé Laumonier, Gaelle Cubel, Jessica Zucman Rossi, Charles Balabaud Source Type: journals

Rapamycin and CCI-779 inhibit the mammalian target of rapamycin signalling in hepatocellular carcinomaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study, we investigated the tumour-suppressive effects of rapamycin and its new analogue CCI-779 on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Rapamycin and its new analogue CCI-779 were applied to treat HCC cells. Cell proliferation, cell cycle profile and tumorigenicity were analysed. In human HCCs, we observed frequent (67%, 37/55) overexpression of mTOR transcripts using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Upon drug treatment, PLC/PRF/5 showed the greatest reduction in cell proliferation using the colony formation assay, as compared with HepG2, Hep3B and HLE. Rapamycin was a more potent antiprolifera...
Source: Liver International - October 19, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Ivan Chun-Fai Hui, Edmund Kwok-Kwan Tung, Karen Man-Fong Sze, Yick-Pang Ching, Irene Oi-Lin Ng Source Type: journals

A prospective pilot study of circulating endothelial cells as a potential new biomarker in portal hypertensionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Peripheral circulating endothelial cells (CEC) have been proposed as a prognostic marker in cardiovascular diseases. Cirrhosis and portal hypertension are associated with vascular injury yet little is known about CEC count in these conditions. Therefore, we evaluated CEC count in patients with cirrhosis, and correlated it with markers of portal hypertension/disease severity. Fifteen patients with cirrhosis/portal hypertension and 15 matched controls were prospectively recruited for study participation. An automated rare cell analysis system was used to enumerate CEC from peripheral blood and correlated with clinical featur...
Source: Liver International - October 18, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Soha S. Abdelmoneim, Jayant Talwalkar, Saurabh Sethi, Patrick Kamath, Mohamed Mahmoud Fahmy Fathalla, Benjamin R. Kipp, Michael B. Campion, Amy C. Clayton, Kevin C. Halling, Vijay H. Shah Source Type: journals

Current issues in the management of paediatric viral hepatitisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Viral hepatitis poses important problems for children. In preschoolers, hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection frequently causes acute liver failure. Vaccinating toddlers against HAV in countries with high endemicity is expected to decrease mortality. HAV vaccine demonstrates efficacy (comparable to immunoglobulin) as post-exposure prophylaxis. A recently developed vaccine against hepatitis E virus (HEV) may benefit fetal health, because pregnant women are most prone to acute liver failure as a result of HEV. Hepatitis B vaccine continues to demonstrate value and versatility for preventing serious liver disease. With chronic in...
Source: Liver International - October 18, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Latifa T. F. Yeung, Eve A. Roberts Source Type: journals

Combined features of low phospholipid-associated cholelithiasis and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis 3Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette, subfamily B, member 4 (ABCB4) gene alterations can cause two distinct clinical entities: progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 3 (PFIC3) and low phospholipid-associated cholelithiasis (LPAC). Based on the findings in two siblings and a review of the literature, we aimed to identify determinants of disease phenotypic traits associated with ABCB4 gene alterations. Two siblings presented, before the age of 30 years, recurrent symptomatic cholelithiasis and extensive biliary fibrosis that progressed towards portal hypertension and liver failure necessitating liver transplan...
Source: Liver International - October 18, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Raoul Poupon, Véronique Barbu, Patrick Chamouard, Dominique Wendum, Olivier Rosmorduc, Chantal Housset Source Type: journals

Risk of pancreatic cancer in chronic hepatitis B virus infection: data from the REVEAL-HBV cohort studyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The relationship between the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and pancreatic cancer remains unclear. Because HBV has been isolated from pancreatic tissue, we hypothesized that HBV may play a role in the development of pancreatic carcinoma. This cohort was recruited between 1991 and 1992. Serum samples obtained at enrolment were tested for HBsAg and HBeAg by radioimmunoassay. Pancreatic cancer diagnosis was ascertained through data linkage with profiles of the National Cancer Registry and Death Certification System in Taiwan from 1 January 1991 to 31 December 2007. Multivariate-adjusted hazards ratios (HRadj) with 95% confidence int...
Source: Liver International - October 16, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Uchenna H. Iloeje, Hwai-I Yang, Chin-Lan Jen, Jun Su, Li-Yu Wang, San-Lin You, Sheng-Nan Lu, Chien-Jen Chen Source Type: journals

A curvilinear lesion arising from the right lobe of liverEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - October 15, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Nitin Ghonge, Bharat Aggarwal Source Type: journals

Double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase inhibits hepatitis C virus replication but may be not essential in interferon treatmentEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR), an interferon (IFN)-stimulated gene, is activated by binding with double-stranded RNA, a putative replicative intermediate of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Activated PKR phosphorylates the [alpha] subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor-2 to inhibit the translation of viral protein. We established stable PKR knockdown Huh7 cells using RNA interference and investigated the effect of PKR against HCV replication using a subgenomic replicon that expressed luciferase reporter protein and the JFH1 full-length HCV genome. In stable PKR knockdown cells that harboured a subgenomic ...
Source: Liver International - October 15, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Jin-Hai Chang, Naoya Kato, Ryosuke Muroyama, Hiroyoshi Taniguchi, Bayasi Guleng, Narayan Dharel, Run-Xuan Shao, Keisuke Tateishi, Amarsanaa Jazag, Takao Kawabe, Masao Omata Source Type: journals

Association between epidermal growth factor 61A/G polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility in Chinese patientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an important risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in China, while little is known of the genetic susceptibility to hepatocarcinogenesis. The epidermal growth factor (EGF) pathway plays an important role in tumorigenesis, including HCC. EGF polymorphisms are associated with susceptibility to several types of cancers. Therefore, this study aimed to assess whether EGF genetic polymorphisms can influence HCC development. A total of 338 chronic HBV-infected patients (186 HCC patients and 152 cirrhotic patients) and 186 healthy individuals were enrolled in this s...
Source: Liver International - October 14, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Yajuan Li, Qing Xie, Fengmin Lu, Jingmin Zhao, Panyong Mao, Zhuo Li, Shuang Liu, Hui Zhuang Source Type: journals

Quantitative HBsAg and HDV-RNA levels in chronic delta hepatitisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) causes severe liver disease. To investigate the quantitative HDV-RNA, HBsAg and hepatitis B virus (HBV)DNA levels in correlation to histological, biochemical and demographical parameters in patients with chronic HDV infection as similar data in a large series of HDV patients are missing. Eighty HDV patients were recruited in Germany, Turkey and Greece; quantitative determination of HDV-RNA, HBsAg and HBV-DNA was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction, the Architect HBsAg assay and Cobas TaqMan HBV test respectively. All patients were infected with HDV-genotype 1. Thirty-five patients (...
Source: Liver International - October 14, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Kalliopi Zachou, Cihan Yurdaydin, Uta Drebber, George N. Dalekos, Andreas Erhardt, Yilmaz Cakaloglu, Halil Degertekin, Selim Gurel, Stefan Zeuzem, Hakan Bozkaya, Verena Schlaphoff, Hans P. Dienes, Thomas C. Bock, Michael P. Manns, Heiner Wedemeyer Source Type: journals

Significance of antibodies to soluble liver antigen/liver pancreas: response to the German studyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - October 14, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Catherine Johanet, Eric Ballot, Olivier Chazouilleres Source Type: journals

Nutritional status: its influence on the outcome of patients undergoing liver transplantationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Malnutrition is frequently present in case of end-stage liver diseases, and in cirrhotic patients, a poor nutritional status is considered to be one of the predictive factors for increased morbidity and mortality rates after surgery. The impact of the recipients' malnutrition on the outcome of liver transplantation (LT) is still under debate and recent studies have shown controversial results. We prospectively analysed the nutritional status of 38 consecutive patients undergoing LT in our University Hospital. Subjective global nutritional assessments (SGA) and anthropometry were used for the evaluation of the nutritional s...
Source: Liver International - October 13, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Manuela Merli, Michela Giusto, Federica Gentili, Gilnardo Novelli, Giancarlo Ferretti, Oliviero Riggio, Stefano Ginanni Corradini, Maria Siciliano, Alessio Farcomeni, Adolfo Francesco Attili, Pasquale Berloco, Massimo Rossi Source Type: journals

Circulating and hepatic endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid-related molecules in patients with cirrhosisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Endocannabinoids include anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Endocannabinoid-related molecules like oleoyl-ethanolamine (OEA) and palmitoyl-ethanolamine (PEA) have also been identified. AEA contributes to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular alterations in experimental cirrhosis, but data on the endocannabinoid system in human cirrhosis are lacking. Thus, we aimed to assess whether circulating and hepatic endocannabinoids are upregulated in cirrhotic patients and whether their levels correlate with systemic haemodynamics and liver function. The endocannabinoid levels were measured in peripheral and hepatic ve...
Source: Liver International - October 13, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Paolo Caraceni, Antonella Viola, Fabiana Piscitelli, Ferdinando Giannone, Annalisa Berzigotti, Matteo Cescon, Marco Domenicali, Stefania Petrosino, Emanuela Giampalma, Anna Riili, Gianluca Grazi, Rita Golfieri, Marco Zoli, Mauro Bernardi, Vincenzo Di Marz Source Type: journals

Risk factors for intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a case–control study in ChinaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The risk factors for cholangiocarcinoma are incompletely defined in China, especially for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). We evaluated the risk factors for both ICC and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC). A case[ndash]control study in which cases were cholangiocarcinoma patients referred to Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) between 1998 and 2008 and controls were healthy individuals. Controls were randomly selected from an existing database of healthy individuals at the Health Screening Center of PUMCH. Data on liver disease, family history, diabetes, smoking and drinking were collected by a retrospec...
Source: Liver International - October 13, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Lian-Yuan Tao, Xiao-Dong He, Qiang Qu, Lei Cai, Wei Liu, Li Zhou, Shang-Ming Zhang Source Type: journals

Ad36 adipogenic adenovirus in human non-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Infection with specific pathogens may lead to increased adiposity. The human adenovirus 36 (Ad36) is a relatively new factor in promoting adipogenesis. It seems to improve the metabolic profile, expanding adipose tissue and enhancing insulin sensitivity in animal models. The aim of this study was to investigate whether any association or predictor effect of Ad36 seropositivity is present in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition associated with obesity and insulin resistance (IR). Sixty-five NAFLD patients and 114 controls were investigated. Ultrasound bright liver score (BLS), body composition, IR evaluate...
Source: Liver International - October 12, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Guglielmo M. Trovato, Giuseppe Fabio Martines, Adriana Garozzo, Antonia Tonzuso, Rossella Timpanaro, Clara Pirri, Francesca M. Trovato, Daniela Catalano Source Type: journals

Hepatic changes of erythropoietin gene expression in a rat model of acute-phase responseEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
An acute-phase response is the systemic reaction of an organism to insult (e.g. infection, trauma and burning). It represents the 'first line' of defence of the body to tissue-damaging attacks. In the present work, we used a rat model of an intra-muscular turpentine oil (TO) injection to analyse erythropoietin (EPO) gene expression changes in the liver, one of the main target organs of acute-phase cytokines. EPO began to increase in the serum of TO-treated animals 6 h after injection and reached a maximum at 24 h (125±20 pg/ml). The detection of total RNA by polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the levels of EPO...
Source: Liver International - October 12, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Pierluigi Ramadori, Nadeem Sheikh, Ghayyor Ahmad, Jozsef Dudas, Giuliano Ramadori Source Type: journals

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis induces non-fibrosis-related portal hypertension associated with splanchnic vasodilation and signs of a hyperdynamic circulation in vitro and in vivo in a rat modelEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Steatosis, without fibrosis, may lead to changes in liver blood flow, which are poorly understood, and to date have not been correlated to portal pressure and related haemodynamics. To study the temporal relation between progressive steatosis, portal pressure, systemic haemodynamics, vascular responsiveness, mesenteric and portal blood flow in methionine[ndash]choline-deficient diet (MCDD)-fed rats. Male Wistar rats fed the MCDD were examined at week (w) 0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, respectively, including systemic haemodynamics and portal pressure. At w0-4-8, in vivo blood flow was measured in the portal vein and the superior mesen...
Source: Liver International - October 12, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Sven Francque, Sam Wamutu, Shyama Chatterjee, Eric Van Marck, Arnold Herman, Albert Ramon, Alexander Jung, Wim Vermeulen, Benedicte De Winter, Paul Pelckmans, Peter Michielsen Source Type: journals

Epstein–Barr virus: Is there any contribution to chronic hepatitis B and C?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - October 12, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Mihaela Petrova, Victor Kamburov, Diana Nikolovska, Olga Kosseva, Maria Nikolova, Zahariy Krastev Source Type: journals

The c.504T>C (p.Asn168Asn) polymorphism in the ABCB4 gene as a predisposing factor for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy in GreeceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - October 12, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Sophia Kitsiou-Tzeli, Joanne Traeger-Synodinos, Eirini Giannatou, Petros Kaminopetros, Eleftheria Roma, Perikles Makrythanasis, Aspasia Tsezou Source Type: journals

Renal failure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and ascites undergoing transarterial chemoembolizationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of ARF and prognostic predictors in HCC patients with ascites undergoing TACE. A total of 591 HCC patients receiving TACE were enrolled. In a mean follow-up duration of 19±17 months, 239 (40.4%) patients undergoing TACE died. Ascites, which was present in 91 (15.4%) patients at entry, independently predicted a poor prognosis in the Cox proportional hazard model [risk ratio (RR): 1.71, P=0.002]. Of these, 11 (12.6%) of 87 patients with complete follow-up developed ARF after TACE. Serum albumin level 400 ng/ml (RR: 1.84, P=0.04), multiple tumours (RR: 2.11, P=0....
Source: Liver International - October 8, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Chia-Yang Hsu, Yi-Hsiang Huang, Chien-Wei Su, Han-Chieh Lin, Jen-Huey Chiang, Pui-Ching Lee, Fa-Yauh Lee, Teh-Ia Huo, Shou-Dong Lee Source Type: journals

Hepatic progenitor cells in liver cancers from Asian childrenEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hepatoblastoma (HB) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the two most common primary malignant liver tumours in children. Hepatic progenitor cells have been described and can be stained with K19, EpCAM and CD117. We investigated the morphology and staining patterns of primary liver tumours in Asian children. Four pathologists studied slides from 39 paediatric patients from Vietnam and Korea aged 8 months to 16 years. We performed immunohistochemical stains for K19, EpCAM and CD117, and polymerase chain reaction for tissue hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA. There was agreement on the diagnosis of...
Source: Liver International - September 28, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Stephen C. Ward, Swan N. Thung, Kiat Hon Lim, Tung Thanh Tran, Thi Khang Bui Hong, Phuc Le Hoang, Ja June Jang, Young Nyun Park, Kenji Abe Source Type: journals

Gene expression profiling and functional assays of activated hepatic stellate cells suggest that myocardin has a role in activationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study demonstrates that myocardin is involved in the activation of HSC; myocardin may serve as a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of liver fibrosis. (Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - September 27, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Hideaki Shimada, Takashi Ochi, Akira Imasato, Yoshihito Morizane, Masatoshi Hori, Hiroshi Ozaki, Katsuhiro Shinjo Source Type: journals

Baroreceptor sensitivity and baroreceptor effectiveness index in cirrhosis: the relevance of hepatic venous pressure gradientEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Autonomic dysfunction has been reported as one of the complications of cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to test autonomic dysfunction in cirrhotic patients by analysing the baroreflex sensitivity and the baroreceptor effectiveness index (BEI), in order to determine its correlation with the severity and the aetiology of liver disease. Moreover, we explored the relationship between baroreceptor function and mortality in our cohort of patients. Clinical and laboratory evaluation, hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and haemodynamic setting and baroreceptor function were assessed in 45 cirrhotic patients (median age 55...
Source: Liver International - September 27, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Simonetta Genovesi, Daniela M. Prata Pizzala, Massimo Pozzi, Laura Ratti, Maria Milanese, Antonio Vincenti, Andrea Stella, Giuseppe Mancia Source Type: journals

Synergism of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and recombinant mutant human tumour necrosis factor-α in chemotherapy of multidrug-resistant hepatocellular carcinomaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Locoregional chemotherapy continues to be the mainstay for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). One of the principal obstacles implicated in its unsuccessful therapy is multidrug resistance (MDR). Former studies have identified the multidrug-resistant nature and possible mechanisms of hepatoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. This work aimed to develop an effective strategy for the treatment of HCC with MDR. The treatment was exploited to inhibit the MDR cells by co-administration of the recombinant mutant human tumour necrosis factor-[alpha] (rmhTNF-[alpha]), a sublethal dose of chemicals [adriamy...
Source: Liver International - September 23, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Gaopeng Li, Shengli Dong, Junyuan Qu, Zhengang Sun, Zhiyong Huang, Lu Ye, Huifang Liang, Xi Ai, Wanguang Zhang, Xiaoping Chen Source Type: journals

Vasoactive mediators in patients with acute liver failure treated with albumin dialysisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Liver International)
Source: Liver International - September 22, 2009 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Andreas Kortgen, Hubert Hetz, Nils G. Morgenthaler, Gudrun Paxian, Philip Hitzler, Claus G. Krenn, Michael Bauer Source Type: journals