Jaquelyn F. Fleckenstein, Melinda Paredes, Paul J. Thuluvath – 30 December 2003 – Acute cellular rejection (ACR) after orthotopic liver transplantation occurs in 50% to 80% of patients despite the recent advances in immunosuppressive therapy. Adjuvant use of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is theoretically attractive, but studies have shown conflicting results. In this randomized, controlled study, we evaluated the efficacy of UDCA in reduction of the incidence of ACR.

Scott A. Taga,, M. Kay Washington, Norah Terrault, Teresa L. Wright, Kenneth A. Somberg, Linda D. Ferrell – 30 December 2003 – Some liver allograft recipients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection develop hyperbilirubinemia, which might be the result of a cholestatic variant of hepatitis C.

J. Michael Henderson, Thomas D. Boyer – 30 December 2003

Annick Steib,, Guy Freys, François Collin, Anne Launoy, Geneviève Mark, Karim Boudjema – 30 December 2003 – The release of toxic oxidative free radicals induced by ischemia and reperfusion may jeopardize liver graft function. N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) has shown protective effects on hypothermic and warm ischemia reperfusion liver injury in animals. NAC improves hemodynamics and survival rates in patients with fulminant hepatic failure.

David R. Mack,, Anil Dhawan, Stuart S. Kaufman, Alan N. Langnas, Thomas A. Seemayer – 30 December 2003 – Children who have undergone liver transplantation may develop chronic diarrhea for a number of reasons. Three children who underwent liver transplantation for liver failure, all of whom had had previous biliary and intestinal surgeries and whose postoperative course was marked by signs and symptoms of intestinal malabsorption including chronic diarrhea, are described.

Nicholas F. LaRusso, – 30 December 2003

Jim Wade, Nancy Rolando, Roger Williams – 30 December 2003 – In a prospective study of 284 liver transplant patients, we sought associations between aerobic gram‐negative bacillus acquisition or infection and 35 preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative variables. Although the 128 (45%) who acquired aerobic gram‐negative bacilli had longer admissions (P = 0.0001), no associations were found with pretransplant variables.

M Reyle‐Hahn, R Rossaint – 30 December 2003 – Preoperative acquired clotting parameters such as prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, antithrombin III, platelet concentration, and fibrinogen show coagulopathy caused by insufficiency of the diseased liver.

E Broide, P Farrant, F Reid, A Baker, H Meire, M Rela, M Davenport, N Heaton, G Mieli‐Vergani – 30 December 2003 – Hepatic artery resistance index has been measured by ultrasonography Doppler and has been found to predict rapid deterioration and death in children with biliary atresia. Clinical, biochemical, ultrasonographic, and outcome data were collected prospectively and retrieved on 32 patients with resistance index of > or = 1.0 (group A). These were compared with the same data for 32 age‐ and sex‐matched patients with biliary atresia and a resistance index of ≤ 1.0 (group B).

L M Petrovic, F G Villamil, J M Vierling, L Makowka, S A Geller – 30 December 2003 – Recurrent hepatitis C infection after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is frequent and may occur as early as a few weeks postoperatively. Early histopathological features of recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may be modified by immunosuppressive therapy and can be difficult to differentiate from acute allograft rejection (AAR).