I. Quintus Molenaar, Cristina Legnani, Theo H.N. Groenland, Gualtiero Palareti, Bruno Begliomini, Onno T. Terpstra, Robert J. Porte – 30 December 2003 – Aprotinin reduces blood transfusion requirements in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Concern has been voiced about the potential risk for thrombotic complications when aprotinin is used. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of aprotinin on the two components of the hemostatic system (coagulation and fibrinolysis) in patients undergoing OLT.

Edward Gologorsky, Andre M. De Wolf, Victor Scott, Shushma Aggarwal, Michael Dishart, Yoogoo Kang – 30 December 2003 – Intravascular and/or intracardiac thrombus formation followed by pulmonary thromboembolism with right ventricular dysfunction immediately after graft reperfusion during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is described in 7 patients. This complication may have been related to excessive activation of the coagulation system by graft reperfusion, which overwhelmed anticoagulation mechanisms and was disproportionate to fibrinolysis.

Lars E. Schmidt, Allan Rasmussen, Mette Rindom Nørrelykke, Henrik Enghusen Poulsen, Bent Adel Hansen – 30 December 2003 – Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a prodrug immunosuppressant with a high oral bioavailability. Enterohepatic cycling of a glucuronide derivative of MMF contributes substantially to the bioavailability, but is dependent on bacterial deglucuronidation by intestinal flora. This study aims to determine whether an antibiotic regimen with activity against such organisms reduces the bioavailability of MMF by impairing enterohepatic cycling.

Mary Ann Huang, Thelma Wiley, Catherine McIsaac – 30 December 2003

Daniel H. Kett, Rita C. Acosta, Michael A. Campos, Miguel J. Rodriguez, Andrew A. Quartin, Roland M.H. Schein – 30 December 2003 – We report a case of portopulmonary hypertension in which the pulmonary hypertension resolved after initial orthotopic liver transplantation. Portopulmonary hypertension recurred when the transplanted liver failed and again resolved after a second liver transplantation. Intravenous epoprostenol was administered perioperatively to control the pulmonary hypertension in both instances.

Rafik M. Ghobrial, Chung‐Bao Hsieh, Susan Lerner, Sharon Winters, Nicholas Nissen, Sherfield Dawson, Farin Amersi, Pauline Chen, Douglas Farmer, Hasan Yersiz, Ronald W. Busuttil – 30 December 2003 – A right lobe graft that is drained by the right hepatic vein (RHV) is obtained by transecting the liver on the right side of the middle hepatic vein (MHV). On occasion, a small RHV that only drains a portion of the right lobe, with the predominant outflow achieved by the MHV, is encountered.

Masahiro Arai, Ronald G. Thurman, John J. Lemasters – 30 December 2003 – Brief periods of ischemia followed by reperfusion render tissues resistant against subsequent prolonged ischemia, a phenomenon called ischemic preconditioning. The effect of ischemic preconditioning on liver transplantation was investigated in relation to sinusoidal endothelial cell injury and Kupffer‐cell activation, which are prominent features of storage and reperfusion injury leading to liver graft failure.

Mehmet Arslan, Russell H. Wiesner, Corey Sievers, Kathleen Egan, Nizar N. Zein – 30 December 2003 – The aims of this study are to assess the efficacy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination using an accelerated schedule and double dose of recombinant vaccine in liver transplant recipients and identify factors associated with seroconversion and persistence of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti‐HBs). Three hundred fifty‐six patients were enrolled.

Dena M. Bravata, Ingram Olkin, Amber E. Barnato, Emmet B. Keeffe, Douglas K. Owens – 30 December 2003 – The purpose of the study is to evaluate patterns of employment and alcohol use among liver transplant recipients with alcoholic (ALD) and nonalcoholic liver disease (non‐ALD). MEDLINE, EMBASE, and bibliographic searches identified 5,505 potentially relevant articles published between January 1966 and October 1998. Eighty‐two studies reporting data on 5,020 transplant recipients met our inclusion criteria.

Pierre Honoré, Olivier Detry, Etienne Hamoir, Thierry Defechereux, Bernard Detroz, Michel Meurisse, Nicolas Jacquet – 30 December 2003 – Retransplantation is common after liver transplantation (LT). However, in the present era of organ shortages, every attempt to save the liver graft should be performed before considering retransplantation. We report our experience with right hepatic lobectomy (RHL) for liver graft salvage. In a retrospective series of 180 adult LTs, 4 patients underwent RHL (Couinaud's segments V, VI, VII, VIII) in the post‐LT period.