Alcohol‐Associated Liver Disease Before and After COVID‐19—An Overview and Call for Ongoing Investigation

Andrew M. Moon, Brenda Curtis, Pranoti Mandrekar, Ashwani K. Singal, Elizabeth C. Verna, Oren K. Fix – 8 May 2021 – The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has exacted a heavy toll on patients with alcohol‐associated liver disease (ALD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). The collective burden of ALD and AUD was large and growing, even before the COVID‐19 pandemic. There is accumulating evidence that this pandemic has had a large direct effect on these patients and is likely to produce indirect effects through delays in care, psychological strain, and increased alcohol use.

Statin Therapy and the Incidence of Thromboembolism and Vascular Events Following Liver Transplantation

Peter E. Frasco, Bashar Aqel, Jeremy M. Alvord, Karl A. Poterack, Isabel Bauer, Amit K. Mathur – 7 May 2021 – Statin therapy may reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which may impact solid organ transplant outcomes. We evaluated the incidence of VTE and other complications after liver transplantation stratified by hyperlipidemia status and statin use using a retrospective cohort study approach. We reviewed all primary orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) records from January 2014 to December 2019 from our center. Intraoperative deaths were excluded.

Pulmonary Vascular Resistance Predicts Mortality and Graft Failure in Transplantation Patients With Portopulmonary Hypertension

Arun Jose, Shimul A. Shah, Nadeem Anwar, Courtney R. Jones, Kenneth E. Sherman, Jean M. Elwing – 7 May 2021 – Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH) is a pulmonary vascular disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality in those with liver disease, conferring a higher mortality in patients awaiting liver transplantation (LT).

Post–Liver Transplant Acute Kidney Injury

Victor Dong, Mitra K. Nadim, Constantine J. Karvellas – 7 May 2021 – Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common condition following liver transplantation (LT). It negatively impacts patient outcomes by increasing the chances of developing chronic kidney disease and reducing graft and patient survival rates. Multiple definitions of AKI have been proposed and used throughout the years, with the International Club of Ascites definition being the most widely now used for patients with cirrhosis.

The Emerging Role of Viability Testing During Liver Machine Perfusion

Isabel M. A. Brüggenwirth, Otto B. Leeuwen, Robert J. Porte, Paulo N. Martins – 7 May 2021 – The transplant community continues to be challenged by the disparity between the need for liver transplantation and the shortage of suitable donor organs. At the same time, the number of unused donor livers continues to increase, most likely attributed to the worsening quality of these organs. To date, there is no reliable marker of liver graft viability that can predict good posttransplant outcomes.

The Emerging Role of B Cells in the Pathogenesis of NAFLD

Fanta Barrow, Saad Khan, Haiguang Wang, Xavier S. Revelo – 6 May 2021 – NAFLD is one of the leading causes of abnormal liver function worldwide. NAFLD refers to a group of liver conditions ranging from nonalcoholic fatty liver to NASH, which involves inflammation, hepatocellular damage, and fibrosis. Triggering of inflammation in NASH is a key event in the progression of the disease, and identifying the factors that initiate or dysregulate this process is needed to develop strategies for its prevention or treatment.

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