The Use of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for Modeling Liver Development and Disease

James A. Heslop, Stephen A. Duncan – 25 September 2018 – The use of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) has transformed the investigation of liver development and disease. Clinical observations and animal models have provided the foundations of our understanding in these fields. While animal models remain essential research tools, long experimental lead times and low throughput limit the scope of investigations.

CEACAM1 Is Associated With the Suppression of Natural Killer Cell Function in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C

Takahiro Suda, Tomohide Tatsumi, Akira Nishio, Tadashi Kegasawa, Teppei Yoshioka, Ryoko Yamada, Kunimaro Furuta, Takahiro Kodama, Minoru Shigekawa, Hayato Hikita, Ryotaro Sakamori, Takasuke Fukuhara, Yoshiharu Matsuura, Tetsuo Takehara – 25 September 2018 – Natural killer cells (NK cells) play an essential role in the immunological mechanism underlying chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Impairment of NK cell function facilitates persistent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatocellular carcinogenesis.

Autoimmune Hepatitis During Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir Treatment of Hepatitis C: A Case Report

Giovanni Covini, Elena Bredi, Salvatore Badalamenti, Massimo Roncalli, Alessio Aghemo, Massimo Colombo – 25 September 2018 – We report the case of a woman with chronic hepatitis C and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) who developed autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) during antiviral therapy with ledipasvir (LDV)/sofosbuvir (SOF). The onset of acute hepatitis rose two weeks after starting treatment with LDV/SOF when HCV‐RNA tested negative, suggesting a link between rapid HCV clearance and de novo autoimmune diseases.

Reactive Ductules Are Associated With Angiogenesis and Tumor Cell Proliferation in Pediatric Liver Cancer

Sanghoon Lee, Ping Zhou, Anita Gupta, Soona Shin – 25 September 2018 – While reactive ductules (RDs) have been observed in viral hepatitis, biliary atresia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and adult hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), RDs in pediatric liver cancer remain uncharacterized. This study investigated the relationship of RDs with angiogenic paracrine factors, the extent of angiogenesis, and tumor cell proliferation in pediatric hepatoblastoma (HBL)/HCC livers.

The Use of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells for Modeling Liver Development and Disease

James A. Heslop, Stephen A. Duncan – 25 September 2018 – The use of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) has transformed the investigation of liver development and disease. Clinical observations and animal models have provided the foundations of our understanding in these fields. While animal models remain essential research tools, long experimental lead times and low throughput limit the scope of investigations.

Distinguishing Tumor From Bland Portal Vein Thrombus in Liver Transplant Candidates With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: the A‐VENA Criteria

Courtney B. Sherman, Spencer Behr, Jennifer L. Dodge, John P. Roberts, Francis Y. Yao, Neil Mehta – 24 September 2018 – Differentiating tumor versus bland portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is essential in determining liver transplantation (LT) candidacy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to evaluate radiographic and clinical features that could noninvasively distinguish tumor PVT from bland PVT in HCC patients. Of 467 patients with HCC listed for LT from 2004 to 2011, 59 (12.6%) had PVT and 12 of 59 (20.3%) were deemed malignant.

Among Patients With NAFLD, Treatment of Dyslipidemia Does Not Reduce Cardiovascular Mortality

Omer Shahab, Rakesh Biswas, James Paik, Haley Bush, Pegah Golabi, Zobair M. Younossi – 24 September 2018 – Dyslipidemia is one of the common risk factors for NAFLD and is associated with cardiovascular (CV) mortality, which is the most common cause of death in NAFLD. Lipid‐lowering agents (LLAs) are used to reduce CV events in the general population. Our aim was to assess whether the use of LLAs in patients with NAFLD can reduce the risk of CV mortality. We used the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey mortality linked files.

Liver Disease Monitoring Practices After Hepatitis C Cure in the Underserved Population

Nicole J. Kim, Catherine Magee, Cassie Cummings, Helen Park, Mandana Khalili – 24 September 2018 – Recent hepatitis C virus (HCV) guidelines recommend disease monitoring and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening in patients with advanced fibrosis after a sustained virologic response (SVR) with direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. However, data on practice patterns in this setting is lacking. We aimed to characterize disease monitoring and HCC screening practices post‐SVR in an underserved HCV‐infected cohort.

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