German researchers have found a significant association of IL28B genotypes to interferon-based antiviral treatment outcome, and to graft inflammation caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV). The study determined that the presence of G-allele serves as a m…
Tag Archives | american association for the study of liver diseases
Lack of health insurance limits hepatitis C patients’ access to latest antiviral therapy
New research has determined that patients in the U.S. with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are twice as likely to not have health insurance coverage compared with those without the disease. In fact researchers found only a third of HCV infected Americans ha…
Scientists grow human liver tissue to be used for transplantation
A new study reports on the success of growing human liver cells on resorbable scaffolds made from material similar to surgical sutures. Researchers suggest that this liver tissue could be used in place of donor organs during liver transplantation or…
Metabolic syndrome found in 52 percent of patients after liver transplantation
Researchers from Israel have determined that more than half of liver transplant recipients develop post-transplantation metabolic syndrome (PTMS), placing them at greater risk for cardiovascular disease. Prior to transplantation only 5% of the patie…
Liver cancer in cirrhotic patients effectively treated with radiofrequency ablation
Researchers from Italy determined that radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a safe and effective therapy for managing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients. The high repeatability of RFA is advantageous in controlling recurrences of cance…
Alcoholics beware — genetic variation linked to liver cirrhosis in Caucasians
A new study by German researchers found that a variation in the PNPLA3 (adiponutrin) gene was associated with cirrhosis of the liver and elevated transaminase (liver enzyme) levels in alcoholic Caucasians. The risk of cirrhosis in alcoholics in the …
Scoring system is 93 percent accurate for diagnosing Wilson’s disease in pediatric patients
An Italian research team confirmed that the scoring system for Wilson’s disease (WD) provides good diagnostic accuracy with 93% positive and 92% negative predictive values, respectively in children with mild liver disease. In asymptomatic children, …
Study finds anti-microbials a common cause of drug-induced liver injury and failure
New research shows that anti-microbial medications are a common cause of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) leading to acute liver failure (ALF), with women and minorities disproportionately affected. While ALF evolves slowly, once it does occur a spo…
Organ procurement air transportation displays poor safety record
The transplant community was largely unaware of sub-standard transportation practices for donor organs until a number of fatal air crashes took the lives of transplant personnel, calling attention to procurement aviation safety. A new report highlig…
Mayo researchers find mortality rates from liver diseases underestimated
ROCHESTER, Minn. — Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (http://www.cdc.gov/) rank mortality related to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis as the 12th most common cause of death in adults in the U.S. Using a modifie…
Donor race may impact recurrent hepatitis C in liver transplant patients
DETROIT — The race of liver donors may affect recurrent hepatitis C in patients after liver transplant, according to a study by Henry Ford Hospital.
“Patients receiving white cadaveric donor grafts had significantly more aggressive recu…
Researchers engineer miniature human livers in the lab
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010 — Researchers at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have reached an early, but important, milestone in the quest to grow replacement livers in …
Obese children experience later mortality post liver transplantation
A new study from the University of Washington reported obese children are at increased mortality risk in later years following primary liver transplantation (LT). Pediatric patients who are thin or severely thin, experience an early mortality risk -…
Visceral adiposity index directly correlated to viral load in genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C
Researchers at the University of Palermo in Italy provide the evidence that a higher visceral adiposity index score — a new index of adipose dysfunction — has a direct correlation with viral load and is independently associated with both steatos…
Hispanics and Asians less likely to receive liver transplants
Researchers at the University of Michigan and Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, both in Ann Arbor, have identified geographic variation as a key factor accounting for disparities in access to liver transplantation among racial and ethnic grou…