Liver transplantation from controlled non-heart-beating donors: an increased incidence of biliary complications.

Background: Hepatic allografts from non-heart-beating donors (NHBD) have been cited as a means to expand the supply of donor livers. Concern exists that donor warm ischemic time in addition to subsequent cold ischemia-reperfusion injury may result in damage to sensitive cell populations within the liver. Because the biliary epithelium is sensitive to ischemia-reperfusion injury, the authors surmised that an increased incidence of biliary complications might occur among recipients of an NHBD allograft.

Dynamic retention: a technique for closure of the complex abdomen in critically ill patients.

Management of the open abdomen in the setting of massive visceral swelling or extensive intra-abdominal abscess may pose an extremely difficult surgical scenario. We herein describe the technique and results of dynamic-retention sutures used in 13 patients with abdominal catastrophes after trauma, vascular reconstruction, tumor extirpation, and intra-abdominal infection. Three of these patients died during their acute care hospitalization.

Analysis of thymectomy for myasthenia gravis in older patients: a 20-year single institution experience.

Background: Thymectomy has become recognized as an integral element in the care of the patient with myasthenia gravis. Although the number of elderly patients with myasthenia is substantial, little data exist demonstrating the efficacy and morbidity of thymectomy in this population.

Study Design: We retrospectively analyzed 126 cervicomediastinal thymectomies performed at a single university hospital from 1980 to 1998.

Anti-interferon antibody inhibits natural killer cell activity in HSV-2 genital infection in C57BL/6J mice.

We reported previously that the administration of anti-alpha/beta murine interferon antibody (anti-IFN-Ab) to C57BL/6J mice genitally infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) dramatically increases morbidity and mortality. The effect of anti-IFN-Ab is visible early postinfection and it is more evident when low virus doses are used. This report describes our study of the mechanism of action of anti-IFN-Ab.