Value of systemic inflammation markers for the detection of minimal and prediction of overt hepatic encephalopathy after TIPS insertion.

Development of overt hepatic encephalopathy (oHE) is a particularly feared complication when considering treatment with transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). However, the pathophysiology of HE, in particular after TIPS-insertion, is complex and valid predictors remain scarce. We aimed to investigate whether systemic inflammation markers (SIM) are linked to minimal (mHE) and overt HE (oHE) development before and after TIPS.

TIPS insertion leads to sustained reversal of systemic inflammation in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: Systemic Inflammation (SI) is considered a key mechanism in disease progression and development of complications in decompensated liver cirrhosis. SI is mainly driven by portal hypertension and bacterial translocation. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS)-insertion represents an effective treatment for portal hypertension.

DNA methylation profiling identifies TBKBP1 as potent amplifier of cytotoxic activity in CMV-specific human CD8+ T cells.

Epigenetic mechanisms stabilize gene expression patterns during CD8+ T cell differentiation. Although adoptive transfer of virus-specific T cells is clinically applied to reduce the risk of virus infection or reactivation in immunocompromised individuals, the DNA methylation pattern of virus-specific CD8+ T cells is largely unknown. Hence, we here performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of cytomegalovirus-specific human CD8+ T cells and found that they display a unique DNA methylation pattern consisting of 79 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) when compared to memory CD8+ T cells.

Low-Volume Lung Perfusion System for Single Lung Application in a Small Animal Model Enables Optimal Compliance With "" in 3R Principles of Animal Research.

lung perfusion (ESLP) is used for organ reconditioning, repair, and re-evaluation prior to transplantation. Since valid preclinical animal models are required for translationally relevant studies, we developed a 17 mL low-volume ESLP for double- and single-lung application that enables cost-effective optimal compliance "reduction" of the 3R principles of animal research. In single-lung mode, ten Fischer344 and Lewis rat lungs were subjected to ESLP and static cold storage using STEEN or PerfadexPlus.