A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Tacrolimus and Corticosteroids in Combination With or Without Mycophenolate Mofetil in Liver Transplantation Recipients Infected With Hepatitis B Virus.

Background: Mycophenolate mofetil exhibits pharmacologic mechanisms different from calcineurin inhibitors. Therefore, the dose of calcineurin inhibitors can be reduced along with side effects for effective immunosuppression. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus and corticosteroid in combination with or without mycophenolate mofetil in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) recipients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Effect of on the Once-Daily Tacrolimus Conversion in Stable Liver Transplant Patients.

Cytochrome P450 () polymorphism influences tacrolimus metabolism, but its effect on the drug pharmacokinetics in liver transplant recipients switched to once-daily extended-release formulation remains unknown. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of polymorphism on liver function after once-daily tacrolimus conversion in liver transplant patients. A prospective open-label study included 60 stable liver transplant recipients who underwent 1:1 conversion from twice-daily tacrolimus to once-daily tacrolimus.

A Randomized Phase II Study of Perioperative Chemotherapy Plus Bevacizumab Versus Postoperative Chemotherapy Plus Bevacizumab in Patients With Upfront Resectable Hepatic Colorectal Metastases.

Introduction: Whether patients with resectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) gain a survival benefit from perioperative chemotherapy remains controversial. The benefit of including bevacizumab in chemotherapy also remains unclear.

Material And Methods: Seventy-six patients with CRLM were randomly assigned to either 6 cycles of FOLFOX (folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil, and oxaliplatin)/FOLFIRI (folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil, and irinotecan) with bevacizumab before and after surgery or 12 cycles after surgery.

Clinicopathologic analysis of intraductal papillary neoplasm of bile duct: Korean multicenter cohort study.

Background: IPNB is very rare disease and most previous studies on IPNB were case series with a small number due to low incidence. The aim of this study is to validate previously known clinicopathologic features of intraductal papillary neoplasm of bile duct (IPNB) based on the first largest multicenter cohort.

Methods: Among 587 patients previously diagnosed with IPNB and similar diseases from each center in Korea, 387 were included in this study after central pathologic review.

Diamond-shaped patch technique for right hepatic vein reconstruction in living-donor liver transplant: A simple method to prevent stenosis.

Patency of the right hepatic vein (RHV) of the liver graft is essential for successful living-donor liver transplant (LDLT). We developed a simple technique for RHV reconstruction that does not require the use of cadaveric veins or additional time to prevent stenosis.Of 159 patients who underwent LDLT at our institution between May 2010 and April 2016, we included 152 in this study.

Predictors of postoperative infectious complications in liver transplant recipients: experience of 185 consecutive cases.

Background/aims: Infections following liver transplant (LT) remain a major cause of mortality. This study was conducted to evaluate risk factors for infection and to review clinical characteristics.

Methods: Medical records of patients who underwent LT from 2010 to 2014 were retrospectively analyzed.

Enhanced Photosensing and Photodynamic Treatment of Colon Cancer Cells Using Methoxy Poly(ethylene glycol)-Conjugated Chlorin e6.

Nanophotosensitizer composed of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MePEG) and chlorin e6 (Ce6) (abbreviated as Pe6) was synthesized for efficient delivery of Ce6 to the colon cancer cells. Pe6 nanophotosensitizer has small diameter less than 100 nm with spherical shape and core-shell structure. They were activated in aqueous solution while Ce6 was quenched due to its poor aqueous solubility.

Risk factors of early recurrence after curative hepatectomy in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Early recurrence is common after curative hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma and is associated with poor prognosis. This study aimed to identify risk factors of early recurrence after curative hepatectomy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Overall, 63 patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma were enrolled.

Clinical Impacts of Donor Types of Living vs. Deceased Donors: Predictors of One-Year Mortality in Patients with Liver Transplantation.

Transplantation studies about the clinical differences according to the type of donors are mostly conducted in western countries with rare reports from Asians. The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical impacts of the type of donor, and the predictors of 1-year mortality in patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT). This study was performed for liver transplant recipients between May 2010 and December 2014 at the Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital.

Do hepatic-sided tumors require more extensive resection than peritoneal-sided tumors in patients with T2 gallbladder cancer? Results of a retrospective multicenter study.

Background: Tumor location is a prognostic factor for survival in patients with T2 gallbladder cancer. However, the optimal extent of resection according to tumor location remains unclear.

Methods: We reviewed the records of 192 patients with T2 gallbladder cancer who underwent R0 or R1 resection at 6 institutions.

Donor safety in living donor liver transplantation: The Korean organ transplantation registry study.

Major concerns about donor safety cause controversy and limit the use of living donor liver transplantation to overcome organ shortages. The Korean Organ Transplantation Registry established a nationwide organ transplantation registration system in 2014. We reviewed the prospectively collected data of all 832 living liver donors who underwent procedures between April 2014 and December 2015.

Clinical usefulness of controlled attenuation parameter to screen hepatic steatosis for potential donor of living donor liver transplant.

Objective: Hepatic steatosis is associated with an increased risk of graft loss. Although the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), a process based on transient elastography, has been suggested as a noninvasive method of assessing hepatic steatosis, to date, there is no study on the usefulness of CAP as a single screening tool for detecting hepatic steatosis in potential living donor liver. We evaluated the accuracy of CAP for detecting hepatic steatosis in potential liver donors.

Increasing use of therapeutic apheresis as a liver-saving modality.

Introduction: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is used for temporary support of liver function in patients presenting with early graft dysfunction after liver transplantation (LT) or liver surgery. We analyzed the effect of therapeutic apheresis on patients with liver disease.

Methods: Between January 2011 and August 2016, 93 apheresis procedures were performed for 26 patients at our institution.

Pancreas Transplant with Duodeno-Duodenostomy and Caval Drainage Using a Diamond Patch Graft: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND The surgical technique used in pancreas transplant is essential for patient safety and graft survival, and problems exist with conventional strategies. When enteric exocrine drainage is performed, there is no method of immunologic monitoring other than direct graft pancreas biopsy. The most common cause of early graft failure is graft thrombosis, and adequate preventive and treatment strategies are unclear.

Therapeutic efficacy and stent patency of transhepatic portal vein stenting after surgery.

Aim: To evaluate portal vein (PV) stenosis and stent patency after hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery, using abdominal computed tomography (CT).

Methods: Percutaneous portal venous stenting was attempted in 22 patients with significant PV stenosis (> 50%) - after hepatobiliary or pancreatic surgery - diagnosed by abdominal CT. Stents were placed in various stenotic lesions after percutaneous transhepatic portography.

Efficacy and patency of primary stenting for hepatic venous outflow obstruction after living donor liver transplantation.

Background: Hepatic venous outflow is important for graft survival in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). If hepatic venous outflow obstruction occurs, hepatic vein stenting is considered to restore the patency.

Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and patency of primary hepatic vein stenting for hepatic venous outflow obstruction (HVOO) after LDLT.

Paclitaxel-incorporated nanoparticles using block copolymers composed of poly(ethylene glycol)/poly(3-hydroxyoctanoate).

Block copolymers composed of poly(3-hydroxyoctanoate) (PHO) and methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were synthesized to prepare paclitaxel-incorporated nanoparticle for antitumor drug delivery. In a (1)H-NMR study, chemical structures of PHO/PEG block copolymers were confirmed and their molecular weight (M.W.

Self-assembled polymeric micelles based on hyaluronic acid-g-poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) copolymer for tumor targeting.

Graft copolymer composed hyaluronic acid (HA) and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) (HAgLG) was synthesized for antitumor targeting via CD44 receptor of tumor cells. The carboxylic end of PLGA was conjugated with hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) to have amine end group in the end of chain (PLGA-amine). PLGA-amine was coupled with carboxylic acid of HA.

Regular exercise training increases the number of endothelial progenitor cells and decreases homocysteine levels in healthy peripheral blood.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are known to play an important role in the repair of damaged blood vessels. We used an endothelial progenitor cell colony-forming assay (EPC-CFA) to determine whether EPC numbers could be increased in healthy individuals through regular exercise training. The number of functional EPCs obtained from human peripheral blood-derived AC133 stem cells was measured after a 28-day regular exercise training program.

Laparoscopic major liver resection in Korea: a multicenter study.

Introduction: We report our experience with laparoscopic major liver resection in Korea based on a multicenter retrospective study.

Materials And Methods: Data from 1,009 laparoscopic liver resections conducted from 2001 to 2011 were retrospectively collected. Twelve tertiary medical centers with specialized hepatic surgeons participated in this study.

Current status of laparoscopic liver resection in Korea.

Since laparoscopic liver resection was first introduced in 2001, Korean surgeons have chosen a laparoscopic procedure as one of the treatment options for benign or malignant liver disease. We distributed and analyzed a nationwide questionnaire to members of the Korean Laparoscopic Liver Surgery Study Group (KLLSG) in order to evaluate the current status of laparoscopic liver resection in Korea. Questionnaires were sent to 24 centers of KLLSG.

More than 7-year survival of a patient following repeat hepatectomy for total 20 colon cancer liver metastases.

A 54-year-old man was transferred with sigmoid colon cancer combined with multiple bilobar liver metastases. Nine metastases were in the left lobe and 5 metastases were in the right lobe. After low anterior resection, all 9 lesions in the left lobe were completely removed by wedge resections.

Correlation between Liver Metastases and the Level of PRL-3 mRNA Expression in Patients with Primary Colorectal Cancer.

Purpose: Phosphatase of regenerating liver-3 (PRL-3) has been associated with metastasis promotion. However, clinical applications of this association have not yet been clearly demonstrated. In this study, we evaluated the relation of PRL-3 mRNA level in primary colorectal cancer to the corresponding stage and to other clinicopathologic factors.

Segmental duodenectomy with duodenojejunostomy of gastrointestinal stromal tumor involving the duodenum.

Duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are uncommon and a relatively small subset of GISTs whose optimal surgical procedure has not been well defined. Because submucosal spread and local lymph node involvement is infrequent in GISTs, wide margins with routine lymph node dissection may not be required. Various techniques of limited resection for duodenal GISTs have been described depending on the site and the size of the tumors.