Baseline Interleukin-6 as a Preoperative Biomarker for Liver Fibrosis.

Introduction: Liver (hepatic) fibrosis (LF) is characterized by impaired function and regenerative capacity of the liver and can lead to significantly increased morbidity and mortality in the context of surgical liver resection (LR). For this reason, it is crucial to identify the extent of LF preoperatively. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is known to play a key role in the pathogenesis of LF, but its exact value as a preoperative marker is unknown.

Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion (HOPE) Prior to Liver Transplantation Mitigates Post-Reperfusion Syndrome and Perioperative Electrolyte Shifts.

(1) Background: Post-reperfusion syndrome (PRS) and electrolyte shifts (ES) represent considerable challenges during liver transplantation (LT) being associated with significant morbidity. We aimed to investigate the impact of hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (HOPE) on PRS and ES in LT. (2) Methods: In this retrospective study, we compared intraoperative parameters of 100 LTs, with 50 HOPE preconditioned liver grafts and 50 grafts stored in static cold storage (SCS).

Liver transplantation versus watchful waiting in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with complete response to bridging therapy - a retrospective observational study.

Bridging therapy to prevent progression on the waiting list can result in a sustained complete response (sCR). In some patients, the liver transplantation (LT) risk might exceed those of tumor recurrence. We thus evaluated whether a watchful waiting (CR-WW) strategy could be a feasible alternative to transplantation (CR-LT).

Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is not relevant for targeted therapy and irradiation.

Background: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important regulator of cell growth and survival, and is highly variable in tumor cells. The most prevalent variation of the EGFR extracellular domain is the EGFR variant III (EGFRvIII). Some studies imply that EGFRvIII may be responsible for the poor response to the monoclonal EGFR-antibody Cetuximab, used therapeutically in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).