Pregnancy following liver transplantation: review of outcomes and recommendations for management.

Liver transplantation is considered to be the treatment of choice for end-stage liver disease and its success has led to an increase in the number of female liver transplant recipients who are of childbearing age. Several key issues that are noted when counselling patients who are considering pregnancy following liver transplantation include the optimal timing of pregnancy, optimal contraception methods and the management of immunosuppression during pregnancy. The present review summarizes the most recent literature so that the clinician may address these issues with their patient and enable them to make informed decisions about pregnancy planning.

In vitro-derived alternatively activated macrophages reduce colonic inflammation in mice.

Background & Aims: Infection with the rat tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta reduces the severity of dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS)-induced colitis in mice. Infection with H. diminuta increases colonic expression of arginase-1 and found in inflammatory zone 1 (FIZZ1), markers of alternatively activated macrophages (AAMs).

LOX-1 augments oxLDL uptake by lysoPC-stimulated murine macrophages but is not required for oxLDL clearance from plasma.

Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) promotes lipid accumulation as well as growth and survival signaling in macrophages. OxLDL uptake is mainly due to scavenger receptors SR-AI/II and CD36. However, other scavenger receptors such as lectin-like oxLDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) may also play a role.