Feasibility and outcomes of living-donor liver transplantation utilizing the right hemi-liver graft with portal vein anatomical variations.

Purpose: Portal vein (PV) reconstruction is a key factor for successful living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Anatomical variations of right PV (RPV) are encountered among potential donors.

Methods: To evaluate a single center experience of reconstruction techniques for the right hemi-liver grafts with PV variations during the period between May 2004 and 2022.

Circulating soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1) as diagnostic and prognostic marker in neonatal sepsis.

Objective: Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) is an important receptor involved in the innate inflammatory response and sepsis. We assessed soluble TREM-1 (sTREM-1) in 112 septic neonates (63 culture-positive and 49 culture-negative) and 40 healthy controls as a potential early diagnostic and prognostic marker for neonatal sepsis (NS).

Methods: Studied neonates were evaluated for early- or late-onset sepsis using clinical and laboratory indicators upon admission.

EUS for portal hypertension: a comprehensive and critical appraisal of clinical and experimental indications.

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has significantly improved our understanding of the complex vascular structural changes that occur in portal hypertension and their clinical and prognostic significance. EUS in combination with color Doppler technique enables us to study the hemodynamic changes in the portal venous system noninvasively, and to determine objectively the effect of different pharmacological agents on portal hypertension. EUS has also found some role in the treatment and follow up of esophageal and gastric varices.

Antioxidants modulate the IL-6 induced inhibition of negative acute-phase protein secretion in HepG2 cells.

Despite increasing evidence on the potential of dietary antioxidants in modulating the etiology of certain chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases, little is known about their beneficial role in acute-phase responses and inflammatory diseases. From this viewpoint the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of selected dietary antioxidants in modulating the secretion of negative acute-phase proteins caused by interleukin-6 (IL-6) in HepG2 cells. Cells were first stimulated with a fixed dose of IL-6 for 24 h then incubated for a further 8 h with varying concentrations of eight antioxidants, alpha-lipoic acid (LA), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), alpha-tocopherol (TOC), ascorbic acid (AA) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC).