Good therapeutic connections and patient psychological safety: A qualitative survey study.

Background: Therapeutic connections (TCs) between patients and care providers are important for achieving desired patient outcomes. For patients, TC is associated with greater health self-efficacy, better health status, mental health status, and higher satisfaction with providers.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine patients' descriptions of what signals to them they have a TC with their care provider.

Amount of ascites impacts survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transarterial chemoembolization advocating for volumetric assessment.

Preliminary work has shown that portal hypertension plays a key role for the prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Specifically, the presence of ascites appears to be a strong negative predictor for these patients. However, it remains unclear whether different ascites volumes influence prognosis.

What matters to you? An observational field study of patient and care provider expectations for health care relationships.

Therapeutic connections (TC) between patients and providers are foundational to patient-centered care, which is co-produced between patients and care providers. This necessitates that we understand what patients expect from TCs, the extent to which providers know what patients expect, and what providers expect. The purpose of this study was to examine nine TC dimensions and determine which are most important to patients, which dimensions providers believe are most important to patients, and which are most important to providers.

To be or not to be compliant? Hospitals' initial strategic responses to the federal price transparency rule.

Objective: To understand US hospitals' initial strategic responses to the federal price transparency rule that took effect January 2021.

Data Sources And Study Setting: Primary interview data collected from 12 not-for-profit hospital organizations in six US metropolitan markets. All but one organization were multihospital systems; the 12 organizations represent a total of 81 hospitals.

Better outcomes through patient - Provider therapeutic connections? An exploratory study of proposed mediating variables.

Background: Patient-provider therapeutic connections (TCs) have been theorized to enhance patient outcomes as well as care provider job satisfaction and to reduce burnout. High-quality TCs may result in better matching of health care to patient needs, and thus, better care quality and patient outcomes. For care providers, work environments that enable high-quality TCs may make the work more motivating and facilitate resilience.

Evolution of HIV virulence in response to disease-modifying vaccines: A modeling study.

Pathogens face a tradeoff with respect to virulence; while more virulent strains often have higher per-contact transmission rates, they are also more likely to kill their hosts earlier. Because virulence is a heritable trait, there is concern that a disease-modifying vaccine, which reduces the disease severity of an infected vaccinee without changing the underlying pathogen genotype, may result in the evolution of higher pathogen virulence. We explored the potential for such virulence evolution with a disease-modifying HIV-1 vaccine in an agent-based stochastic epidemic model of HIV in United States men who have sex with men (MSM).

Elderly Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Benefit from Liver Transplantation as Much as Younger Ones.

Introduction: The literature on liver transplantation (LT) for cirrhosis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (cirr-HCC) in elderly patients (≥65 years of age) is scarce. The aim of this study was therefore to analyze the outcome after LT for cirr-HCC in elderly patients in our single-center experience.

Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent LT for cirr-HCC at our center were identified from our prospectively collected LT database and stratified into an elderly (≥65 years) and a younger (<65 years) cohort.

Successful transplantation of four kidney grafts from two small pediatric donors with anuric acute renal failure into adult recipients.

Background: Kidneys from infants with anuric acute kidney injury (AKI) only rarely get accepted for transplantation despite encouraging data that such kidneys can have very good long-term outcome.

Methods: We report the transplantation of four kidney grafts from two pediatric donors (3 and 4 years) with anuric acute kidney injury as single kidneys into four adult recipients.

Results: All grafts gained function within 14 days posttransplantation, only one recipient needed dialysis after transplantation.

One fits all: a highly sensitive combined ddPCR/pyrosequencing system for the quantification of microchimerism after hematopoietic and solid organ transplantation.

Objectives: A combined digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)/pyrosequencing assay system was developed that demonstrated advantages applicable to multiple qualitative and quantitative molecular genetic diagnostic applications. Data for characterizing this combined approach for hematologic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and allele quantification from graft-derived cell-free (cf) DNA in solid organ transplantation (SOT) is presented.

Methods: ddPCR and pyrosequencing assays targeting 32 SNPs/markers were established.

Microvascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma predicts microvascular invasion of its recurrence: potential implications for salvage liver transplantation?

Background: Microvascular invasion (MVI) can only be assessed on a full surgical specimen. We aimed at evaluating, whether the histology of the primary tumor is predictive of MVI in a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence.

Methods: Patients, who underwent liver resection or orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for recurrent HCC from January 2001 until June 2018 were eligible for this retrospective analysis.

Portal hypertension in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and immunotherapy: prognostic relevance of CT-morphologic estimates.

Background: Clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) has been identified as an important prognostic factor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing curative treatment. This study aimed to assess PH estimates as prognostic factors in patients with HCC treated with immunotherapy.

Methods: All patients with HCC treated with an immunotherapeutic agent in first or subsequent lines at our tertiary care center between 2016 and 2021 were included (n = 50).

Mixed Hepatocellular Cholangiocarcinoma: A Comparison of Survival between Mixed Tumors, Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma and Hepatocellular Carcinoma from a Single Center.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary liver malignancy, followed by intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). In addition, there is a mixed form for which only limited data are available. The aim of this study was to compare recurrence and survival of the mixed form within the cohorts of patients with HCC and ICC from a single center.

Radiomics-Based Prediction of Future Portal Vein Tumor Infiltration in Patients with HCC-A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Portal vein infiltration (PVI) is a typical complication of HCC. Once diagnosed, it leads to classification as BCLC C with an enormous impact on patient management, as systemic therapies are henceforth recommended. Our aim was to investigate whether radiomics analysis using imaging at initial diagnosis can predict the occurrence of PVI in the course of disease.

Outcome after Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Noncirrhotic Liver-A Single Centre Study.

Liver cirrhosis is the most common risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, 10 to 15% of all HCC arise in a non-cirrhotic liver. Few reliable data exist on outcome after liver resection in a non-cirrhotic liver.

The prognostic role of early tumor shrinkage in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing immunotherapy.

Background: Early tumor shrinkage (ETS) has been identified as a promising imaging biomarker for patients undergoing immunotherapy for several cancer entities. This study aimed to validate the potential of ETS as an imaging biomarker for patients undergoing immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We screened all patients with HCC that received immunotherapy as the first or subsequent line of treatment at our tertiary care center between 2016 and 2021.

13 C-Methacetin Breath Test Predicts Survival in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Transarterial Chemoembolization.

Introduction: The 13 C-methacetin breath test ( 13 C-MBT) is a dynamic method for assessing liver function. This proof-of-concept study aimed to investigate the association between 13 C-MBT values and outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods: A total of 30 patients with HCC were prospectively recruited.

Baseline Splenic Volume Outweighs Immuno-Modulated Size Changes with Regard to Survival Outcome in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma under Immunotherapy.

: An association between immunotherapy and an increase in splenic volume (SV) has been described for various types of cancer. SV is also highly predictive of overall survival (OS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluated SV and its changes with regard to their prognostic influence in patients with HCC undergoing immunotherapy.

ALK1 controls hepatic vessel formation, angiodiversity, and angiocrine functions in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia of the liver.

Background And Aims: In hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), severe liver vascular malformations are associated with mutations in the Activin A Receptor-Like Type 1 ( ACVRL1 ) gene encoding ALK1, the receptor for bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 9/BMP10, which regulates blood vessel development. Here, we established an HHT mouse model with exclusive liver involvement and adequate life expectancy to investigate ALK1 signaling in liver vessel formation and metabolic function.

Approach And Results: Liver sinusoidal endothelial cell (LSEC)-selective Cre deleter line, Stab2-iCreF3 , was crossed with Acvrl1 -floxed mice to generate LSEC-specific Acvrl1 -deficient mice ( Alk1HEC-KO ).

Prognostic Factors for 10-Year Survival in Patients With Hepatocellular Cancer Receiving Liver Transplantation.

Background: Long-term survival after liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular cancer (HCC) continues to increase along with the modification of inclusion criteria. This study aimed at identifying risk factors for 5- and 10-year overall and HCC-specific death after LT.

Methods: A total of 1,854 HCC transplant recipients from 10 European centers during the period 1987-2015 were analyzed.