ABO-Incompatible Living Donor Liver Transplantation with Reduced Rituximab Dose: A Retrospective Analysis of 65 Patients - Can We Fast-Track Liver Transplant Surgery and Improve Long-Term Survival?

BACKGROUND ABO-incompatible (ABO-i) living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a feasible alternative for donor liver allograft in emergency situations, especially in Asia, where deceased-donor organs remain scarce. The reported outcomes of ABO-i LDLT after optimal desensitization are comparable to those of ABO-compatible LDLT. In this retrospective study, we found improved outcomes after ABO-i LDLT with a low-dose rituximab in combination with double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) and prophylactic antibiotic therapy.

De Novo Malignancy After Heart, Kidney, and Liver Transplant: A Nationwide Study in Taiwan.

Objectives: In the Asian population, patterns and risk factors for de novo malignancies after solid-organ transplant are not well understood.

Materials And Methods: Insurance claims from Taiwan's National Health Institute Research Database from 1997 to 2011 revealed 687 deceased-donor heart transplant recipients, 5038 kidney transplant recipients (50% living related-donor, 50% deceased-donor transplants), and 2127 liver transplant recipients (mainly living related-donor transplants, 30% deceased-donor transplants). During the follow-up period, rates of malignancy incidence were calculated with standardization based on national age, sex, and year-specific incidence.

Effects of Nutritional Intervention on the Survival of Patients with Cardiopulmonary Failure Undergoing Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Therapy.

Background/aim: This study aimed to examine the effects of nutritional intervention on the prognosis of patients with cardiopulmonary failure undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy in Taiwan.

Materials And Methods: An institutional review board-approved retrospective study was conducted on patients receiving ECMO therapy in the intensive care unit of the China Medical University Hospital, Taiwan, from January 2013 to December 2013. The study included 102 patients with cardiopulmonary failure receiving ECMO therapy.

Effect of Oligomeric Proanthocyanidin on the Antioxidant Status and Lung Function of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background/aim: Evidence exists that oxidative stress and oxidative damage play a pivotal role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) extracted from grape seeds have been shown to exhibit antioxidant capabilities greater than those of vitamin C and E. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of OPCs on antioxidant status and lung function in patients with COPD.

Living Donor Liver Transplantation in Acute Liver Failure Patients with Grade IV Encephalopathy: Is Deep Hepatic Coma Still an Absolute Contraindication? A Successful Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND The prognosis of the patients of acute liver failure (ALF) with onset of hepatic coma is often dismal. ALF is a well-accepted indication for liver transplantation (LT) and has markedly improved the prognosis of these patients. However, its role in ALF patients with onset of hepatic coma has never been elucidated before.

Plasma exosomal miR-223 expression regulates inflammatory responses during cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) induces inflammatory responses, and effective endogenous homeostasis is important for preventing systemic inflammation. We assessed whether plasma exosomal microRNAs in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB are involved in the regulation of inflammatory responses. Plasma samples were isolated from CPB patients (n = 21) at 5 specified time points: pre-surgery, pre-CPB and 2 hours (h), 4 h and 24 h after CPB began.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support for Rituximab-Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in an ABO-Incompatible Living Donor Liver Transplant Recipient: Successful Management of a Rare Complication and a Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND Rituximab is commonly used to reduce the agglutinin titer in ABO-incompatible liver transplant recipients. Although well-tolerated, rituximab infusion therapy may result in severe pulmonary adverse effects such as drug-induced pneumonitis, leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which has a high mortality rate. Management of such rare cases in an ABO-incompatible patient has never been described before.

Assessing the Safety of Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Synthetic Grafts in Living Donor Liver Transplantation: Graft Migration Into Hollow Viscous Organs - Diagnosis and Treatment Options.

BACKGROUND Our recent studies have highlighted the importance and safety of backtable venoplasty for middle hepatic vein (MHV) and inferior right hepatic veins (IRHV) reconstruction using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) vascular grafts. In this study, we aim to analyze the complications associated with ePTFE graft use and discuss the management of the rare, but, potentially life threatening complications directly related to ePTFE conduits. MATERIAL AND METHODS From January 2012 to October 2015 a total of 397 patients underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Hepatic artery reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation using surgical loupes: Achieving low rate of hepatic arterial thrombosis in 741 consecutive recipients-tips and tricks to overcome the poor hepatic arterial flow.

The reconstruction of the hepatic artery (HA) is the most complex step in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) because of the smaller diameter of the artery and the increased risk of HA-related complications. Because of the smaller diameter of the HA, many centers use a microsurgical technique with interrupted sutures for arterial anastomosis. The aim of our study was to retrospectively investigate the outcomes after HA reconstruction performed under magnifying loupes using the "parachute technique.

Reconstruction of Isolated Inferior Right Hepatic Vein(s) in Right Lobe Living Donor Liver Transplantation Using Polytetrafluoroethylene Grafts: A New Feasible Concept, Technique of 'Bridging Conduit Venoplasty' and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND Right lobe living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) remains the most common form of liver transplantation in Asia. However, reconstruction of the venous outflow in a right liver allograft may pose technical difficulties if hepatic venous variations are present. Recently, much emphasis has been given to the reconstruction of large and multiple inferior right hepatic veins (IRHVs).

"Single Oval Ostium Technique" using Polytetrafluoroethylene Graft for Outflow Reconstruction in Right Liver Grafts with venous Anomalies in Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

Right lobe living donor liver transplantation form a major source of liver allografts in Asia because of the scarcity of deceased donation. However, the transplant surgeons often face challenges while managing right lobe liver allografts due to variations in vascular anatomy. Such variations have led the transplant team to adopt modifications in existing techniques of inflow and outflow reconstruction.

Living donor liver transplantation with abdominal wall reconstruction for hepatocellular carcinoma with needle track seeding.

Malignant cell seeding in subcutaneous tissues along the needle track and/or percutaneous biliary drainage catheters is rare complication, but pose various technical issues in planning surgical treatment of such patients. If underlying primary hepatic malignancy can be treated, an aggressive resection of subcutaneous tissue bearing cancer cell with subsequent abdominal wall reconstruction has been sporadically reported. But, when hepatic resection is not possible due to underlying advanced cirrhosis, liver transplantation along with abdominal wall resection and subsequent reconstruction remains only feasible option.

Venous outflow reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation: Dealing with venous anomalies.

The reconstruction of the vascular outflow tract of partial liver grafts has received considerable attention in the past, especially in the setting of right liver grafts with undrained segments. Hepatic venous outflow reconstruction is an important factor for successful living donor liver transplantation outcome. However, in presence of undrained anterior sector and presence of multiple short hepatic veins that drain substantial portions of liver, outflow reconstruction without backtable venoplasty may lead to severe graft congestion and subsequent graft dysfunction.

Outflow reconstruction for right liver allograft with multiple hepatic veins: "V-plasty" of hepatic veins to form a common outflow channel versus 2 or more hepatic vein-to-inferior vena cava anastomoses in limited retrohepatic space.

Outflow reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is certainly difficult in limited retrohepatic space with using right liver grafts with venous anomalies. Venoplasty of the inferior right hepatic veins (IRHVs) and middle hepatic vein (MHV) reconstruction using synthetic grafts to form a common outflow channel or a second venocaval anastomosis are available options. We aim to compare outcomes of LDLT recipients who underwent outflow reconstruction with a "V-Plasty" technique and outcomes of patients who underwent a second venocaval anastomosis.

"V-Plasty" technique using dual synthetic vascular grafts to reconstruct outflow channel in living donor liver transplantation.

Background: The reconstruction of outflow is a crucial step in living donor liver transplantation. This study describes a suitable technique that uses synthetic vascular conduits in presence of multiple draining veins of right lobe of liver and the outcome of the recipients to evaluate safety of using multiple synthetic grafts.

Methods: From March 2011 to September 2014, 325 patients underwent right lobe living donor liver transplantation.

Outcome of frozen elephant trunk technique for acute type A aortic dissection: as systematic review and meta-analysis.

Acute aortic dissections of Stanford type A require emergency surgery repair and present challenges to surgeons. The frozen elephant technique is one of several approaches used to treat aortic arch dissection. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the clinical effectiveness of the frozen elephant technique for treating acute type A aortic dissection.

Impact of LPS-induced cardiomyoblast cell apoptosis inhibited by earthworm extracts.

Dilong is an earthworm extract with a dense nutritional content, widely used in Chinese herbal medicine to remove stasis and stimulate wound healing. Earthworm extracts are traditionally used by indigenous people throughout the world. How this Dilong inhibits Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cardiomyoblast cell apoptosis is still unclear.

Fabrication of birefringent nanocylinders for single-molecule force and torque measurement.

Optically anisotropic subwavelength scale dielectric particles have been shown to enable studies of the mechanical properties of bio-molecules via optical trapping and manipulation. However, techniques emphasized to date for fabrication of such particles generally suffer from limited uniformity and control over particle dimensions, or low throughput and high cost. Here, an approach for rapid, low-cost, fabrication of large quantities of birefringent quartz nanocylinders with dimensions optimized for optical torque wrench experiments is described.

Inhibition of reverse-mode sodium-calcium exchanger activity and apoptosis by levosimendan in human cardiomyocyte progenitor cell-derived cardiomyocytes after anoxia and reoxygenation.

Levosimendan, a known calcium sensitizer with positive inotropic and vasodilating properties, might also be cardioprotective during ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) insult. Its effects on calcium homeostasis and apoptosis in I/R injury remain unclear. Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX) is a critical mediator of calcium homeostasis in cardiomyocytes, with reverse-mode NCX activity responsible for intracellular calcium overload and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes during I/R.