Efficacy and safety of sirolimus early conversion protocol in liver transplant patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A single-arm, multicenter, prospective study.

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor as an attractive drug target with promising antitumor effects has been widely investigated. High quality clinical trial has been conducted in liver transplant (LT) recipients in Western countries. However, the pertinent studies in Eastern world are paucity.

A DMSO-free hepatocyte maturation medium accelerates hepatic differentiation of HepaRG cells in vitro.

The most essential tools for studying drug hepatotoxicity, liver diseases, and bioartificial livers have always been models that can recapitulate liver physiology in vitro. The liver progenitor cell line HepaRG represents an effective surrogate of the primary hepatocyte. However, the differentiation of HepaRG relies on long-term induction using a high concentration of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which may compromise the research of drug metabolism and restrict the applicability of this hepatic model.

Liver transplantation for biliary atresia: A single-center study from mainland China.

Aim: To summarize our single-center experience with liver transplantation (LT) for biliary atresia (BA).

Methods: From October 2006 to December 2012, 188 children with BA were analyzed retrospectively. The stage I group (from October 2006 to December 2010) comprised the first 74 patients, and the stage II group (from January 2011 to December 2012) comprised the remaining 114 patients.

Preoperative hepatic hemodynamics in the prediction of early portal vein thrombosis after liver transplantation in pediatric patients with biliary atresia.

Background: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is one of the main vascular complications after liver transplantation (LT), especially in pediatric patients with biliary atresia (BA). This study aimed to assess the preoperative hepatic hemodynamics in pediatric patients with BA using Doppler ultrasound and determine whether ultrasonographic parameters may predict early PVT after LT.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight pediatric patients with BA younger than 3 years of age underwent Doppler ultrasound within seven days before LT, between October 2006 and June 2013.

Bile duct kinking after adult living donor liver transplantation: Case reports and literature review.

Regeneration of the partial allograft and the growth of children may cause kinking of the biliary tract after pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), but bile duct kinking after adult LDLT is rarely reported. We herein presented two patients who suffered from anastomotic strictures caused by severe bile duct kinking after LDLT. The first patient was a 57-year-old woman with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cirrhosis, who developed biliary stricture 5 months after receiving right-lobe LDLT.

Living-donor or deceased-donor liver transplantation for hepatic carcinoma: a case-matched comparison.

Aim: To compare the surgical outcomes between living-donor and deceased-donor liver transplantation in patients with hepatic carcinoma.

Methods: From January 2007 to December 2010, 257 patients with pathologically confirmed hepatic carcinoma met the eligibility criteria of the study. Forty patients who underwent living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) constituted the LDLT group, and deceased-donor liver transplantation (DDLT) was performed in 217 patients.

Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma exceeding the Milan criteria: a single-center experience.

Purpose: To establish a prognostic prediction system for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exceeding Milan criteria after liver transplantation (LT).

Methods: A total of 130 patients undergoing LT for HCC exceeding Milan criteria were enrolled into the study. Independent predictors for relapse-free survival (RFS) were adopted to establish a grading system to predict the risk of post-LT tumor recurrence.

HIF1 regulates WSB-1 expression to promote hypoxia-induced chemoresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

WSB-1 is involved in DNA damage response by targeting homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 2 (HIPK2) for ubiquitination and degradation. Here, we report that hypoxia significantly up-regulates the expression of WSB-1 in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. We also provide evidence that WSB-1 is a target of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1).

Comparison of survival and tumor recurrence rates in patients undergoing liver transplantation for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma using Milan, Shanghai Fudan and Hangzhou criteria.

Objectives: To assess the performance of the Milan, Shanghai Fudan and Hangzhou criteria based on a preoperative evaluation in patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Using a prospectively collected database, the data of consecutive patients with hepatitis B-related HCC undergoing LT at the Department of Liver Surgery of Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University from January 2005 to December 2009 were reviewed. Overall survival and tumor recurrence rates of patients fulfilling the Milan, Shanghai Fudan and Hangzhou criteria were compared using log-rank test.

Living donor liver transplantation in 43 children with biliary atresia: a single-center experience from the mainland of China.

Background: There is no large-cohort report on living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for biliary atresia (BA) patients from the mainland of China. This single-center study describes our initial experience with 43 LDLTs for BA patients aged two years or younger.

Methods: In this study, the eligibility criteria were BA as the primary diagnosis and two years of age or younger.

Invasive fungal infection after liver transplantation: risk factors and significance of immune cell function monitoring.

Objective: Monitoring immune status in transplant recipients is essential for predicting the risk of infections. The aims of the study were to identify the correlation of a low ImmuKnow adenosine triphosphate (ATP) value with the development of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) and whether this is an independent risk factor for IFIs in liver recipients.

Methods: We followed up 248 liver recipients who developed 157 infectious episodes.

Computed tomography perfusion in living donor liver transplantation: an initial study of normal hemodynamic changes in liver grafts.

Hepatic hemodynamic changes in grafts after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) are complicated. In this study, computed tomography (CT) perfusion parameter values, especially portal vein perfusion (PVP), was retrospectively analyzed in recipients both with and without small-for-size syndrome (SFSS). PVP was significantly higher in non-SFSS recipients on post-operative day (POD) 14 or 28 than in normal donors before donation (p < 0.

[Clinical study of diabetic retinopathy treated by compound danshen dripping pills].

Objective: To observe the therapeutic effect of compound danshen dripping pills in visual function recovery of diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: 42 patients(78 eyes) with diabetic retinopathy of I-III phase were divided into two groups in random. 43 eyes were treated with compound danshen dripping pills and the other 35 eyes with vitamin BI and Luding C for three months.

[Prospective study of liver parenchyma volume in hepatectomy of primary liver cancer].

Objective: To explore the secure resection margin (RM) of hepatectomy for primary liver cancer (PLC) with the coexistence of cirrhosis or hepatitis by studying the correlations of the resected liver parenchyma volume with postoperative liver function, complication and RM clinically.

Methods: The volume of tumor and the surrounding liver in resected liver specimen was measured and calculated in continuous 76 PLC patients prospectively, and the total liver parenchyma volume was measured and calculated using computed tomography (CT) images in former 40 patients. Under ideal circumstances, the surrounding liver volume, which would be resected theoretically, was calculated according to various sizes of tumors and RMs.

Combined hepatic resection with fenestration for highly symptomatic polycystic liver disease: A report on seven patients.

Aim: To evaluate the immediate and long-term results in a series of patients with highly symptomatic polycystic liver disease (PLD) treated by combined hepatic resection with cystic fenestration.

Methods: We reviewed our recent experience with a combined hepatic resection-fenestration procedure in seven highly symptomatic patients with PLD. Clinical data, liver manifestation of computed tomography (CT), and morbidity were recorded pre- and post-operation.

Disseminated tumor cells homing into rats' liver: a new possible mechanism of HCC recurrence.

Aim: To detect the origin of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurring and attempt to propose a new recurrent mechanism.

Methods: Orthotopic liver allotransplantation was performed on male rats with HCC- induced by diethylnitrosamine using female donors. Metastatic tumors in transplanted livers were obtained.