Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System for Acute Liver Failure in a New Pediatric-Based Extracorporeal Liver Support Program.

Importance: Acute liver failure (ALF) carries significant morbidity and mortality, for both pediatric and adult patients. Albumin dialysis via the molecular adsorbent recirculating system (MARS) is a form of extracorporeal liver support (ELS) that can reduce hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a main driver of mortality in ALF. However, data on MARS and its benefit on mortality have been inconsistent.

Longitudinal progression of clinical variables associated with graded liver injury in COVID-19 patients.

Background: Hospital-acquired liver injury is associated with worse outcomes in COVID-19. This study investigated the temporal progression of clinical variables of in-hospital liver injury in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: COVID-19 patients (n = 1361) were divided into no, mild and severe liver injury (nLI, mLI and sLI) groups.

Hepatic Predictors of Mortality in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2: Role of Initial Aspartate Aminotransferase/Alanine Aminotransferase and Preexisting Cirrhosis.

The novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The presenting symptoms of this virus are variable, and there is an increasing body of literature on risk factors for mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of initial aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and preexisting liver disease, including cirrhosis, in a cohort of patients admitted with COVID-19 infection at a tertiary care hospital network in the Bronx, New York.

The Inflammatory Relationship Between Hepatitis C Virus With Coronary and Carotid Atherosclerosis.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a global health concern, has been linked to various hepatic and extrahepatic deleterious manifestations. Several observational studies have either supported the increased likelihood of coronary and carotid atherosclerosis after infection with HCV or refuted it. To date, there has been no clear consensus to support either train of thought, as randomized, controlled clinical trials have not been completed.

Heart Transplantation for Hepatitis C Virus Non-Viremic Recipients From Hepatitis C Virus Viremic Donors.

Multiple strategies have been implemented to increase the donor pool to avoid transplant wait-list mortality. The approval of highly effective direct-acting antiviral regimens for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has enabled expansion of the donor pool by allowing the transplantation of organs from HCV-viremic donors to HCV-negative recipients. Multiple centers have recently published data on outcomes of heart transplantation from HCV-viremic heart donors to HCV-negative recipients, with acceptable posttransplant outcomes.

Paramecium species ingest and kill the cells of the human pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans.

A fundamental question in the field of medical mycology is the origin of virulence in those fungal pathogens acquired directly from the environment. In recent years, it was proposed that the virulence of certain environmental animal-pathogenic microbes, such as Cryptococcus neoformans, originated from selection pressures caused by species-specific predation. In this study, we analyzed the interaction of C.