Comparison of multiple oncotype DX from the same patient.

For women with breast cancer in whom multiple Oncotype DX Recurrence Scores (RS) are obtained, RS concordance utilizing current NCCN recommendations has not been evaluated. Patients with two or more RS were identified. RS were stratified by NCCN guidelines and compared for concordance.

Assessing the Burden of Nodal Disease for Breast Cancer Patients with Clinically Positive Nodes: Hope for More Limited Axillary Surgery.

Background: Omission of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is accepted for patients with one or two positive sentinel nodes, and studies are focusing on clinically node-positive patients who have been downstaged with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Evidence is lacking for patients with positive nodes who undergo surgery upfront. These patients are assumed to have a higher burden of nodal disease such that ALND remains the standard of care.

Quantitative Measure of Intestinal Permeability Using Blue Food Coloring.

Background: Loss of intestinal barrier integrity plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of various gastrointestinal diseases and is implicated in the onset of sepsis and multiple organ failure. An array of methods to assess different aspects of intestinal barrier function suffers from lack of sensitivity, prolonged periods of specimen collection, or high expense. We have developed a technique to measure the concentration of the food dye FD&C Blue #1 from blood and sought to assess its utility in measuring intestinal barrier function in humans.

Human hepatocyte transplantation corrects the inherited metabolic liver disorder arginase deficiency in mice.

The transplantation, engraftment, and expansion of primary hepatocytes have the potential to be an effective therapy for metabolic disorders of the liver including those of nitrogen metabolism. To date, such methods for the treatment of urea cycle disorders in murine models has only been minimally explored. Arginase deficiency, an inherited disorder of nitrogen metabolism that presents in the first two years of life, has the potential to be treated by such methods.

Noninvasive Imaging of Drug-Induced Liver Injury with F-DFA PET.

Drug-induced liver failure is a significant indication for a liver transplant, and unexpected liver toxicity is a major reason that otherwise effective therapies are removed from the market. Various methods exist for monitoring liver injury but are often inadequate to predict liver failure. New diagnostic tools are needed.

Optimizing the Management of Abnormal Liver Function Tests after Orthotopic Liver Transplant: A Systems-Based Analysis of Health Care Utilization.

Elevated liver function tests (eLFTs) are a major cause of unplanned readmissions (UR) after orthotopic liver transplantation. Diagnostic workup for eLFTs requires multiple invasive and noninvasive procedures, often done in the inpatient setting to expedite diagnosis, yet consequently resulting in increased costs. In this study, we evaluated eLFT readmissions at a single institution with respect to resource utilization.

Rescue Diverting Loop Ileostomy: An Alternative to Emergent Colectomy in the Setting of Severe Acute Refractory IBD-Colitis.

Background: Severe acute refractory colitis has traditionally been an indication for emergent colectomy in IBD, yet under these circumstances patients are at elevated risk for complications because of their heightened inflammatory state, nutritional deficiencies, and immunocompromised state.

Objective: We hypothesized that rescue diverting loop ileostomy may be a viable alternative to emergent colectomy, providing the opportunity for colonic healing and patient optimization before more definitive surgery.

Design: This was a retrospective case series.

Pneumonia after liver transplantation.

Purpose Of Review: Pneumonia occurs in 8-23% of patients after liver transplantation and contributes considerably to their morbidity and mortality. With the increasing acuity of liver transplantation patients in the current era, pneumonias, particularly ventilator-associated pneumonias, and multidrug-resistant pathogens, are of growing concern.

Recent Findings: Postliver transplantation pneumonia cause varies with the timing of infection.

Restoring Ureagenesis in Hepatocytes by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated Genomic Addition to Arginase-deficient Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Urea cycle disorders are incurable enzymopathies that affect nitrogen metabolism and typically lead to hyperammonemia. Arginase deficiency results from a mutation in Arg1, the enzyme regulating the final step of ureagenesis and typically results in developmental disabilities, seizures, spastic diplegia, and sometimes death. Current medical treatments for urea cycle disorders are only marginally effective, and for proximal disorders, liver transplantation is effective but limited by graft availability.