Clinical characteristics of antimitochondrial antibody-positive patients at a safety net health care system in Arizona.

Background And Aims: To assess whether aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) levels can predict the diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) or any other diagnoses and whether PBC occurs either simultaneously or independently of other liver diseases among antimitochondrial antibody (AMA)-positive patients.

Methods: Demographic and clinical variables were assessed in 90 AMA-positive patients with and without liver biopsies. These patients were further categorised as having a diagnosis of PBC, overlap syndrome or 'not established with a diagnosis of PBC'.

Liver transplant: a primer.

Liver transplant has been accepted as a successful therapeutic option for patients with end-stage liver disease. Patient and graft survival has incrementally increased over the past 2 decades, mainly because of immunosuppressive regimens. However, the nonspecific nature of immunosuppressive agents is associated with an increased risk of development of opportunistic infections, renal impairment, metabolic derangements, neurotoxicity, de novo malignancies, and recurrence of the primary disease.

Needle-knife fistulotomy versus standard method for cannulation of common bile duct: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with endoscopic sphincterotomy has become widely available for the treatment of pancreatobiliary diseases; however, it has mortality and complications. The aim of this study was to compare the success rates and complications of two different methods of common bile duct cannulation.

Methods: From June 2003 though February 2004, patients who were candidates for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and/or endoscopic sphincterotomy were randomly divided into two groups: standard cannulation (group A) and suprapapillary needle-knife fistulotomy (group B).