Hepatology News and Research

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Hepatology is the branch of medicine that incorporates study of liver, gallbladder, biliary tree and pancreas as well as management of their disorders.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals announces study results of telaprevir-based regimen

More than 80 percent of hepatitis C patients in each arm of the Phase 2 Study C208 achieved a sustained viral response (SVR) with a telaprevir-based regimen according to results of an intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis announced today by Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated.

2 Nov 2009

HCV progresses more rapidly after liver transplantation in African-Americans compared to whites

Previous studies have shown that hepatitis C virus (HCV) progresses slower prior to liver transplantation in African Americans than in whites. However, researchers demonstrate in this study, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, that the opposite is true after transplantation, in that recurrent HCV in the transplanted liver progresses faster in African Americans than in whites.

1 Nov 2009

Meeting to understand gastrointestinal problems in children with ASDs to be held

Autism Speaks, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) will host one of the largest gatherings of researchers, clinicians and pediatric specialists to better understand the gastrointestinal (GI) problems in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

31 Oct 2009

Researchers report an epidemic of sexually-transmitted HCV infection among HIV-infected men in NY City

Researchers in New York City are reporting their work uncovering a new epidemic of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) who have HIV infection.

30 Oct 2009

Left side grafting has lower risk to donors; small graft size not the only cause of 'small-for-size graft syndrome'

A recent study by doctors at Shinshu University, School of Medicine, in Japan determined that left side grafting has lower risk to donors compared to grafts taken from the right lobe, and it appears to be the procedure of choice for adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

30 Oct 2009

Women face higher risk of graft loss after liver transplantation compared to men

Although women with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are at lower risk for developing cirrhosis, researchers who compared outcomes for men and women after having liver transplantation found that women have a significantly increased risk of overall graft loss and graft loss from recurrent HCV than men.

30 Oct 2009

World Journal of Gastroenterology reports a case of metallic foreign body in lower mid-abdomen

Foreign body ingestion is a frequent gastrointestinal emergency. However, long spoon swallowing is a rare event. Most swallowed spoons have been found in the stomach. Previously, there has been no reported case of a long spoon reaching the jejunum.

29 Oct 2009

Perioperative oral dietary supplements before elective surgery offers no functional benefit

Blood glucose levels in a lot of patients fed normal liquid food (NLF) and a high calorie diet (HCD) were high. There was no significant difference in the blood prealbumin levels. There was a significant increase in the blood cortisol levels in some patients. The stress of surgery may be tolerated by children by feeding up to 2 h before elective surgery.

29 Oct 2009

Study: Short-term use of COX-2 inhibitors may help prevent gastric cancer

Elevated expression of COX-2 is observed in a wide variety of human malignancies, including gastric cancer. Long-term high dose COX-2 inhibitors can inhibit gastric carcinogenesis in animal models, but the possible life-threatening cardiovascular adverse events limit its popular application. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the optimal intervention point of COX-2 inhibitors for inhibiting H. pylori-associated gastric carcinogenesis.

29 Oct 2009

Lifestyle and genetic factors are considered to play a major role in "Asian paradox"

Although Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been classified as a class I (or definite) carcinogen by World Health Organization (WHO), the controversy as to why only a minority of infected patients develop gastric cancer still remains. Moreover, in Asian countries such as Indonesia, Japan, China, and Thailand, where the H. pylori infection rates are similar, there is a significant difference regarding the outcome of gastric cancer. That fact has been termed the "Asian paradox".

29 Oct 2009

Barrett's esophagus patients are at no greater risk of dying from esophageal cancer

New Mayo Clinic research has found that survival rates of patients with Barrett's esophagus, which can be a precursor for esophageal cancer, are no different than the survival rates for the general population. These findings were presented today at the 2009 American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Meeting in San Diego.

28 Oct 2009

Hyperion Therapeutics enrolls first patient in HPN-100 phase III clinical trial for urea cycle disorders

Hyperion Therapeutics today announced that the first patient has been enrolled in its pivotal phase III clinical trial of investigational compound HPN-100 (glycerol phenylbutyrate). The 4-week, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, cross-over study is designed to evaluate the non-inferiority of glycerol phenylbutyrate to BUPHENYL® (sodium phenylbutyrate) Tablets and Powder in adults with urea cycle disorders.

27 Oct 2009

GI Solutions to conduct new incision-free procedure for GERD patients

Chicago woman will be among the first in the country to undergo a new incision-less, endoscopic procedure that could get rid of Gastrointestinal Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) forever.

27 Oct 2009

Barrett's esophagus patients are at no greater risk of dying than the rest of the population

New Mayo Clinic research has found that survival rates of patients with Barrett's esophagus, (http://www.mayoclinic.org/barretts-esophagus/) which can be a precursor for esophageal cancer, are no different than the survival rates for the general population. These findings were presented today at the 2009 American College of Gastroenterology (http://www.acg.gi.org/) (ACG) Annual Meeting in San Diego.

27 Oct 2009

Stomach infection on the rise in outpatient settings; symptoms can range from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that a sometimes deadly stomach bug, Clostridium difficile, (http://www.mayoclinic.org/c-difficile/) is on the rise in outpatient settings.

27 Oct 2009

Researchers elucidate the effect of nutritional parameters in long-term PPI therapy

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common esophageal disorder, and frequently encountered in the primary care setting. Accumulating evidence has confirmed the excellent efficacy and safety of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in patients with all grades of GERD, making these agents the mainstay of treatment.

24 Oct 2009

Emodin raises hope for treatment of fibrotic liver diseases

In the last decade, advances in the understanding of genes promoting hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation are impressive. However, there are few breakthroughs in therapeutic intervention of hepatic fibrogenesis. Efficient and well-tolerated antifibrotic drugs are lacking and current treatment of hepatic fibrosis is limited to withdrawal of the noxious agent. Research identifying innocuous antifibrotic agents is of high priority and urgently needed.

24 Oct 2009

Researchers find link between hepatic steatosis and carotid lesions

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is often caused by abdominal obesity, which is also one of the main causes of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The latter, in turn, is an important cardiovascular risk factor, and has been found to be associated with the presence of carotid atherosclerotic lesions.

24 Oct 2009

Researchers question the necessity of duodenal biopsy for celiac disease diagnosis

Duodenal biopsy remains the gold standard for celiac disease (CD) diagnosis. However, it has several pitfalls and requires an invasive procedure in children. In the past few years, a more prominent role for a definitive diagnosis based solely on serology has been proposed. The predictive value of high levels of anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies has also been reported in retrospective CD cohorts.

24 Oct 2009

Study paves way for the creation of a stem cell library

The study, led by the University of Edinburgh's MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, paves the way for the creation of a stem cell library that can be used for in vitro hepatic disease models.

21 Oct 2009

Hepatology News and Research

Further Reading

Vertex Pharmaceuticals announces study results of telaprevir-based regimen

HCV progresses more rapidly after liver transplantation in African-Americans compared to whites

Meeting to understand gastrointestinal problems in children with ASDs to be held

Researchers report an epidemic of sexually-transmitted HCV infection among HIV-infected men in NY City

Left side grafting has lower risk to donors; small graft size not the only cause of 'small-for-size graft syndrome'

Women face higher risk of graft loss after liver transplantation compared to men

World Journal of Gastroenterology reports a case of metallic foreign body in lower mid-abdomen

Perioperative oral dietary supplements before elective surgery offers no functional benefit

Study: Short-term use of COX-2 inhibitors may help prevent gastric cancer

Lifestyle and genetic factors are considered to play a major role in "Asian paradox"

Barrett's esophagus patients are at no greater risk of dying from esophageal cancer

Hyperion Therapeutics enrolls first patient in HPN-100 phase III clinical trial for urea cycle disorders

GI Solutions to conduct new incision-free procedure for GERD patients

Barrett's esophagus patients are at no greater risk of dying than the rest of the population

Stomach infection on the rise in outpatient settings; symptoms can range from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation

Researchers elucidate the effect of nutritional parameters in long-term PPI therapy

Emodin raises hope for treatment of fibrotic liver diseases

Researchers find link between hepatic steatosis and carotid lesions

Researchers question the necessity of duodenal biopsy for celiac disease diagnosis

Study paves way for the creation of a stem cell library

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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