Liver Transplant News and Research

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When a patient presents with end stage liver disease or liver failure he or she may be considered for a liver transplantation. The first step in this is often a rigorous assessment and being placed on a waiting list.

Antidotes effective for treating acute liver failure patients in early stages of disease

The antidote for acute liver failure caused by acetaminophen poisoning also can treat acute liver failure due to most other causes if given before severe injury occurs, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers and their colleagues at 21 other institutions have found.

8 Oct 2009

Prompt diagnosis and treatment for otitis media benefits organ transplant recipients

Organ transplant recipients benefit significantly when they are monitored and receive prompt diagnosis and treatment for otitis media, a common inner ear infection.

5 Oct 2009

Study examines roles of PCPs and hepatologists in post-transplant care

A recent study by researchers from the University of Colorado looked at post-transplant care to determine whether primary care physicians (PCPs) or hepatologists are better suited to manage the overall health care of patients who received a liver transplant (LT).

5 Oct 2009

Results from Phase 2 clinical study of LCP-Tacro tablets in stable liver transplant patients announced

LifeCycle Pharma A/S today announced positive results from a completed 12 month extension phase of the Phase 2 clinical study of LCP-Tacro tablets in stable liver transplant patients.

30 Sep 2009

Liver transplantation performed in a six-month old infant

Ila and her worried parents were referred to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, home of the busiest pediatric liver transplant team in the nation. The hospital's team performed more liver transplants in 2008 – the most recent reporting period – than any other U.S. children's hospital, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. They also did the largest number of surgeries in infants like Ila, who were younger than one year when they received a transplant.

17 Sep 2009

Standard liver volume formula for Chinese adults published

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has been used to alleviate the shortage of available liver donors. Accurate estimation of the standard liver volume (SLV) of the living donor and recipient is crucial. Scholars of different countries established several SLV formulae from clinical data, but which formula was the most accurate for Chinese adults has remained unclear.

17 Sep 2009

Genetic risk factor involved in cystic fibrosis discovered

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have discovered a genetic risk factor for severe liver disease in people with cystic fibrosis. Those who carry a particular variant of the SERPINA1 gene (also known as alpha-1-antitrypsin or alpha-1-antiprotease) are five times more likely to develop cirrhosis and other liver complications than patients who carry the normal version of the gene.

9 Sep 2009

Research reveals that 21% of death claims are rejected by California's largest private insurers

More than one of every five requests for medical claims for insured patients, even when recommended by a patient's physician, are rejected by California's largest private insurers, amounting to very real death panels in practice daily in the nation's biggest state, according to data released today by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee.

3 Sep 2009

Government, medical and community experts to discuss about prevention and detection of viral hepatitis

To address this public health challenge, government, medical and community experts will meet September 10-11 in Washington, D.C. to plan an improved national response to viral hepatitis. The conference "The Dawn of a New Era: Transforming our Domestic Response to Hepatitis B & C" will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and scientific poster sessions focused on enhancing the prevention and detection of viral hepatitis and improving care for people who are already living with the disease.

2 Sep 2009

Angel MedFlight helps liver transplant patient claim insurance for life flight transportation

Last year, Sally (a patient suffering from end stage liver failure) was in need of life flight transportation to be evaluated for a liver transplant. Her doctors told her she needed to receive the evaluation in order to get on the transplant list. Travel by ground ambulance or commercial flight were not an option due to her condition. Her health insurance company told her they would not cover the air ambulance medical transport. But last week, after four appeals and countless hours of work by Angel MedFlight's patient advocates, that decision was reversed.

1 Sep 2009

Race, gender and insurance status influence liver transplant decisions

Patient race, gender and insurance status influence decisions about who will go on to receive liver transplants, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study.

1 Sep 2009

High dosage of ursodeoxycholic acid does not help PSC patients

A national team of researchers led by scientists at Mayo Clinic has found that a common treatment for primary sclerosing cholangitis, a chronic liver disease, is not helpful for patients, according to a study published this month in the journal Hepatology.

29 Aug 2009

Caucasians have a higher rate of HBV recurrence compared to Asian Americans and African Americans

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1.5 to 2 million Americans are infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Prior studies have shown there to be significant racial differences in access to and outcomes of liver transplantation. Recently, doctors from across the U.S. conducted a multicenter retrospective-prospective study of the waitlist status and outcomes of liver transplant patients with HBV infection.

28 Aug 2009

Research study indicates that liver regeneration could affect the metabolism of tacrolimus in LDLT

Several studies have shown that living donor liver transplant (LDLT) recipients required smaller doses of tacrolimus compared with deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) patients, which indicated that liver regeneration could affect the metabolism of tacrolimus in LDLT.

27 Aug 2009

The California Chronic Care Coalition launches new website to share information on chronic conditions

The California Chronic Care Coalition (CCCC) continues to advance its work toward meaningful and responsible health care reform with the launching of its consumer website: www.chroniccareca.org. Designed to help build a healthier California, the website is aimed at the more than 16 million Californians with chronic conditions such as Asthma, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s Heart disease, Epilepsy and Multiple Sclerosis.

24 Aug 2009

Study unveils detrimental effects of high-dose ursodeoxycholic acid on patients with PSC

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an uncommon chronic liver disease characterized by progressive inflammation and destruction of the bile ducts. The disease progresses slowly, usually leading to biliary cirrhosis, portal hypertension and liver failure over a 10-15 year period. PSC is a common cause of adult cholestatic liver diseases and a primary source behind many of the liver transplantations in U.S. adults. At least 70% of PSC cases are associated with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), usually ulcerative colitis. Currently, there is no cure for PSC and prospective treatments remain ineffective.

20 Aug 2009

Novel treatment reduces swollen livers

Viruses need living cells for replication and production of virus progeny. Thus far, antiviral therapy primarily targets viral factors but often induces therapy resistance. New improved therapies attempt to targets cellular factors that are essential for viral replication.

16 Aug 2009

Potter: Insurers use 'scare tactics' to oppose reform, disrupt town halls

Wendell Potter, a former Cigna vice president turned industry critic, is charging that insurers are inciting opposition to health reform and that there is an indirect link between insurers and disruptive town hall protests, Roll Call reports.

13 Aug 2009

Inhibitex reports Q2 2009 financials

Inhibitex, Inc. (Nasdaq: INHX), today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2009. The Company held cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $24.5 million at June 30, 2009, as compared to $33.1 million at December 31, 2008.

12 Aug 2009

Metabolic bone disease in cirrhosis patients

Long-standing liver disease has long been recognized to result in fragile bones with increased risk of fractures. In various international studies, the overall incidence has varied from 11% to 48%, with a fracture rate of 3%-44%.

10 Aug 2009