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.

Green tea protects livers

A new study investigating the effects of the major flavonoid component of green tea on hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) found that it significantly protected livers that suffered ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in mice. I/R injury, which is caused by decreased blood flow, can lead to complications after liver transplantation.

20 Feb 2005

Biochemical marker aids prognosis in liver transplant patients

A new study on whether the model used to identify patients most in need of a liver transplant can be improved upon found that measuring serum sodium in potential transplant patients helps to better predict those with a poor prognosis.

20 Feb 2005

Severity of liver disease not a reliable indicator of quality of life

A new study on the determination of how livers are allocated for transplants examined the relationship between liver disease severity and quality of life, and found that the commonly used model for liver allocation is not a reliable indicator of general quality of life.

24 Jan 2005

New hope for millions of patients suffering from liver damage (cirrhosis)

Millions of patients suffering from liver damage (cirrhosis) and failure may benefit from research by the Universities of Edinburgh and Southampton which may lead to new life-saving treatments. There is currently no cure for liver cirrhosis and a patient's only hope of survival is to receive a liver transplant.

5 Jan 2005

3D MDCT accurate for imaging liver arteries

3D MDCT angiography is a more efficient way to classify liver arterial anatomy before liver surgery, according to researchers from Duke University in Durham, NC.

2 Dec 2004

Higher incidence of rejection following early steroid withdrawal

A new study on early steroid withdrawal following liver transplantation found that there was a higher incidence of rejection and a lower incidence of glucose intolerance necessitating treatment for diabetes.

1 Dec 2004

Peripheral neuropathy in a patient with alcoholic cirrhosis is reversible

Organ damage that goes beyond the liver due to alcoholism is often seen as a barrier to liver transplantation, despite a lack of data on how a transplant affects these complications.

1 Dec 2004

New approaches for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C

Data from two ongoing studies testing new approaches for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) this afternoon.

1 Nov 2004

New combination of drugs results in fewer incidences of rejection in liver transplant patients

“The big advantage [of this combination of drugs] is that the incidence of rejection is significantly decreased,” he says. “These results could change the standard of care for liver transplant recipients.”

23 Sep 2004

Research to halt the progress of chronic liver disease

A University of Queensland researcher is working to halt the progress of chronic liver disease, which affects a quarter of million Australians.

22 Sep 2004

Severe hepatitis C recurrence is more common in transplants from living donors

Hepatitis C recurs with severity more often in individuals who receive liver transplants from living donors compared with those who get transplants from cadavers, according to a new study published in the September 2004 issue of Hepatology.

9 Sep 2004

Long-term outcomes for liver transplantation due to hepatitis C

A new study on liver transplants necessitated by the hepatitis C virus (the most common indication for this type of transplant) found that long-term outcomes are similar to patients receiving transplants due to other diseases.

8 Sep 2004

Researchers have identified multiple changes in the gene-expression patterns of cells involved with tumor progression in liver cancer patients

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified multiple changes in the gene-expression patterns of cells involved with tumor progression in liver cancer patients and in those with cirrhosis, which may help scientists predict a person’s risk of developing primary liver cancer.

25 Aug 2004

Liver transplantation outcomes have significantly improved for patients with hepatitis B

Since the early 1990s, therapeutic options for patients undergoing liver transplantation for hepatitis B have evolved to include HBV immune globulin (HBIG) and lamivudine.

9 Aug 2004

Significant advance in the understanding of the hepatitis C virus (HCV)

Researchers have made a significant advance in the understanding of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) by identifying new genetic factors associated with clearing the virus spontaneously without the necessity for additional treatment.

9 Aug 2004

Blacks receive transplants at disproportionately low rates

Black people in the United States have reduced access to many medical therapies and liver transplantation is one area where such disparity is suspected to exist.

15 Jul 2004

New study to determine the effectiveness of a new pediatric screening method for Wilson's disease

Mayo Clinic seeks normal healthy children and young adults between the ages of 3 months and 18 years for a research study to determine the effectiveness of a new pediatric screening method for Wilson's disease.

7 Jun 2004

New study challenges current thinking about varied response to hepatitis C treatment in different racial groups

Results of a new study published in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine show that in patients who have chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1 -- the most common form of the disease and difficult to treat successfully -- non-Hispanic whites achieved one of the highest response rates reported to date, but response rates in African Americans were significantly lower.

27 May 2004

Anemia is a major determinant of fatigue in patients with cirrhosis

Fatigue is a common complaint among patients with cirrhosis with many possible contributing factors, including severity of liver disease, anemia, and cardiopulmonary complications.

27 May 2004

Research shows that treatment with nitric oxide after storage may dramatically improve the viability of transplanted livers

About 5,000 liver transplants are performed annually in the United States, and a key factor ensuring success is maintaining a healthy donor organ that can function effectively in the recipient. However, transplanted livers typically incur substantial damage when blood flow is restored to the organ after the transplant.

24 May 2004