0000000000749922
AUTHOR
Craxì A
Management of infections pre- and post-liver transplantation: Report of an AISF consensus conference
SummaryThe burden of infectious diseases both before and after liver transplantation is clearly attributable to the dysfunction of defensive mechanisms of the host, both as a result of cirrhosis, as well as the use of immunosuppressive agents.The present document represents the recommendations of an expert panel commended by the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver (AISF), on the prevention and management of infectious complications excluding hepatitis B, D, C, and HIV in the setting of liver transplantation.Due to a decreased response to vaccinations in cirrhosis as well as within the first six months after transplantation, the best timing for immunization is likely before transp…
Radio-frequency thermal ablation (RFTA) of small hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis. Experience at a single tertiary referral center
AIM: Radio-frequency thermal ablation (RFTA) may prolong the survival of patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of RFTA. METHODS: We performed the Kaplan-Meier analysis to estimate the survival rate in 69 consecutive patients with HCC (mean age 66+/-6.5 years; 44/25 male/female; 56 Child-Pugh class A and 13 Child-Pugh class B) treated by RFTA. A single lesion was observed in 60/69 (87%), two lesions in 8/69 (11.6 %), and 3 lesions in 1/69 (1.4 %) of patients. The tumor size was = or <3 cm in 60/69 (87%). RESULTS: Twenty-two patients died during follow-up. Overall survival rates were 81%, 66%, an…
The rs2294918 E434K variant modulates PNPLA3 expression and liver damage.
The PNPLA3 rs738409 polymorphism (I148M) is a major determinant of hepatic fat and predisposes to the full spectrum of liver damage in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Aim of this study was to evaluate whether additional PNPLA3 coding variants contribute to NAFLD susceptibility, first in individuals with contrasting phenotypes (with early onset NAFLD vs. very low aminotransferases), and then in a large validation cohort. Rare PNPLA3 variants were not detected by sequencing coding regions and intron-exon boundaries either in 142 patients with early-onset NAFLD, nor in 100 healthy individuals with ALT A polymorphism (E434K sequence variant) was over-represented in NAFLD (adjusted p=0…