Portal vein stenosis after liver transplantation: treatment with percutaneous transhepatic angioplasty

We used transhepatic percutaneous transluminal angioplasty to treat two patients who developed a severe anastomic portal vein stricture 7 months and 4 years respectively after liver transplantation. All signs of portal hypertension (pressure gradient, massive venous collateral circulation) disappeared following the procedure and remained absent 12 months later. Our results suggest that percutaneous transhepatic angioplasty should be considered for treatment of liver transplant recipients with anastomotic portal vein strictures. Correspondence to: P. Legmann     

Percutaneous aspiration and ethanol sclerotherapy of symptomatic hepatic cysts

Nineteen patients with 49 symptomatic non-neoplastic non-parasitic simple hepatic cysts were subjected to ultrasonographically guided percutaneous aspiration and temporary injection of 99% ethanol into the cyst. Small cysts were treated twice, the large ones three times at the same sitting. The volume of alcohol per injection varied from 20 to 100 ml, depending on the size of the cyst. A cure was usually achieved with one ethanol sclerotherapy treatment. Only minor side effects such as transient pain and temperature elevation occurred. Forty-seven of the 49 cysts could be treated adequately, and did not recur during a follow-up period af 12–40 months. The results indicate that aspiration an and ethanol sclerotherapy is the treatment of choice in patients with symptomatic non-neoplastic simple hepatic cysts or polycystic liver disease. Correspondence to: A. Leinonen     

微囊胎垂体下丘脑黑质细胞移植实验研究

微囊包膜的股垂体下丘脑黑质细胞移植于去垂体兔腹腔中，术后观察移植兔12周。结果：移植后兔血清中GH与PRL浓度可平稳在一定水平，T4浓度自第2周起开始上升并逐渐接近正常水平，兔体重于第3周起开始增加，各靶器官在12周后无明显萎缩。提示本微囊可在促垂体区（HTA）以外移植而重建正常垂体功能达12周以上。     

A technique for vascular reconstruction of pancreaticoduodenal allograft. A literature review and case report

In most cases, whole pancreaticoduodenal allograft vessels can be reconstructed using a segment of donor common iliac artery bifurcation. An alternative way to bridge the splenic artery and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is to use a short segment of distal SMA as an interposition graft, as described herein.     

Secondary hyperparathyroidism and acute tubular necrosis following renal transplantation

In the present study we investigated the relationship betweensecondary hyperparathyroidism in renal graft recipients andpost-transplantation acute tubular necrosis (ATN). Patientswere divided into two groups according to graft function: groupA consisted of 28 patients who had an uneventful postoperativeperiod and did not require haemodialysis. Group B comprised26 patients with primary non-function of the graft due to biopsy-provenATN who required continued haemodialysis for the first postoperativeweek or longer (mean 14.2 ±8.7 days). Both groups hadcomparable donor characteristics, HLA-matching and ischaemiatimes. All patients were given cyclospo-rin and low-dose prednisolonefor immunosuppression. Pretransplant levels of intact PTH weresignificantly greater in group B than in group A (203.5 ±193.1pg/ml versus 81.7±45.2 pg/ml, P<0.01). Group B patientshad more transplant biopsies (50 versus 7) and a longer hospitalizationtime (33.4 ± 10.9 days versus 21.9 ± 11.9 days,P<0.01), although serum creatinine on the day of dischargewas higher in group B (1.77 ± 0.51 mg/dl versus 1.5±0.45mg/dl, P<0.05). We conclude that patients with secondaryhyperparathyroidism as assessed by measuring circulating levelsof intact PTH have an increased incidence of ATN.     

Heart rate and late mortality in cardiac transplant recipients

There are currently 104 patients at this centre who have survivedat least 3 months after orthotopic cardiac transplantation.Seven of these long-term survivors have subsequently died andin three cases death was sudden and unexpected. All three ofthese patients had been noted to have inappropriately high restingheart rates (>130 b.min^–1) The rhythm was sinus tachycardia,supraventricular tachycardia or both intermittently. The heart rates of all 104 long-term survivors were recordedfrom ECGs taken at routine follow-up visits every 3 months forone year and annually thereafter. The overall mean heart ratewas 100±13.2 b.min^–1. Four patients, including the three identified above, had meanheart rates greater than the 95th centile. The mortality ratein this group is 75%. Four deaths have occurred in the remaining100 patients (P <0.001). In our series, an inappropriately high resting heart rate dueto sinus tachycardia or supraventricular tachycardia in long-termsurvivors of cardiac transplantation, is an adverse prognosticsign.     

Effect of a protein binding change on unbound and total plasma concentrations for drugs of intermediate hepatic extraction

For substances eliminated from blood by the liver, the effect of a change in unbound fraction of drug (fu _b )on steady state total (C _b )and unbound (Cu _b )blood concentrations has hitherto only been considered for the two limiting cases, i.e., at the upper and lower extremes of hepatic intrinsic clearance (CL _int ).For a substance of very low CL _int ,if fu _b changes, C _t will change and Cu _b will remain constant, whereas if CL _int isvery high, Cu _b will change and C _b will remain constant.The present study defines the effects of a change in fu _b on C _b and Cu _b over the whole CL _int range. Computer simulations were undertaken which predicted that, for a given change in fu _b ,absolute and relative changes in C _b would decreasenonlinearly with increasing CL _{int, twhile the relative change in} Cu _{b would} increasewith CL _int .The absolute change in Cu_b would be independent of CL _int .Significant changes in C_b and Cu _{b would be observed at intermediate values of} CL _{int not just at the high and low extremes. These theoretical predictions were investigated experimentally in the isolated perfused rat liver by examining the effects of a change in} fu _{b of sodium taurocholate a substance with intermediate} CL _int (such that at fu _b =0.27,hepatic extraction ratio=0.71) induced by concurrent administration of sodium oleate. Sodium 24- ¹⁴ C-taurocholate (specific activity 52 Ci/mmol) was infused into the reservoir in a recycling system at 30 mol/hr for 105 min (n=6). At 45 min a bolus dose of sodium oleate (50 mmol) was administered to the reservoir, followed by a constant infusion of 143 mmol/hr for 1 hr. Following the administration of oleate, taurocholate fu _{b fell promptly by 55% (0.27–0.12). There was a relative increase of taurocholate} C _{b of 22.7% and a relative decrease in} Cu _{b of 45.4%, in accordance with the simulations (p<0.05). We conclude that important changes in unbound steady-state concentration, the pharmacologically active moiety, can occur upon changes in unbound fraction with compounds of intermediate hepatic intrinsic clearance}.This study was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.     

Protection of chlordecone-potentiated carbon tetrachloride hepatotoxicity and lethality by partial hepatectomy

Chlordecone (CD) pretreatment is known to markedly potentiate CCl₄ hepatotoxicity. Previous studies have shown that prior exposure to CD obtunds the increased hepatocellular regeneration and repair observed in non-treated rats challenged with a single, low dose of CCl₄. These observations allowed us to hypothesize that suppression of hepatic regeneration and tissue repair by CD + CCl₄ combination treatment might be involved in this interaction. To test this hypothesis, CCl₄ hepatotoxicity was evaluated in actively regenerating livers using CD-treated (10 ppm in the diet for 15 days), surgically partially hepatectomized (PH) male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats undergoing no surgical manipulation (CTRL) and sham operation (SH) were included as appropriate controls. Surgical manipulations were conducted on day 15 of the dietary protocol. Based on liver-to-body weight ratios (LW/BW), mitotic indices, hepatic cytochrome P-450 content, and hepatic glutathione (GSH and GSSG) levels, PH-induced hepatocellular regeneration was not affected by pretreatment with CD. Thus, the PH model was considered valid for assessing the effects of CD + CCl₄ combination treatment. CCl₄ (100 l/kg; i.p.) was administered 1, 2, 4 or 7 days after the surgical manipulations. Hepatotoxicity was assessed 24 h later by measuring LW/BW and serum enzymes (SGPT, SGOT and ICD) in all four groups. Hepatic histopathological, histomorphometric and lethal effects were assessed in animals receiving CCl₄ 1 or 7 days after the surgical manipulations. CCl₄-induced increases in LW/BW were observed in CD + PH rats receiving CCl₄ 4 or 7 days post-PH, but not in the 1 or 2 day post-PH groups in which the hepatocellular regeneration was maximal. CCl₄-induced serum enzyme elevations were significantly less in the CD + PH rats as compared to CD + SH. This decrease in the serum enzyme elevations was most prominent in the 1 day post-PH group, where the hepatocellular mitotic activity was most pronounced. CCl₄ lethality, assessed in the 1 day post-surgical manipulation group, was also decreased in the CD + PH rats in comparison to CD + SH rats. Such a protection was not observed in rats receiving CCl₄ 7 days post-PH. These data are consistent with and are supportive of the hypothesis that a suppression of otherwise normally stimulated hepatocellular regeneration following low-dose CCl₄ administration is involved in the marked amplification of CCl₄ toxicity by CD.Abbreviations CD chlordecone - GSH reduced glutathione - GSSG oxidized glutathione - PH partial hepatectomy - SH shamhepatectomy - CTRL control, not surgically manipulated - N normal diet - LW/BW liver weight-to-body weight ratio - SGPT serum glutamic; pyruvic transaminase - SGOT serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase - ICD isocitrate dehydrogenase These studies were made possible by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency R-811072A preliminary report of these findings was presented at the 70th Annual Meetings of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology at St. Louis, MO (Fed Proc 45: 1051, 1986)A. N. Bell is a Predoctoral Toxicology Trainee and Robert A. Young is a Postdoctoral Trainee supported by Toxicology Training grant from National Institute of Environmental Health Science ES-07045     

生物标志物联合检测在脓毒症相关急性肝损伤患者中的应用价值

目的:探讨生物标志物联合检测对脓毒症相关急性肝损伤患者的早期诊断和预后评估的价值。方法:收集内蒙古科技大学包头医学院第一附属医院重症医学科(ICU)2019年11月-2022年1月收治的104例脓毒症患者临床资料,按照入ICU时是否发生急性肝损伤分为脓毒症相关急性肝损伤组(n=42)和非肝损伤组(n=62),将脓毒症相关急性肝损伤患者按28 d是否存活分为存活组(n=16)和死亡组(n=26),记录104例患者入ICU 6 h内血清正五聚蛋白3(PTX-3)、C-反应蛋白(CRP)、降钙素原(PCT)、总胆红素(TBIL)、谷草转氨酶(AST)、谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、凝血酶原时间国际标准化比值(INR值)、凝血酶原时间(PT)、凝血酶原活动度(PTA)、血小板(PLT)、入ICU 24 h内急性生理与慢性健康状况评估量表II(APACHEII)评分最差值及序贯器官衰竭评估(SOFA)评分;同时记录脓毒症相关急性肝损伤患者28 d预后。PTX-3的相关性采用Spearman相关分析;绘制受试者工作特征曲线(ROC曲线),计算ROC曲线下面积(AUC),分析各指标单独检测以及联合检测对脓毒...