Randomized Trial of Basiliximab Induction versus Steroid Therapy in Pediatric Liver Allograft Recipients Under Tacrolimus Immunosuppression

Avoidance of corticosteroids could be beneficial after pediatric liver transplantation (LTx). To test this hypothesis, we performed a randomized prospective study to compare immunosuppression with tacrolimus (TAC) and steroids versus TAC and basiliximab (BAS) after pediatric LTx. Seventy-two patients were recruited, 36 receiving TAC and steroids and 36 TAC and BAS. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of the first rejection episode. Secondary endpoints were the cumulative incidence and severity of rejection, patient and graft survival, and incidence of adverse events. Overall 1-year patient and graft survival rates were 91.4% and 85.5% in the steroid group, and 88.6% and 80% in the BAS group (p = NS). Patients free from rejection were 87.7% in the BAS group and 67.7% in the steroid group (p = 0.036). The use of BAS was associated with a 63.6% reduction in incidence of acute rejection episodes. Overall incidence of infection was 72.3% in the steroid group and 50% in the BAS group (p = 0.035). We conclude that the combination of TAC with BAS is an alternative to TAC and steroid immunosuppression in pediatric LTx, which allows for a significant reduction in the incidence of acute rejection and infectious complications.     

Segmental Liver Transplantation from Non-Heart Beating Donors—An Early Experience with Implications for the Future

We report our experience of pediatric liver transplantation with partial grafts from non-heart beating donors (NHBD). Controlled donors less than 40 years of age with a warm ischemia time (WI) of less than 30 min were considered for pediatric recipients. Death was declared 5 min after asystole. A super-rapid recovery technique with aortic and portal perfusion was utilized. Mean donor age was 29 years and WI 14.6 min (range 11–18). Seven children, mean age 4.9 years (0.7–11), median weight 20 kg (8.4–53) received NHBD segmental liver grafts. Diagnoses included seronegative hepatitis, neonatal sclerosing cholangitis, familial intrahepatic cholestasis, hepatoblastoma, primary hyperoxaluria and factor VII deficiency (n = 2).The grafts included four reduced and one split left lateral segments, one left lobe and one right auxiliary graft. Mean cold ischemia was 7.3 h (6.2–8.8). Complications included one pleural effusion and one biliary collection drained percutaneously. At 20 months (10–36) follow-up all children are alive and well with functioning grafts.
Donation after cardiac death is a significant source of liver grafts for adults and children with careful donor selection and short cold ischemic times.     

非酒精性脂肪性肝炎大鼠肝脏内毒素受体表达上调

目的观察大鼠非酒精性脂肪性肝炎(NASH)伴肝纤维化模型形成过程中,肝脏内毒素受体表达的动态变化,以探讨NASH的发病机制。方法 45只雄性SD大鼠以高脂饮食喂养,分批于实验 8,12、16、24周处死。免疫组织化学法观察CD14表达,逆转录聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)法观察4型toll 样受体(TLR4)mRNA表达,RT-PCR法和酶联免疫吸附法分别测定肝脏和血清肿瘤坏死因子a(TNF a) 表达。同期正常饮食饲养大鼠作对照。结果实验8周大鼠单纯性脂肪肝阶段肝脏CD14和TLR4的表达就较正常对照上调(25．9±11．9对12．4 5．7、1．75±0．81对O．98±0．33,P<0．01和P<0．05),12周随着脂肪性肝炎的出现进行性增高(61．8±21．9和1．88±0．72,P值均<0．05),于16周达高峰(71．5±21．3 对5．64±0．87,P值均<0．01),24周略有回落(67．7±16．6和4．98±0．72,P值均<0.01)。肝脏和血清 TNF a表达也从8周开始上调,此后一直维持高水平表达。结论大鼠NASH形成过程中,肝脏内毒素受体CD14和TLR4表达逐渐上调。这可能是NASH大鼠内毒素肝损伤敏感性增强的原因之一,在NASH的发病中起了重要作用。     

Genes or environment to determine alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

While the vast majority of heavy drinkers and individuals with obesity, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome will have steatosis, only a minority will ever develop steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Genetic and environmental risk factors for advanced alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) seem likely to include factors that influence the severity of steatosis and oxidative stress, the cytokine milieu, the magnitude of the immune response, and/or the severity of fibrosis. For ALD, the dose and pattern of alcohol intake, along with obesity are the most important environmental factors determining disease risk. For NAFLD, dietary saturated fat and antioxidant intake and small bowel bacterial overgrowth may play a role. Family studies and interethnic variations in susceptibility suggest that genetic factors are important in determining disease risk. For ALD, functional polymorphisms in the alcohol dehydrogenases and aldehyde dehydrogenase alcohol metabolising genes play a role in determining susceptibility in Oriental populations. No genetic associations with advanced NAFLD have been replicated in large studies. Preliminary data suggest that polymorphisms in the genes encoding microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, superoxide dismutase 2, the CD14 endotoxin receptor, TNF-alpha, transforming growth factor-beta, and angiotensinogen may be associated with steatohepatitis and/or fibrosis.     

In vivo detection of single cells by MRI.

The use of high-relaxivity, intracellular contrast agents has enabled MRI monitoring of cell migration through and homing to various tissues, such as brain, spinal cord, heart, and muscle. Here it is shown that MRI can detect single cells in vivo, homing to tissue, following cell labeling and transplantation. Primary mouse hepatocytes were double-labeled with green fluorescent 1.63-microm iron oxide particles and red fluorescent endosomal labeling dye, and injected into the spleens of recipient mice. This is a common hepatocyte transplantation paradigm in rodents whereby hepatocytes migrate from the spleen to the liver as single cells. One month later the animals underwent in vivo MRI and punctuated, dark contrast regions were detected scattered through the livers. MRI of perfused, fixed samples and labeled hepatocyte phantoms in combination with histological evaluation confirmed the presence of dispersed single hepatocytes grafted into the livers. Appropriate controls were used to determine whether the observed contrast could have been due to dead cells or free particles, and the results confirmed that the contrast was due to disperse, single cells. Detecting single cells in vivo opens the door to a number of experiments, such as monitoring rare cellular events, assessing the kinetics of stem cell homing, and achieving early detection of metastases.     

肝移植术后胆道并发症的介入治疗

目的 探讨原位肝移植术后胆道并发症的介入治疗疗效。方法 回顾性分析我院2002年6月至2005年9月诊治的173例原位肝移植患者的临床资料。结果 术后出现胆道并发症14例（8．1％），其中胆管狭窄6例．胆管狭窄合并胆漏1例，胆泥淤积或结石3例，肝断面胆漏2例（劈离式肝移植患者），T管拔除后胆漏1例，Oddi括约肌功能失常1例。除1例胆道狭窄再次行肝移植，因发生严重感染导致肝功能衰竭死亡外．其余患者经介入治疗均获得满意的效果。结论 介入治疗是诊断和治疗肝移植术后胆道并发症的首选方法。     

肝移植围手术期出凝血功能障碍的防治

目的　探讨肝移植围手术期出凝血功能障碍的防治。方法　回顾性分析我院 2 0 0 2年 6月～ 2 0 0 3年 12月施行的 6 1例肝移植病例。结果　 6 1例肝移植术前肝功能ChildC级 35例 (5 7 4 % ) ,ChildB级 2 6例 (4 2 6 % ) ,ChildC组的患者术中凝血指标 (INR)的变化程度大于ChildB组 (P <0 0 5 )。与凝血有关的并发症中大出血 5例 (8 2 % ) ,肾衰 6例 (9 8% ) ,肝动脉血栓形成 5例 (8 2 % ) ,手术开展两阶段对比 ,第二阶段主要因限制了大量凝血药及血制品的使用 ,并发症明显减少。结论　掌握好不同时期、不同患者出血和血栓形成的平衡是防治肝移植围手术期出凝血功能障碍的关键     

5种稀土粉尘的细胞毒性研究

本研究应用荧光偏振测量技术测定了豚鼠肺泡巨噬细胞膜流动性,用原子吸收分光光度仪测定细胞钾,并通过测定细胞培养液中乳酸脱氢酶的活性、细胞死亡率及扫描电镜观察巨噬细胞形态学变化,研究了CeO_2、包钢混合稀土、硅铁合金、Y_2O_3及富钇5种粉尘对细胞的毒作用。结果表明,5种粉尘对细胞均产生一定毒性,并有明显的剂量-反应关系。经毒性大小比较,CeO_2毒性较轻,接近TiO_2,包钢混合稀土与硅铁合金相近,毒性居中,Y_2O_3和富钇毒性较大,但轻于SiO_2。     

P-glycoprotein,multidrug resistance and tumor progression

P-glycoprotein (Pgp) is a plasma membrane protein that was first characterised in multidrug resistant cell lines. The occurrence of Pgp in clinical tumors has been widely studied. Recent investigations have begun to focus on the relationship between Pgp detection in tumors and treatment outcome. In several types of tumors, detection of Pgp correlates with poor response to chemotherapy and shorter survival. P-glycoprotein overexpression often occurs upon relapse from chemotherapy but may also occur at the time of diagnosis. Studies of experimental rat liver carcinogenesis have shown that Pgp expression increases in late stages of carcinogenesis, suggesting that Pgp may be involved in tumor progression. While some of the Pgp isoforms are known to transport hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drugs out of tumor cells, the biologic effects of Pgp overexpression in tumor cells are not fully understood, because the spectrum of substrates for Pgp-mediated transport has not been determined. In the rat liver carcinoma model, strong expression of Pgp is associated with a highly vascular stroma, suggesting that Pgp in tumor cells may affect the connective tissue stroma. The regulation of Pgp appears to be complex, and little is known about how it is up-regulated during carcinogenesis. Further studies of the role of Pgp in malignancy may contribute to our understanding of molecular mechanisms which underlie tumor progression.