Liver Disease

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New research shows that genetic factors may determine those at increased risk of developing Liver Disease. ...

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I am not a veterinary professional. My knowledge of medical conditions of cats is limited to personal experience supplemented by lengthy research; the investment in veterinary textbooks, dictionaries, and... ...

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Raptor to Support Phase 2a Clinical Trial at UCSD NOVATO, Calif., July 16, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 39 days ago
Related Articles [Non-alcoholic fatty Liver Disease and cardiovascular risk.] Orv Hetil. 2008 Jul 13;149(28):1299-305 Authors: Abel T, Fehér J Non-alcoholic fatty Liver Disease is present in 15-25% of the general population. The fundamental derangement in non-alcoholic fatty Liver Disease is insulin resistance, a key component of the metabolic syndrome, which includes type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and obesity. The natural history of non-alcoholic fatty Liver Disease is not always benign, and causality for chronic Liver Disease and cirrhosis is well known in clinical practice and sometimes it is accompanied by hepatocellular carcinoma. Non-alcoholic fatty Liver Disease is likely to be associated with increased cardiovascular Disease risk, and it raises the possibility that non-alcoholic fatty Liver Disease may be not only a marker but also an early mediator of atherosclerosis. Therapy is currently directed at treating components of the metabolic syndrome which may be beneficial also for the Liver. PMID: 18617457 [PubMed - in process] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 18 days ago
Related Articles Risk Factors for Chronic Liver Disease in Blacks, Mexican Americans, and Whites in the United States: Results From NHANES IV, 1999-2004. Am J Gastroenterol. 2008 Jul 30; Authors: Flores YN, Yee HF, Leng M, Escarce JJ, Bastani R, Salmerón J, Morales LS OBJECTIVES: Morbidity and mortality due to Liver Disease and cirrhosis vary significantly by race/ethnicity in the United States. We examined the prevalence of Liver Disease risk factors among blacks, Mexican Americans, and whites, including elevated aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activity, infection with viral hepatitis B or hepatitis C, alcohol intake, obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Fourth National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES IV). A logistic regression was used to examine the association of race/ethnicity to Liver Disease risk factors, controlling for the demographic and socioeconomic variables. RESULTS: Mexican-American men and women are the most likely to have elevated aminotransferase activity. Among men, Mexican Americans are more likely than whites to be heavy/binge drinkers, and blacks are more likely to have hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Among women, Mexican Americans are more likely than whites to be obese and diabetic, and less likely to be heavy/binge drinkers; blacks are more likely than whites to have hepatitis B or hepatitis C, be obese or diabetic, and less likely t ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 2 days ago
Related Articles [Non-alcoholic fatty Liver Disease--new view] Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2008 Jun;24(144):568-71 Authors: Raszeja-Wyszomirska J, Lawniczak M, Marlicz W, Miezyńska-Kurtycz J, Milkiewicz P Non-alcoholic fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) covers a wide spectrum of Liver pathology--from steatosis alone, through the necroinflammatory disorder of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to cirrhosis and Liver cancer. NAFLD/NASH is mostly related with visceral adiposity, obesity, type 2 diabetes melitus (DM t.2) and metabolic syndrome. Pathogenetic concepts of NAFLD include overnutrition and underactivity, insulin resistance (IR) and genetic factor. The prevalence of NAFLD has been estimated to be 17-33% in some countries, NASH may be present in about 1/3 of such cases, while 20-25% of NASH cases could progress to cirrhosis. NAFLD is now recognized as one of the most frequent reason of Liver tests elevation without clinical symptoms. Insulin resistance is considering as having a central role in NAFLD pathogenesis. In hepatocytes, IR is related to hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia, formation of advanced glycation end-products, increased free fatty acids and their metabolites, oxidative stress and altered profiles of adipocytokines. Early stages of fatty Liver are clinically silent and include elevation of ALT and GGTP, hyperechogenic Liver in USG and/or hepatomegaly. Among clinical symptoms, abdominal discomfort is relatively common as wel ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 6 days ago
Related Articles Cardiovascular risk factors and the metabolic syndrome in pediatric nonalcoholic fatty Liver Disease. Circulation. 2008 Jul 15;118(3):277-83 Authors: Schwimmer JB, Pardee PE, Lavine JE, Blumkin AK, Cook S BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), the most common cause of Liver Disease in children, is associated with obesity and insulin resistance. However, the relationship between NAFLD and cardiovascular risk factors in children is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to determine the association between NAFLD and the presence of metabolic syndrome in overweight and obese children. METHODS AND RESULTS: This case-control study of 150 overweight children with biopsy-proven NAFLD and 150 overweight children without NAFLD compared rates of metabolic syndrome using Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Cases and controls were well matched in age, sex, and severity of obesity. Children with NAFLD had significantly higher fasting glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure than overweight and obese children without NAFLD. Subjects with NAFLD also had significantly lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than controls. After adjustment for age, sex, race, ethnicity, body mass index, and hyperinsulinemia, children with metabolic syndrome had 5.0 (95% confidence interval, 2.6 to 9.7) times the odds o ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 11 days ago
Related Articles The Kruppel-like factor 6 genotype is associated with fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty Liver Disease. Gastroenterology. 2008 Jul;135(1):282-291.e1 Authors: Miele L, Beale G, Patman G, Nobili V, Leathart J, Grieco A, Abate M, Friedman SL, Narla G, Bugianesi E, Day CP, Reeves HL BACKGROUND & AIMS: Although nonalcoholic fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is increasingly common, only a minority of affected individuals develop fibrotic Liver Disease. Based on its role in Liver growth and repair, we explored whether Kruppel-like factor 6 (KLF6) plays a role in NAFLD progression. METHODS: KLF6 expression in 31 fibrosis scored NAFLD Liver biopsy specimens was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Transfected minigene constructs were used to study the effect of a polymorphism, KLF6-IVS1-27G>A, that promotes KLF6 alternative splicing in vitro. We genotyped KLF6-IVS1-27G>A in 3 groups of patients (UK group 1, n = 306; Italian group 2, n = 109; trio group 3, n = 61 children and parents). RESULTS: KLF6 expression was increased in association with increased steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in NAFLD livers. KLF6-IVS1-27G>A promoted alternative splicing of KLF6 and abrogated the up-regulation of both alpha-smooth muscle actin and collagen 1 in LX-2 cells. Group 1 genotyping identified KLF6-IVS1-27G>A in 44 of 306 (14.4%) patients. Notably, KLF6-IVS1-27G>A was associated significantly with milder NAFLD, with only 25% having more ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 12 days ago
Related Articles Liver Disease in injection drug users with hepatitis C, with and without HIV coinfection. J Addict Dis. 2008;27(2):49-59 Authors: Monto A, Currie S, Wright TL Liver Disease is a major health problem for individuals with a history of injection drug use. This is mainly from the hepatitis C virus (HCV), with or without co-infection with HIV. HCV-associated Liver Disease takes decades to develop into cirrhosis, from which it can adversely affect health. HIV coinfection is among the factors that are often associated with Liver Disease progression, and efforts to understand Liver Disease progression in HIV-HCV coinfected patients remain important. Maintaining high CD4 counts and avoiding alcohol intake are associated with slower Liver Disease progression. Pegylated interferon and ribavirin combination therapy has the potential to clear HCV, which provides the strongest health benefit to patients affected by the virus, although this can be difficult to accomplish for many reasons. Steatosis, fat within the Liver, may also have important pathological implications for Liver Disease related to HCV. Limiting Liver Disease progression in IDUs with hepatitis C may well be best accomplished through promoting their full utilization of health care. PMID: 18681191 [PubMed - in process] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 5 days ago
Related Articles The pervading influence of alcoholic Liver Disease in hepatology. Alcohol Alcohol. 2008 Jul-Aug;43(4):393-7 Authors: Williams R Rising levels of alcohol consumption in the UK are leading to substantial increases in morbidity and mortality from Liver Disease. Drinking is starting at an earlier age with binging an increasing common pattern, and women are overtaking men in the consumption. Manifestations of Liver damage range from fatty Liver to end-stage cirrhosis, but it is the increasing number of cases presenting with an acute alcoholic hepatitis (AAH) that are the cause for greatest concern. Development of well-validated prognostic scoring systems (Maddrey Modified Discriminant Function, Glasgow Alcohol Score) makes it possible to select those patients with AAH who are most likely to respond to corticosteroids. The results of early pilot studies of a number of anti-TNF agents are encouraging and with infliximab, reduction in portal pressure has been demonstrated to be consequent on controlling inflammatory processes in the Liver. For those deteriorating to the stage of Liver failure, artificial Liver support with MARS is of value in correcting major pathophysiological disturbances and as a bridge to Liver transplantation, the results of which both for end-stage alcoholic cirrhosis and for AAH--of which there is limited experience, are excellent. Even as the stringent regulatory measures needed to control rising alco ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 15 days ago
Related Articles Combined Liver-kidney transplantation in polycystic Disease: case reports. Transplant Proc. 2008 Jul-Aug;40(6):2075-6 Authors: Rossi M, Spoletini G, Bussotti A, Lai Q, Travaglia D, Ferretti S, Poli L, Ginanni Corradini S, Merli M, Novelli G, Mennini G, Pugliese F, Berloco PB Polycystic Disease causes a progressive decrease in renal function and Liver degeneration. The progression of the Disease evolves separately between organs and transplantation options vary: simultaneous or sequential Liver-kidney transplantation or single-organ transplantation. From September 2006 to June 2007 3 combined Liver kidney transplantations (CLKT) were performed for polycystic Disease with end-stage renal Disease: 2 with polycystic Liver Disease, and 1 with hepatic failure due to congenital hepatic fibrosis. The widest dimensions of the polycystic Liver of 50 and 60 cm diameter were due to extensive cystic degeneration. We performed 1 simultaneous CLKT and 2 sequential transplantations: 1 Liver after kidney, and 1 kidney after Liver. At present all patients are alive with 100% graft function. Median creatinine level at discharge was 0.9 mg/dL (ranges, +/-0.2). Good Liver graft function was reported in all 3 cases. Transplant benefit in polycystic Liver-kidney Disease has been already demonstrated; conservative surgical options may result in a high incidence of complications in highly involved polycystic livers. Delaying transplantation re ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 1 day ago
Related Articles Adiponectin and alcoholic fatty Liver Disease. IUBMB Life. 2008 Aug 15; Authors: Rogers CQ, Ajmo JM, You M Worldwide, one of the most prevalent forms of chronic Disease is alcoholic fatty Liver, which may progress to more severe forms of Liver injury including steatohepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. The molecular mechanisms by which ethanol consumption causes accumulation of hepatic lipid are multiple and complex. Chronic ethanol exposure is thought to cause enhanced hepatic lipogenesis and impaired fatty acid oxidation by inhibiting key hepatic transcriptional regulators such as AMP-activated kinase (AMPK), sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), PPAR-gamma coactivator alpha (PGC-1alpha), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha), and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP-1). Adiponectin is an adipose-derived hormone with a variety of beneficial biological functions. Increasing evidence suggests that altered adiponectin production in adipose tissue and impaired expression of hepatic adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs) are associated with the development of alcoholic Liver steatosis in several rodent models. More importantly, studies have demonstrated a protective role of adiponectin against alcoholic Liver steatosis. The hepato-protective effect of adiponectin is largely mediated by the coordination of multiple signaling pathways in the Liver, leading to enhanced fat oxidation, reduced lipid synthesis and pre ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 6 days ago
Related Articles Expression of defective hepatitis B virus particles derived from singly spliced RNA is related to Liver Disease. J Infect Dis. 2008 Jul 15;198(2):218-25 Authors: Soussan P, Pol J, Garreau F, Schneider V, Le Pendeven C, Nalpas B, Lacombe K, Bonnard P, Pol S, Kremsdorf D BACKGROUND: Defective hepatitis B virus (HBV) particles, generated from singly spliced HBV RNA, have been detected in chronic carriers of HBV. The present study was designed to quantify the expression of defective HBV (dHBV) and wild-type HBV (wtHBV) genomes in the serum of patients with HBV infection and its relation to the severity of Liver Disease. METHODS: HBV and dHBV loads were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the serum of 89 untreated HBV-infected patients (31 coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] type 1) with Liver Disease of different stages. The ratio of dHBV DNA to total (wtHBV plus dHBV) HBV DNA (dHBV/HBV ratio) was used to express data independently of the level of viral replication. RESULTS: Despite a global correlation between dHBV and wtHBV load, the dHBV/HBV ratio ranged from 0.001% to 69%. The variation in dHBV/HBV ratio was independent of HIV coinfection, HBV genotype, and precore mutations. The mean dHBV/HBV ratio was higher in patients with severe Liver necrosis and fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that an elevated dHBV/HBV ratio is associated with Liver necroinflammation and fibrosis dise ...

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RAPTOR PHARMACEUTICALS CORP RAPTOR PHARMACEUTICALS CORP ('RPTP-L') - Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp. ...

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Title: Fatty Liver Disease Ups Heart Risks for Obese Kids Category: Health News Created: 7/1/2008 2:00:00 AM Last Editorial Review: 7/1/2008 ...

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In postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and chronic viral Liver Disease, treatment with etidronate is associated with lower fracture rates over the long term, according to a report in the July Journal of Medical Virology. Reuters Health Information ...

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RENO, Nev.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IpAuctions, Inc. will auction the worldwide biotherapeutic patents previously owned by Cell Works Inc., a Maryland-based biotech company, and acquired by ...

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Tram Tran, MD, and William Balistreri, MD, discuss the latest information about viral hepatitis and NAFLD/NASH, as based on selected sessions at DDW 2008. Medscape Gastroenterology ...

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DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ff05c9/non ...