Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Effects of terlipressin and somatostatin on liver and thorax blood volumes in patients with cirrhosis.
Variceal bleeding in cirrhosis can cause liver ischaemia and deteriorate the hyperdynamic state; thus, the effects of vasoconstrictor therapy on liver blood volume (LBV) and thorax blood volume (ThBV) are important. ⋯ Terlipressin, but not somatostatin, maintains LBV, increases ThBV and improves the hyperdynamic state in cirrhosis. These effects can be beneficial in variceal bleeding, particularly in patients with advanced liver disease.
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Evaluation of the interaction between alcohol intake and cofactors [hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), body mass index] and coffee consumption on the risk of cirrhosis. ⋯ In subjects with an alcohol intake >3 units/day the coexistence of HBV or HCV multiplies the risk of cirrhosis. Coffee represents a modulator of alcoholic cirrhosis risk.
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Acute liver failure (ALF) is a syndrome of diverse aetiology, including hepatic encephalopathy, renal, cardiac and pulmonary failures, which result in a rapid loss of hepatic function. The mechanisms of liver injury contributing to ALF can be summarized into two categories: direct damage and immune-mediated liver injury. This review summarizes current concepts of immune-mediated liver injury from both clinical studies and animal models. ⋯ The innate immune response is activated much more rapidly compared with adaptive immunity, particularly in acute liver injury where the host has little time to trigger an effective adaptive immune response. From this point of view, the innate immune system may make a more profound contribution than the adaptive immune system. Furthermore, immune responses crosstalk with other physiological or pathophysiological factors, for example, coagulation factors which in turn determine the outcome of ALF and these are discussed.