Gut
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To develop and assess a disease specific instrument for measuring health related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). ⋯ The CLDQ is short, easy to administer, produces both a summary score and domain scores, and correlates with the severity of liver disease.
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To investigate the "gut origin of sepsis" hypothesis. ⋯ Proximal gut colonisation is associated with both increased bacterial translocation and septic morbidity. The commonality of organisms identified supports the gut origin of sepsis hypothesis.
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Following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) histological examination of explant livers from patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) sometimes shows extensive iron deposits in a distribution suggestive of homozygous haemochromatosis. ⋯ The HFE mutation was not present in these patients with advanced ALD and heavy iron loading. Spur cell haemolytic anaemia provides an alternative potential mechanism for the heavy iron loading.