American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons
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Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQL) following lung and heart-lung transplantation, but few other determinants of HRQL have been described. We performed a cross-sectional study of standard gamble utility, a preference-based measure of HRQL, in 90 stable lung and heart-lung transplant recipients. ⋯ Multivariable analysis showed that female sex, absence of BOS, better renal function and longer time since transplantation were associated with higher utility scores, and that there were utility differences across diagnostic groups. Although BOS is a major determinant of utility following lung and heart-lung transplantation, other demographic and clinical factors are also associated with significant differences in this measure of HRQL.
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Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury is an inevitable consequence during liver surgery. The outcome is particularly poor in cirrhotic livers, which are more prone to hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury. We aim to study whether FTY720 could attenuate hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury both in normal and in cirrhotic livers. ⋯ MAPK (Raf-MEK-Erk) pathway was down-regulated. Hepatic ultrastructure was well maintained and fewer apoptotic liver cells were found in the FTY720 groups. In conclusion, FTY720 attenuates ischemia-reperfusion injury in both normal and cirrhotic livers by activation of cell survival Akt signaling and down-regulation of Egr-1 via Raf-MEK-Erk pathway.