Ricerc@Sapienza

The α-1-antitrypsin (or alpha-1-antitrypsin, A1AT) Z variant is the primary cause of severe A1AT deficiency and forms polymeric chains that aggregate in the endoplasmic reticulum of hepatocytes. Around 2%-5% of Europeans are heterozygous for the Z and WT M allele, and there is evidence of increased risk of liver disease when compared with MM A1AT individuals. We have shown that Z and M A1AT can copolymerize in cell models, but there has been no direct observation of heteropolymer formation in vivo.

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most frequent mesenchymal tumours in the digestive tract. The duodenal GIST (dGIST) is the rarest subtype, representing only 4–5% of all GIST, but up to 21% of the resected ones. The diagnostic and therapeutic management of dGIST may be difficult due to the rarity of this tumor, its anatomical location, and the clinical behavior that often mimic a variety of conditions; moreover, there is lack of consent for their treatment.

Background: Primary biliary cholangitis is an autoimmune disease affecting the interlobular bile ducts. Limited information is available on its epidemiology and treatment in Italy. Aims: To describe primary biliary cholangitis epidemiology and investigate treatment patterns for Italian patients with this disease. Methods: Electronic medical records from 900 general practitioners (part of the QuintilesIMS™ Longitudinal Patient Databases) were examined. Demographics were compared with those from the Italian National Institute of Statistics dataset.

Donor steatosis represents a well-known risk factor for primary non-function, early allograft dysfunction, and biliary complications after liver transplantation (LT). Recently, machine perfusion (MP) technology has been implemented in the clinical practice, with the primary intent to assess the graft quality and to optimize the organ selection process. A limited number of articles has been published specifically investigated the role of MP in steatotic livers, with few of them looking at the role of hypothermic MP.

Prognosticating outcomes in liver transplant (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to challenge the field. Although Milan Criteria (MC) generalized the practice of LT for HCC and improved outcomes, its predictive character has degraded with increasing candidate and oncological heterogeneity. We sought to validate and recalibrate a previously developed, preoperatively calculated, continuous risk score, the Hazard Associated with Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HALTHCC), in an international cohort.

In patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) meeting the Milan criteria (MC), the benefit of locoregional therapies (LRTs) in the context of liver transplantation (LT) is still debated. Initial biases in the selection between treated and untreated patients have yielded conflicting reported results. The study aimed to identify, using a competing risk analysis, risk factors for HCC-dependent LT failure, defined as pretransplant tumor-related delisting or posttransplant recurrence.

We read with great interest the comment letter by
Winter et al. on our recently published study on the
new concept of intention-to-treat (ITT) survival benefit
of liver transplantation (LT) in patients with hepatocellular
cancer (HCC).(1)Winter et al. reported some comments
mainly focused on the methodological approach
used for constructing the mathematical model.
We draw attention to the supplementary section of
our article in which we explain our approach.
We did not mean to imply that the construction of

It is our great pleasure to introduce the Focused Issue entitled: “Recent Innovations in the Management of Hepatocellular Cancer
in the Setting of Liver Transplantation”. Liver transplantation (LT) is the unique curative treatment for both Hepatocellular
carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis. Twenty years have passed since the Milan criteria indicated how to select the best HCC
candidates for LT (1). In the present focused issue we have underlined all the most recent evolutions in the field of LT for

Background/Objectives: Celiac axis stenosis (CAS) represents an uncommon and typically innocuous condition. However, when a pancreatic resection is required, a high risk for upper abdominal organs ischemia is observed. In presence of collaterals, such a risk is minimized if their preservation is realized. The aim of the present study is to systematically review the literature with the intent to address the routine management of collateral arteries in the case of CAS patients requiring pancreatoduodenectomy.