RESUMO
BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Since most transplantation studies for alcoholic liver disease (ALD) were performed on deceased donor liver transplantation, little was known following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). METHODS: The clinical outcome of 18 ALD patients who underwent LDLT from Febraury 1997 to December 2004 in a large-volume liver transplantation center was assessed retrospectively. RESULTS: The model for end-stage liver disease score was 23±11, and mean pretransplant abstinence period was 16±13 months, with 14 (77.8%) patients being abstinent for at least 6 months. Graft types were right lobe grafts in 11, left lobe grafts in 2 and dual grafts in 5. Graft to recipient body weight ratio was 0.94±0.16. The relapse rates in patients who did and did not maintain 6 months of abstinence were 7.1% and 50%, respectively (p=0.097). Younger recipient age was a significant risk factor for alcohol relapse (p=0.027). Five recipients with antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) received core antibody-positive liver graft, but two of them showed positive HBsAg seroconversion. Overall 5-year patient survival rate following LDLT was 87.8%, with a 5-year relapse rate of 16.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Pretransplant abstinence for 6 months appears to be benefical for preventing posttransplant relapse. Life-long prophylactic measure should be followed after use of anti-HBc-positive liver grafts regardless of hepatitis B viral marker status of the recipient.
RESUMO
PER3 is a member of the PERIOD genes, but does not play essential roles in the circadian clock. Depletion of Per3 by siRNA almost completely abolished activation of checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) after inducing DNA damage in human cells. In addition, Per3 physically interacted with ATM and Chk2. Per3 overexpression induced Chk2 activation in the absence of exogenous DNA damage, and this activation depended on ATM. Per3 overexpression also led to the inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptotic cell death. These combined results suggest that Per3 is a checkpoint protein that plays important roles in checkpoint activation, cell proliferation and apoptosis.