Hepatic Artery Anatomic Variations and Reconstruction in Liver Grafts Procured in Greece: The Effect on Hepatic Artery Thrombosis

Aims

Variations of the anatomy of donor hepatic arteries increase the number of arterial anastomoses during liver transplantation and, possibly, the incidence of hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT). In this study, we describe the arterial anatomic variations in liver grafts procured and transplanted by a single center in Greece, the techniques of arterial anastomosis, and their effect on the incidence of early HAT.

Traumatic axonal injury of the cingulum in patients with mild traumatic brain injury: a diffusion tensor tractography study

The cingulum, connecting the orbitofrontal cortex to the medial temporal lobe, involves in diverse cognition functions including attention, memory, and motivation. To investigate the relationship between the cingulum injury and cognitive impairment in patients with chronic mild traumatic brain injury, we evaluated the integrity between the anterior cingulum and the basal forebrain using diffusion tensor tractography in 73 patients with chronic mild traumatic brain injury(39 males, 34 females, age 43.29 ± 11.42 years) and40 healthy controls(22 males, 18 females, age 40.11 ± 16.81 years). The patients were divided into three subgroups based on the integrity between the anterior cingulum and the basal forebrain on diffusion tensor tractography: subgroup A(n = 19 patients)-both sides of the anterior cingulum were intact; subgroup B(n= 36 patients)-either side of the anterior cingulum was intact; and subgroup C(18 patients)-both sides of the anterior cingulum were discontinued. There were significant differences in total Memory Assessment Scale score between subgroups A and B and between subgroups A and C. There were no significant differences in diffusion tensor tractography parameters(fractional anisotropy, apparent diffusion coefficient, and fiber volume) between patients and controls. These findings suggest that the integrity between the anterior cingulum and the basal forebrain, but not diffusion tensor tractography parameter, can be used to predict the cognitive function of patients with chronic mild traumatic brain injury. This study was approved by Yeungnam University Hospital Institutional Review Board(approval No. YUMC-2014-01-425-010) on August 16, 2017.     

Age-related variations in gene expression patterns of renal cell carcinoma

Background

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is known to occur across the adult lifetime traversing the spectrum of age-related organismal changes. Little is known as to how the aging process may affect the course of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the repertoire of genes involved.

Renal Denervation for Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmias: State of the Art and Future Directions

Renal Denervation for Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmias . It has now been more than a quarter of a century since modulation of the sympathetic nervous system was proposed for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias of different origins. But it has also been some time since some of the early surgical attempts have been abandoned. With the development of ablation techniques, however, new approaches and targets have been recently introduced that have revolutionized our way of thinking about sympathetic modulation. Renal nerve ablation technology is now being successfully used for the treatment of resistant hypertension, but the indication spectrum might broaden and new therapeutic options might arise in the near future. This review focuses on the possible impact of renal sympathetic system modulation on cardiac arrhythmias, the current evidence supporting this approach, and the ongoing trials of this method in electrophysiological laboratories. We will discuss the potential roles that sympathetic modulation may play in the future.