Muscle loss ups mortality and sepsis risk in liver transplant candidates

Treating malnutrition may reduce risk even in patients with sarcopenia

2014-02-13

(Press-News.org) Japanese researchers have determined that sarcopenia—a loss of skeletal muscle mass—increases risk of sepsis and mortality risk in patients undergoing live donor liver transplantation. Findings published in Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society, suggest that post-transplant sepsis was reduced in candidates with sarcopenia who received early nutritional support with a feeding tube, known as enteral nutrition.

While sarcopenia, defined as loss of muscle connected to bones, is associated with aging, studies have shown it can occur in patients with chronic diseases such as cancer, liver disease, and malnutrition. In fact, research by Montano-Loza et al. found that more than 40% of those with liver cirrhosis also had sarcopenia, which was linked to higher mortality rates in these patients regardless of the degree of liver injury.

The present study, led by Ken Shirabe, MD, PhD from Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan evaluated 204 patients prior to living-donor liver transplantation between November 2003 and December 2011. Computed tomography (CT) scans were taken of patients to measure muscle mass along the lower back region (psoas muscle).

Close to 50% of subjects were diagnosed with sarcopenia; 58% in men and 36% in women. Analyses indicate that patients with sarcopenia had a 2-fold higher risk of death than those without muscle loss. Sarcopenia was independently linked to overall survival and a predictor of sepsis following transplantation.

Enteral nutrition was provided within 48 hours of transplantation in 24% of candidates undergoing live-donor liver transplants from 2003 to 2007, and in 100% of subjects transplanted in 2008 through 2011. After providing routine nutritional support, the incidence of sepsis dropped from 28% (2003-2007) to 11% (2008-2011) in the transplant candidates.

"Our findings indicate that sarcopenia independently predicts mortality and increases sepsis risk in live-donor liver transplant recipient," concludes Dr. Shirabe. "Sepsis was reduced in patients with sarcopenia when nutritional intervention was used. Treatment of malnutrition in transplant candidates may reduce risk of death following transplantation, but larger studies are needed to confirm this evidence."

INFORMATION: This study is published in Liver Transplantation. Media wishing to receive a PDF of the article may contact sciencenewsroom@wiley.com.

Full citation: "Sarcopenia is a Prognostic Factor in Living Donor Liver Transplantation." Toshiro Masuda, Ken Shirabe, Toru Ikegami, Norifumi Harimoto, Tomoharu Yoshizumi, Yuji Soejima, Hideaki Uchiyama, Tetsuo Ikeda, Hideo Baba and Yoshihiko Maehara. Liver Transplantation; (DOI: 10.1002/lt.23811).

URL: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1022/lt.23811

About the Journal Liver Transplantation is published by Wiley on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society. Since the first application of liver transplantation in a clinical situation was reported more than twenty years ago, there has been a great deal of growth in this field and more is anticipated. As an official publication of the AASLD and the ILTS, Liver Transplantation delivers current, peer-reviewed articles on surgical techniques, clinical investigations and drug research — the information necessary to keep abreast of this evolving specialty. For more information, please visit http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/lt.

About Wiley Wiley is a global provider of content-enabled solutions that improve outcomes in research, education, and professional practice. Our core businesses produce scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising; professional books, subscription products, certification and training services and online applications; and education content and services including integrated online teaching and learning resources for undergraduate and graduate students and lifelong learners.

Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: JWa, JWb), has been a valued source of information and understanding for more than 200 years, helping people around the world meet their needs and fulfill their aspirations. Wiley and its acquired companies have published the works of more than 450 Nobel laureates in all categories: Literature, Economics, Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, and Peace. Wiley's global headquarters are located in Hoboken, New Jersey, with operations in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Canada, and Australia. The Company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Stanford climate scientist to discuss state of climate science, coming risks

2014-02-13

WHO: Chris Field, professor of interdisciplinary environmental studies at Stanford University and co-chair of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Working Group II. WHAT: The world is staring down the barrel of climate change that is faster than at any time in the last 65 million years, says climate expert Chris Field. He will speak on the topic. WHEN: Friday, Feb. 14, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. CST. WHERE: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting, Hyatt Regency, Grand Ballroom B, ...

Diabetes, epilepsy and asthma increase risk of self-harm

2014-02-13

New research quantifying the risk of admission to hospital for self-harm has identified a raised risk of self-harm among groups of patients with certain physical illnesses. While it is known that psychiatric illnesses are associated with a greatly elevated risk of self-harm, a moderately elevated risk was seen with common physical illnesses such as diabetes, epilepsy and asthma. The research, published today by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, investigated the risk of self-harm comparing people with different psychiatric and physical disorders in England. Other ...

A promising new approach for treating leukemia discovered

2014-02-13

A group of researchers at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of Université de Montréal discovered a promising new approach to treating leukemia by disarming a gene that is responsible for tumor progression. That gene, known as Brg1 is a key regulator of leukemia stem cells that are the root cause of the disease, resistance to treatment and relapse. Julie Lessard, principal investigator and her colleagues at IRIC have spent the past four years studying that gene in collaboration with another research group at Stanford University in California. The ...

How memory and schizophrenia are connected

2014-02-13

Many psychiatric disorders are accompanied by memory deficits. Basel scientists have now identified a network of genes that controls fundamental properties of neurons and is important for human brain activity, memory and the development of schizophrenia. Their results have been published in the online edition of the US journal Neuron. The ability to hold transitory information - e.g. memorizing a telephone number - is a fundamental function of the human brain. This so-called working memory enables us to understand the world that surrounds us. To keep the working ...

Asian longhorned beetles pheromone could be used to manage pest

2014-02-13

Female Asian longhorned beetles lure males to their locations by laying down sex-specific pheromone trails on tree surfaces, according to an international team of researchers. The finding could lead to the development of a tool to manage this invasive pest that affects about 25 tree species in the United States. "Tens of thousands of hardwood trees, mostly maples, have been cut down and destroyed in New York, Ohio and Massachusetts because of the Asian longhorned beetle," said Kelli Hoover, professor of entomology, Penn State. "We discovered a pheromone produced by females ...

Can-do plan gets women trimmer, healthier, and cuts hot flashes

2014-02-13

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Thursday, February 13, 2014)—A woman can beat middle-aged spread, her disease risks, and her hot flashes with the help of her healthcare provider. And even a short term program can spell success for women and fit into a busy provider's practice, shows a demonstration obesity-fighting and health risk reduction program detailed in an article just published online in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). Making lifestyle changes can take a lot of work. Programs that have successfully helped women lose weight and reduce their ...

Immunologists from the University of Bonn topple dogma

2014-02-13

An international team of scientists under the leadership of the University of Bonn disproves a dogma: To date, immunologists have assumed that the macrophages functioning as "scavenger cells" can be classified into two different forms. In an extensive search, the researchers have now discovered that these immune cells turn into far more different manifestations. These findings also give rise to completely new therapeutic approaches for many widespread diseases. The results are now being published in the renowned journal Immunity. In the body, macrophages go on patrol ...

Books rate more negatively after winning award, study finds

2014-02-13

Looking for a good book? Stay away from the award-winning section of the bookstore or library. New research from Amanda Sharkey of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business finds that a book read after winning a prestigious award will likely be judged more negatively than if it's read in its pre-award days. In "The Paradox of Publicity: How Awards Can Negatively Affect the Evaluation of Quality," to be published in the March issue of Administrative Science Quarterly, Sharkey and colleague Balázs Kovács of the University of Lugano analyze thousands of reader ...

Study: Beauty not disease motivates teens to wear sunscreen

2014-02-13

After offering information about UV light and sun-protective behaviors, the two health-ed videos diverge: one describes the increased skin cancer risk of UV exposure and the other describes effects on appearance including wrinkles and premature aging. Which of these two videos do you think caused teenagers to use more sunscreen six weeks after it was shown? A University of Colorado Cancer Center study shows that while teens who watched both videos learned and retained the same amount of knowledge about UV light and sun-protective behaviors, only the teens who ...

Air pollution increases risk for hypertension in pregnant women

2014-02-13

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Breathing the air outside their homes may be just as toxic to pregnant women — if not more so — as breathing in cigarette smoke, increasing a mom-to-be's risk of developing deadly complications such as preeclampsia, according to findings from a new University of Florida study. UF researchers compared birth data with Environmental Protection Agency estimates of air pollution, finding that heavy exposure to four air pollutants led to a significantly increased risk for developing a high blood pressure disorder during pregnancy. The research was published ...

World's first practical surface-emitting laser for optical fiber communications developed: advancing miniaturization, energy efficiency, and cost reduction of light sources

Statins may reduce risk of death by 39% for patients with life-threatening sepsis

[Press-News.org] Muscle loss ups mortality and sepsis risk in liver transplant candidates
Treating malnutrition may reduce risk even in patients with sarcopenia

Muscle loss ups mortality and sepsis risk in liver transplant candidates

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: