• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.9
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• pp.841-847
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• 2007

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a very rare but devastating illness in children. Specific treatment to recovery is often not available, and the underlying cause of the liver failure is often unknown and diverse especially in children. Liver transplantation has increased the chance of survival; however it needs an optimal timing to reach the best result which is not familiar to pediatrician. This article discusses the current knowledge of the epidemiology, backgrounds and factors to be considered before establishing the treatment of ALF in children.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.11 no.sup2
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• pp.50-58
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• 2008

Acute liver failure is a devastating disease in children. Most cases of acute liver failure in children are indeterminate; however, metabolic liver disease is one of the main causes in the pediatric age group. Though a major symptom of acute liver failure is hepatic encephalopathy, this is very difficult to diagnose, particularly in younger children. Liver transplantation has improved the chances of survival dramatically; however, it is not known which patients are ideal candidates for liver transplantation. Because patients may deteriorate rapidly, arranging care in a center with expertise will secure the best possible outcomes.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.481-488
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• 2022

Purpose: Liver transplantation (LT) is the only curative treatment for acute liver failure (ALF) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). In high-volume therapeutic plasma exchange (HV-TPE), extracorporeal liver support filters accumulate toxins and improve the coagulation factor by replacing them. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of HV-TPE in pediatric patients with ALF and ACLF. Methods: We reviewed the records of children waiting for LT at Severance Hospital who underwent HV-TPE between 2017 and 2021. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total and direct bilirubin (TB and DB), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), ammonia, and coagulation parameter-international normalized ratio (INR) were all measured before and after HV-TPE to analyze the liver function. The statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26.0 (IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA). Results: Nine patients underwent HV-TPE with standard medical therapy while waiting for LT. One had neonatal hemochromatosis, four had biliary atresia, and the other four had ALF of unknown etiology. Significant decreases in AST, ALT, TB, DB, GGT, and INR were noted after performing HV-TPE (930.38-331.75 IU/L, 282.62-63.00 IU/L, 11.75-5.59 mg/dL, 8.10-3.66 mg/dL, 205.62-51.75 IU/L, and 3.57-1.50, respectively, p<0.05). All patients underwent LT, and two expired due to acute complications. Conclusion: HV-TPE could remove accumulated toxins and improve coagulation. Therefore, we conclude that HV-TPE can be regarded as a representative bridging therapy before LT.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.110-116
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• 2008

Purpose: Acute toxic hepatitis is a common cause of acute liver failure (ALF). We investigated the causes, clinical manifestation, and outcomes of ALF patients who underwent liver transplantation due to acute toxic hepatitis caused by herbal medicines and preparations. Methods: Between January 1992 and May 2008, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 24 patients who were transplanted due to acute toxic hepatitis caused by herbal medicines and preparations. We applied the RUCAM score to patients with acute toxic hepatitis and assessed the relationship between herbal preparations and liver injury. We studied the patients' medication history, liver function tests, and clinical outcomes. Results: The type of liver injury was divided into three groups: hepatocellular type, 14 patients (58.3%); cholestatic type, 4 patients (16.7%); and mixed type, 6 patients (25%). Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg (3 cases) was the most common cause of acute toxic hepatitis, followed by Acanthopanax senticosus (2 cases), pumpkin juice (2 cases), Dictamnus dasycarpus Turcz (2 cases), Hovenia dulcis (1 case), Phellinus linteus (1 case), and Artemisia capillaries (1 case). One year survival after liver transplantation was 76%. Conclusion: We identified the herbal preparations leading to acute liver failure. Many patients consider herbal remedies to be completely free of unwanted side effects. However, we found that many herbal products have biological activities that can lead to severe hepatotoxicity.

• Clinical and Molecular Hepatology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.430-435
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• 2018

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) occurs in the presence of a chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, and often results from exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The efficacy of corticosteroid treatment in ACLF patients with underlying CHB remains unclear. We report the case of a 50-year-old woman who experienced ACLF due to CHB exacerbation and was treated with a combination of corticosteroids and nucleot(s)ide analogue (NUC). The patient showed rapid decompensation due to CHB exacerbation. Three months of antiviral therapy produced no improvement in liver function. Combination therapy with corticosteroids and NUC was started, which did result in improvement of liver function. This case shows that the combined therapy of corticosteroids and NUC can be effective in treating ACLF due to CHB exacerbation.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2017

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical significance of T1 high signal intensity on the globus pallidus as a predictor of severe hepatic encephalopathy in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), which is a distinct syndrome characterized by multi-organ dysfunction including cerebral failure. Materials and Methods: From January 2002 to April 2014, we retrospectively reviewed the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and clinical and magnetic resonance (MR) features of 74 consecutive patients (44 men and 30 women; mean age, 59.5 years) with liver cirrhosis. The chronic liver failure-sequential organ failure assessment score was used to diagnose ACLF. The pallidal index (PI), calculated by dividing the mean signal intensity of the globus pallidus by that of the subcortical frontal white matter were compared according to ACLF. The PI was compared with the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score in predicting the development of ACLF. Results: Fifteen patients who were diagnosed with ACLF had higher hepatic encephalopathy grades (initial, P = 0.024; follow-up, P = 0.002), MELD scores (P < 0.001), and PI (P = 0.048). In the ACLF group, the mean PI in patients with cerebral failure was significantly higher than that in the patients without cerebral failure (1.33 vs. 1.20, P = 0.039). In patients with ACLF, the area under the curve (AUC) for PI was 0.680 (95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.52-0.85), which was significantly lower than that for the MELD score (AUC, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.77-0.99) (P = 0.04). Conclusion: The PI can be an ancillary biomarker for predicting the development of ACLF and severe hepatic encephalopathy.

• Exercise Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.223-228
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• 2017

PURPOSE: This study investigated the protective role of high-intensity interval training against acute liver injury induced by D-galactosamine (D-Gal)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS: A total of 30 male BALB/c mice aged 5-week were randomly assigned to high-intensity, interval training group (EX, n=10) or control group in cage (Non-EX, n=20) for 10 weeks. Peritoneal injection of D-Gal (700 mg/kg body weight) and LPS ($10{\mu}g/kg$ body weight) was applied to induce acute liver injury, and liver tissue was harvested 6 hours after the injection. Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining was used for liver histology. Real-time PCR was used to quantify expression of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory genes in the liver. RESULTS: The liver histology showed that D-Gal/LPS treatment resulted in hepatic damage and increased number of neutrophils in conjunction with upregulation of hepatic IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ mRNAs and downregulation of hepatic $PPAR{\alpha}$ and SIRT1 mRNAs. On the other hand, the 10-week interval training resulted in a significant improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness assessed as run time to exhaustion on a treadmill. In addition, the interval training attenuated the D-Gal/LPS-induced liver damage and increased number of neutrophil in conjunction with downregulation of hepatic IL-6 and $TNF-{\alpha}$ mRNAs and upregulation of hepatic $PPAR{\alpha}$ and SIRT1 mRNAs. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that high-intensity interval training suppresses the D-Gal and LPS-induced acute liver damage and inflammatory responses.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.224-226
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• 2013

Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is characterized by a severe idiosyncratic reaction including rash and fever, often with associated hepatitis, arthralgias, lymph node enlargement, or hematologic abnormalities. The mortality rate is approximately 10%, primarily owing to liver failure with massive or multiple disseminated focal necrosis. Here, we report a case of a 14-year-old girl treated with vancomycin because of a wound infection by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, who presented with non-specific symptoms, which progressed to acute liver failure, displaying the hallmarks of DRESS syndrome. With the presence of aggravated hepatic encephalopathy and azotemia, the patient was refractory to medical treatments, she received a living-donor liver transplantation, and a cure was achieved without any sign of recurrence. Vancomycin can be a cause of DRESS syndrome. A high index of suspicion and rapid diagnosis are necessary not to miss this potentially lethal disease.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.38-44
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• 1991

It has been reported that the pharmacokinetic behaviors of drugs which are mostly metabolized in the liver are significantly different in patients with renal failure. Theophylline(TP) is mainly metabolized in the liver (approximately 90%) and renal clearance of the drug is negligible (less than 10%). Therefore, we have investigated the changes in pharmacokinetics of theophylline in normal, G-ARF and U-ARF rats after an intravenous administration. The total body clearance of TP decreased approximately 40% in U-ARF rats. The reduced CL$_{T}$, value in U-ARF rats could be due to reduced hepatic intrinsic clearance by up to 40% since it has been published that plasma protein binding of TP and liver blood flow does not change in U-ARF rats.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2010

Acute hepatitis A is a generally self-limiting disease of the liver. Acute renal failure is rare in patients with acute non-fulminant hepatitis A Acute tubular necrosis is the most common form of renal injury found in such patients. The 215 years old male patient visited our hospital with complaint of general weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and myalgia. He was diagnosed with acute renal failure associated with acute non-fulminant hepatitis A We report here on a case of acute renal failure associated with non-fulminant hepatitis A, and we include a review of the literature.