LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Liver: Blood
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Recipients of a living donor liver transplant go through the same evaluation process as those receiving a cadaveric liver (a liver from someone who has died). The donor ... has blood tests and imaging studies of the liver performed to make sure it is healthy. The living donors, as with the deceased donors, must have the same blood type as the recipient. They must be aged 18-55 years, have a healthy liver, and be able to tolerate the surgery. The donor cannot receive any money or other form of payment for the donation. Finally, the donor must have a good social support system to aid in emotional aspects of going through the procedure.
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Hepatitis C infection is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C infection is currently the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the U.S., afflicting four times as many people as are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The hepatitis C virus is transmitted primarily through significant or repeated exposures to infected blood. In the United States, intravenous drug use and sexual contact with infected persons account for the majority of new hepatitis C infections.
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Unlike most organs, which have a single blood supply, the liver receives blood from two sources. The hepatic artery delivers oxygen-rich blood from the heart, supplying about 25 percent of the liver's blood. The liver ... receives oxygen-depleted blood from the hepatic portal vein. This vein, which is the source of 75 percent of the liver's blood supply, carries blood to the liver that has traveled from the digestive tract, where it collects nutrients as food is digested. These nutrients are delivered to the liver for further processing or storage.
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FOSTER CITY, Calif., June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Cell Genesys, today announced that in preclinical studies of hemophilia gene therapy, the delivery of the factor IX gene, a blood clotting gene, into the liver demonstrated clear treatment advantages compared to intramuscular injection. Animals that received the factor IX gene in the liver using an AAV (adeno-associated viral) gene delivery system exhibited stable production of the factor IX protein throughout the duration of the study whereas those that received intramuscular injections had no detectable levels of the protein primarily due to the formation of anti-factor IX antibodies. Based on these and other findings, the company has determined that it will not pursue intramuscular delivery in human hemophilia gene therapy studies. These data were published in a June issue of the journal, Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology, by Dr. James G. McArthur and colleagues at Cell Genesys.
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Portal hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure in the portal vein, which supplies the liver with blood from the intestine. Portal hypertension may be due to increased blood pressure in the portal blood vessels or resistance to blood flow through the liver. Portal hypertension can lead to the growth of collateral vessels that connect to the general circulation, bypassing the liver. When this occurs, substances that are normally removed by the liver pass into the general circulation. Symptoms of portal hypertension may include:
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ALT (... called alanine aminotransferase or SGPT) is found in the liver only. High levels of ALT in the bloodstream mean that there may be liver inflammation and/or damage. This test cannot predict liver damage or disease progression. It is simply a direct measurement of the amount of ALT in the person's bloodstream at the time of the test. The normal range of ALT levels is between 5 IU/L to 60 IU/L (International Units per Liter). ALT levels in people with HCV often rise and fall over time, so additional testing such as HCV RNA, HCV genotyping and a liver biopsy may be needed to help determine the cause and extent of liver damage.
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