LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Liver: Liver Diseases
built 633 days ago
Specific cells called Kupffer cells line the inside of the liver. These cells are part of the immune system. They eliminate and degrade the substances that are brought into the liver by the portal vein. Some of these substances are bacteria, toxins, nutrients, and chemicals. A diseased liver will not filter these compounds normally, resulting in toxic accumulations of drugs, chemicals, or bacteria. Excess accumulation of bacteria in the bloodstream is called septicemia, and is one of the reasons that antibiotics are commonly used in liver disease.
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The signs and symptoms of liver disease are often non-specific. As a result liver disease may frequently be overlooked. This can have devastating consequences. CLDF recognises that raising awareness is vital and can save lives. CLDF's education programme plays a key role in helping to inform families of children with liver disease, the general public and healthcare professionals. CLDF has a wide range of literature available for families and runs a study-day programme for healthcare professionals to help promote early diagnosis and appropriate referral.
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Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), sometimes called gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGPT), is an enzyme that is compared with ALP levels to distinguish between skeletal disease and liver disease. Because GGT is not increased in bone disorders, as is ALP, a normal GGT with an elevated ALP would indicate bone disease. Conversely, because the GGT is more specifically related to the liver, an elevated GGT with an elevated ALP would strengthen the diagnosis of liver or bile-duct disease. The GGT has ... been used as an indicator of heavy and chronic alcohol use, but its value in these situations has been questioned recently. It is also commonly elevated in patients with infectious mononucleosis.
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The ELAD® system provides important metabolic support for patients with liver failure, enabling a bridge-to-transplant or recovery, depending on the type and severity of liver disease. The system consists of four cartridges containing cells that function like a normal human liver. The cells metabolize toxins and remove waste products while delivering essential proteins into the plasma. These cartridges are incorporated into a blood pumping system at the patient’s bedside and enable continuous treatment for up to 12 days. The key to ELAD's® performance is a proprietary human hepatocyte cell line that can be grown, stored and shipped worldwide.
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The most important measure in the treatment of alcoholic liver disease is to ensure the total and immediate abstinence from alcohol. This will sometimes require admission to an in-patient medical ward for prophylactic treatment of withdrawal symptoms such as delirium tremens and seizures. Treatment of other associated neurological conditions may ... be required. Chronic alcohol abusers often need treatment with vitamins, especially thiamin, to correct the deficiencies that may have resulted from chronic alcohol abuse. Intensive medical treatment of the complications of acute alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis is also sometimes necessary, as is the treatment of concurrent infectious and/or metabolic disorders.
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As the largest solid organ in the body, the liver is ideal for storing important substances like vitamins and minerals. It ... acts as a filter, removing impurities from the blood. Finally, the liver metabolizes and detoxifies substances ingested by the body. Liver disease occurs when these essential functions are disrupted. Liver transplants are needed when damage to the liver severely impairs a person's health and quality of life.
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Liver Diseases