The ISGLS definition of PHLF was associated with OS and RFS in HCC patients, and long-term survival will be improved by reducing the incidence of PHLF.

Split liver transplantation (SLT) is clearly beneficial for pediatric recipients. However, the increased risk of biliary complications in adult recipients of SLT in comparison with whole liver transplantation (WLT) remains controversial. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence and clinical outcome of biliary complications in an SLT group using split extended right grafts (ERGs) after ex situ splitting in comparison with WLT in adults. The retrospectively collected data for 80 consecutive liver transplants using ERGs after ex situ splitting between 1998 and 2007 were compared with the data for 80 liver transplants using whole liver grafts in a matched-pair analysis paired by the donor age, recipient age, indications, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score, and high-urgency status. The cold ischemic time was significantly longer in the SLT group (P ϭ 0.006). As expected, bile leakage from the transected surface occurred only in the SLT group (15%) without any mortality or graft loss. The incidence of all other early or late biliary complications (eg, anastomotic leakage and stenosis) was not different between SLT and WLT. The 1-and 5-year patient and graft survival rates showed no statistical difference between SLT and WLT [83.2% and 82.0% versus 88.5% and 79.8% (P ϭ 0.92) and 70.8% and 67.5% versus 83.6% and 70.0% (P ϭ 0.16), respectively]. In conclusion, ERGs can be used safely without any increased mortality and with acceptable morbidity, and they should also be considered for retransplantation. The significantly longer cold ischemic time in the SLT group indicates the potential for improved results and should thus be considered in the design of allocation policies. Liver Transpl 15:730-737, 2009. © 2009 AASLD. Received August 28, 2008 accepted December 22, 2008. In 1988, the first description of successful split liver transplantation (SLT) using a left lateral graft (LLG) for a pediatric recipient and the remnant extended right graft (ERG) for an adult recipient was reported by our institution.1 Since then, with increasing experience and improvement of the surgical technique, the significant potential of SLT became apparent, and this modality soon became common practice.2-5 SLT demonstrated great merit for very small children who were otherwise very unlikely find a suitable donor of a full size liver graft. Living-related liver donation of LLGs for pediatric recipients was introduced later into the repertoire of liver transplant techniques 6 and is now a well-established method with the disadvantage of the inherent risks for the healthy living donor. Therefore, SLT still has a place in pediatric and adult liver transplantation.

Background: Phf14 is identified as a novel gene that regulates proliferation of mesenchymal cells. Results: Phf14-null mice show interstitial pulmonary hyperplasia and mesenchymal fibroblasts exhibit increased proliferation rates accompanied by enhanced expression of PDGFR␣. Conclusion: Phf14 acts as a negative regulator of PDGFR␣ expression in mesenchymal cells. Significance: Phf14 has potential as a target for the treatment of lung fibrosis.

An inherent difficulty in using DNA microarray technology on the early mouse embryo is its relatively small size. In this study, we investigated whether use of ES cell differentiation culture, which has no theoretical limit in the number of cells that can be generated, can improve this situation. Seven distinct ES-cell-derived populations were analyzed by DNA microarray and examined for genes whose distribution patterns are similar to those of PDGFRalpha, a gene implicated in differentiation of mesoderm/mesenchymal lineages. Using software developed in our laboratory, we formed a group of 30 genes which showed the highest similarity to PDGFRalpha, 18 of these genes were shown to be involved in development of either mesodermal, mesenchymal or neural crest cells. This list also contains several genes whose role in embryogenesis has not yet been fully identified. One such molecule is mARID3b. The mARID3b expression is found in the paraxial mesoderm and cranial mesenchyme. mARID3b-null mouse showed early embryonic lethality, and most phenotypes of this mutant appear to develop from a failure to generate a sufficient number of cranial mesenchymal cells. These results demonstrate the potential use of ES cell differentiation culture in identifying novel genes playing an indispensable role in embryogenesis.