The present data suggest that recipients' malnutrition should be taken into account as a factor that increases complications and costs after LT.

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Sulphate-bicarbonate-calcium water consumption has a positive effect on lithogenic risk and intestinal transit and allows maintenance of a stable body weight despite a high food intake.

Oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury, a major determinant of initial poor graft function (IPGF) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). We prospectively investigated the association between the recipient plasma preoperative oxidative stress and the occurrence of IPGF after deceased-donor OLT and indirectly studied the sourcehepatic or extra-hepatic-of systemic oxidative stress in vivo in cirrhosis. We used a recently developed specific and sensitive mass spectrometry assay to measure 7␤-hydroxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol (oxysterols), markers of oxidative stress, in biological matrices. At univariate analysis, preoperative recipient 7␤-hydroxycholesterol plasma concentration was significantly higher in transplants with subsequent IPGF (n ‫؍‬ 9) compared with those with initial good graft function (IGGF; n ‫؍‬ 23) [mean ؎ SD: 30.63 ؎ 26.42 and 11.57 ؎ 15.76 ng/mL, respectively] (P ‫؍‬ 0.017). In a logistic regression model, which included also the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, 7␤-hydroxycholesterol plasma concentration was an independent predictor of IPGF with an odds ratio of 1.17 (95% CI, 1.02-1.33, P ‫؍‬ 0.028). Patients with cirrhosis (n ‫؍‬ 32) had increased oxysterol plasma levels compared with healthy controls (n ‫؍‬ 49); livers with cirrhosis (n ‫؍‬ 21), however, had oxysterol content comparable with normal livers obtained from organ donors (n ‫؍‬ 19). Oxysterols persisted elevated in plasma 1 month after OLT (n ‫؍‬ 23). In conclusion, cirrhosis presents upregulated systemic oxidative stress likely of extrahepatic source that is associated with graft failure after OLT. (Liver Transpl 2005;11:1494-1504.)