Catching your breath.
The amounts of certain molecules in exhaled breath could be markers for disease. Scientists would like to take your breath away. Literally. Exhaled vapor holds clues to your health, revealing much more than just what you ate for lunch. In recent years, researchers have been...

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
Myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) involves the administration of supralethal doses of chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy, followed by the infusion of peripheral blood stem cells, bone marrow, or umbilical cord blood. In addition to the expected hematologic toxicities, high-dose chemoradiotherapy can cause a potentially fatal liver condition...

Baclofen cuts alcohol use in cirrhosis patients.
Alcohol-dependent persons with cirrhosis of the liver who were treated with baclofen, a [gamma]-aminobutyric acid-B receptor agonist, were more than six times as likely to cease their alcohol use as were patients who took a placebo, according to a study. The trial is the first "in which...

Anything for charity.
The organs may be busting out, but it's not really spring here in the Washington, D.C., area until the American Liver Foundation's local chapter holds its annual "Flavors of Northern Virginia" event. This year, guests enjoyed a five-course meal, complete with wine pairings, prepared by chefs from 11 local...

Carvedilol beats band ligation for variceal bleed.
BOSTON -- Carvedilol is more effective than band ligation in preventing the first bleed from esophageal varices, Dr. Dhiraj Tripathi said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Because the drug is also well tolerated, "it should be the first...

Hepatoprotective potential of Fumaria indica Pugsley whole plant extracts, fractions and an isolated alkaloid protopine.
Abstract The present investigation demonstrates the hepatoprotective potential of 50% ethanolic water extract of whole plant of Fumaria indica and its three fractions viz., hexane, chloroform and butanol against D-galactosamine induced hepatotoxicity in rats. The hepatoprotection was assessed in terms reduction in histological damage, changes in serum...

Antiretroviral therapy in adults: January 2008.
Southern African HIV Clinicians Society These guidelines are intended as an update to those published in the Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine of March 2005 (issue 18, pp.18 - 31). Since the previous guidelines, the scale-up of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the region has expanded considerably....

Sewer breath.
Halitosis. The medical term for bad breath is "halitosis." The clinicalese, of course, doesn't make it redolent but it does allow enough distance (pardon the pun) to analyze the condition. Causes of Bad Breath. You cannot fully and permanently mask bad breath on a diet of mints...

The use of a combination vaccine in international travelers visiting countries with high endemic rates of hepatitis A and/or hepatitis B.
Abstract: Hepatitis A and B represent a significant threat to international travelers. Both diseases are preventable through vaccination, though fewer than half of at-risk visitors in endemic regions are protected. Current vaccination recommendations should be revised to ensure adequate immunity for all international travelers against hepatitis A and B,...

Hepatitis B in India: systematic review & report of the 'IMA sub-committee on immunization'.
Sir, The National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) (2005-2006) Dr Sudipto Roy set up a sub-committee on childhood immunization in India, under the chairmanship of Professor S.K. Mittal with a view to advise policy. This report refers to the subcommittee's findings on the issue of...