GEORGE YANNI, M.D.

Plain English
This study looked at 65 children with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) or cryptogenic chronic hepatitis (CCH), two serious liver diseases that often lead to liver transplants. It found that 62% of the children needed a liver transplant, and 33% of those who received transplants experienced a return of their disease afterwards. The research highlights that CCH is more severe than type 1 AIH in children, and that African-American children had a higher chance of their disease coming back after surgery compared to Hispanic children.

Plain English
This study looked at how well liver transplants help children with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, a condition that affects the body’s ability to process certain proteins. Three boys under one year old received liver transplants and saw their ammonia levels drop to a safe range within 24 hours, and two of them continued to develop normally after the surgery. This is important because it shows that early liver transplants can effectively treat this condition and help prevent serious brain injury from high ammonia levels.

Plain English
This study looked at how different conditions, like light intensity and probe angle, affect measurements of blood flow in the gut using a special light-based technique. Researchers found that changing the light strength lowered oxygen measurements slightly, but this change is not significant for patient care. They also discovered that adding supplemental oxygen improved oxygen levels in some patients, and minor changes in the angle of the measuring tool did not seriously affect results, which means paying attention to these factors can improve the accuracy of this medical testing method.