The International Falk Symposium 162 in Dresden is a good example for the promises of history. Sixty years after the misery of the Second World War and the destruction of Dresden and 20 years after a long and threatening Cold War, scientists from more than 50 nations across the world met in a wonderfully reconstructed city to discuss a series of key lectures on the pathophysiology and clinical management of liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is the fifth most common cause of death between the age of 25 and 45 years. To date, it is still not possible to inhibit or revert progression of cirrhosis in most patients. Accordingly, clinicians primarily deal with the various complications of cirrhosis, while liver transplantation is only available for selected patients. There has been tremendous progress in the understanding of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis since the last Falk Symposium devoted to this topic in 2000.

Interdisciplinary symposium bringing together basic science and clinical applications Up-to-date research findings at the highest scientific level

Klappentext

Liver cirrhosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is the fifth most common cause of death between the ages of 25 and 45. To date it is not possible to inhibit or reverse progression of cirrhosis in most patients. Accordingly, clinicians have to deal primarily with the various complications of cirrhosis, while liver transplantation is only available for selected patients.

There has been tremendous progress in understanding liver fibrosis and cirrhosis since the last Falk Symposium devoted to this topic in 2000. This book, the proceedings of Falk Symposium No.162 entitled 'Liver Cirrhosis: From Pathophysiology to Disease Management', held in Dresden, Germany, on October 13--14, 2007, focuses on the pathogenetic mechanisms of liver cirrhosis and clinical management of the complications. The first part of the book discusses liver fibrogenesis and the cellular responses to chronic liver injury as well as new non-invasive techniques for assessment of fibrosis in patients. The remainder focuses on preprimary and primary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding and therapy of other complications of cirrhosis.

As in other Falk Symposium books, scientific and clinical experts offer a broad understanding and pave the way for interdisciplinary discussion, thus providing a blueprint for research and clinical management of liver cirrhosis, the most prevalent sequela of chronic liver diseases worldwide.

Inhalt
Pathomechanisms of fibrogenesis: initiation.- Apoptosis and oncotic necrosis: profibrotic signalling mechanisms of cell death.- The mucosal immune system in the pathogenesis of liver disease.- Immune responses in hepatitis C virus infection.- Inflammatory pathways in liver homeostasis and liver injury.- Pathomechanisms of fibrogenesis: mediators.- A complex network of intra- and intercellular mediators regulate cellular activation and transdifferentiation of hepatic stellate cells.- Genetic determinants of liver fibrogenesis: a systems genetics approach in recombinant inbred mice.- Molecular mechanisms of fibrosis progression in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).- New role of bile acid metabolism in intestinal bacteria translocation.- Cellular responses to chronic liver injury.- The hepatic stellate cell: a progenitor cell.- Role of non-parenchymal cells in portal hypertension.- Role of angiogenesis in portal hypertension.- Current concept of hepatic fibrogenesis in mouse models of liver fibrosis.- Hepatic fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis: Krüppel-like factors and beyond.- Clinical management of progressive liver fibrosis.- Biomarkers of liver fibrosis.- Clinical evaluation of disease progression in chronic liver disease: towards an integrated system?.- Fibrosis regression and innovative antifibrotic therapies: from bench to bedside.- Clinical management of portal hypertension: preprimary and primary prophylaxis.- Dynamic increase of intrahepatic vascular resistance in cirrhosis.- Remodelling portal hypertension: preprimary prophylaxis.- When and how to scope in portal hypertension.- Prevention of first variceal bleeding.- Clinical management of portal hypertension: complications of cirrhosis.- Therapy of acute variceal bleeding.- Prevention of variceal rebleeding.-From sodium retention to refractory ascites: the role of new drugs.- Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt versus paracentesis: a critical review of randomized studies and meta-analyses.- Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis A disease of the gut? Therapeutic implications.- Hepatorenal syndrome A defined entity with a standard treatment?.- From infections to hepatic encephalopathy.- Liver and lung Treatment of hepatopulmonary diseases.- Allocation in adult liver transplantation: is the Model for Endstage Liver Disease the solution?.- Emerging future therapies for portal hypertension.