DARIN... RE: Urso Post tx

[Guest guest]

darin, precisely when did you start your high dose? how many days or weeks

out from transplant?

what does this article consider " immediately " ?

is it necessary to stabilize somewhat after the tx prior to taking the

actigal prophylactically? jim is currently having problems with bleeds...

maureen

Re: Urso Post tx

Maureen and Iowa Mike,

I am back on Urso, 1500mg/day. After reading the article that was posted,

I suggested it to my hep. He said it would be a good idea.

Darin

S. Crippin, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine

Dr. Crippin joined the division in August 2000 as medical director of liver

transplantation. He attended medical school at the University of Kansas,

then completed a residency in internal medicine at the Kansas University

Medical Center in 1987. After serving as chief resident for a year, he

started a fellowship in gastroenterology at the Mayo Clinic, which he

completed in June 1991. He served as director of hepatology and medical

director of liver transplantation at Baylor University Medical Center,

Dallas, through July 2000. Dr. Crippin serves on committees of the American

Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American Society of

Transplantation. He lectures frequently at clinical conferences on topics

ranging from chronic viral hepatitis to long-term care of the liver

transplant recipient. His research interests include new treatments for

chronic viral hepatitis, treatment and prevention of recurrent disease

following liver transplantation, and bone disease following liver

transplantation.

" My clinical research interests center around diseases leading to liver

transplantation and their recurrence in the transplanted liver. The goal of

any hepatologist is to prevent the progression of a disease to the point

that transplantation is necessary. Thus, I am involved in clinical trials

of antiviral agents used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Interferon alfa and its long-acting pegylated form, in combination with

ribavirin, now allow us to cure patients of a disease that is currently the

leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States.

Unfortunately, many patients progress to end-stage liver disease and its

complications. Furthermore, infection of the transplanted liver is nearly

universal, though antiviral agents are poorly tolerated and less

efficacious in the transplant population. I am working, along with

investigators at other centers, on studies to minimize the amount of post

transplant liver injury secondary to the hepatitis C virus. Other diseases

recur in the transplanted liver, as well. Primary sclerosing cholangitis

(PSC) recurs in 15-20% of cases, usually with catastrophic results. I am

studying the effect of high dose ursodeoxycholic acid immediately following

transplantation as a means of decreasing the incidence of recurrent PSC.

Lastly, immunosuppressive medications can have devastating effects on other

organs. I am currently studying the incidence of bone disease long term in

liver transplant recipients. All these studies are being designed with the

goal of improving patient care and patients' quality of life. "

Washington University School of Medicine at St Louis, Missouri