May 06, 2021
by Julie Parry
The liver serves many critical functions within the human body, including the production of critical proteins, and the removal of waste and toxins. But when damage occurs to the largest organ in the body, many people do not experience symptoms until serious damage has occurred. When the liver becomes scarred, blood can collect and raise the pressure of the portal vein. This accumulation causes portal hypertension and can lead to fluid build up in the abdomen and other detrimental side effects, including death.
In new research published in the
Journal of Experimental Medicine, the research team led by Silvia Vilarinho, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine (digestive diseases), and of pathology, performed genomic analysis to determine the cause of unexplained portal hypertension in four unrelated families.