Overall there were 69 bleeds(52 patients).In total 437 OGDs were performed. Complications were seen in 3% of OGDs(pain/fever). Non-selective beta-blockers (NSBB) were used as adjunctive therapy in 21 group B patients. During 42mo median follow up progression of varices was recorded in 25% and 39% in group A and B, respectively. Conclusion: The prediction of severe GE varices remains challenging from existing non-invasive markers. PVT patients have higher variceal progression. 27% of patients presented with bleeding. During the current follow-up

primary and PD0325901 order secondary prophylaxis were successful in 95% and 74% of patients, respectively. Disclosures: The following people have nothing to disclose: Anastasios Grammatikopoulos, Peter Witters, Dominic A. Hughes, Palaniswamy Karthikeyan, Somashekara H Ramakrishna, Mark Davenport, Anil Dhawan The hepatocyte plays a central role in hepatic lipid homeostasis PF-02341066 molecular weight and storage by regulating the formation and utilization of lipid droplets (LDs), spherical organelles composed of triacylglyc-erol (TG) and cholesteryl esters surrounded by a phoshophlipid monolayer. Aberrant accumulation of hepatic lipids occurs when the synthesis of LDs exceeds catabolism, leading to steatosis. Autophagy is a major process used by the hepatocyte to catabolize LDs, although the central mechanisms supporting the autophagic digestion of LDs, or “lipophagy,” are poorly defined.

Proteomic studies have indicated that Rab7, a small GTPase best known for regulating the late endosomal pathway, resides on LDs, although its function in LD metabolism remains elusive. We have found that GFP-tagged Rab7 associates prominently with LDs in live hepatocytes and that this interaction is significantly increased when cells are placed under nutrient stress. From these findings, the GOAL of this study was to determine whether Rab7 might act as a regulator of lipophagy in hepatocytes. We demonstrate that Rab7 is indispensable for LD breakdown in hepatocytes subjected to nutrient deprivation. Importantly, Rab7 is dramatically activated in cells placed under nutrient stress. This activation is required for the association of both multivesicular bodies (MVBs) and lysosomes with the

LDs during autophagic catabolism. Rapamycin in vivo Depletion of Rab7 leads to gross morphological changes of the MVB, lysosomal, and autophagosomal compartments, while the physical interactions between these compartments and the LD are markedly reduced thereby attenuating hepatocellular lipophagy. These findings provide additional support for the role of autophagy in LD catabolism in the hepatocyte and implicate the small GTPase Rab7 as a key regulatory component of this essential process, thus providing a potential therapeutic target for liver steatosis. This study was supported by grants 5R37DK044650 (MAM), 5RO1AA020735 (MAM and CAC), NIH Challenge Grant AA19032 (MAM and CAC), and the Optical Morphology Core of the Mayo Clinic Center for Cell Signalling in Gastroenterology (MIDDK P30DK084567).