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The authors of Marchbank et al ( ARTICLEGut 2002;51:787–92) in the December issue of the journal, have noted a typographical error in their paper. In the results section, it should state that the pH of the two subjects who were taking proton pump inhibitors who did not show a change to the larger form of TGFα had a pH of less than, and not greater than 4 as published. The authors apologise for the error.
The following errors occurred in the paper “Prospective study of liver dysfunction in pregnancy in Southwest Wales” in the December issue by Ch'ng et al ( ARTICLEGut 2002;51:876–80) as final author corrections were not included. The published version does not clearly distinguish those patients in whom pre-eclampsia was the sole identifiable cause of liver dysfunction from those in whom pre-eclampsia co-existed with another cause such as HELLP syndrome, obstetric cholestasis, or sepsis. The corrections are to the abstract, tables 1, 2, and 3, and part of the text of the results section on page 878 under the sub-heading “Diagnoses accounting for abnormal liver tests”, and to two of the references. The journal apologises for the errors.
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (γGT), and bilirubin values for specific pregnancy related liver disorders
Diagnoses accounting for abnormal liver tests
Timing of liver dysfunction. Onset of specific pregnancy related liver disorders (in weeks' gestation)
In the abstract, under methods, the second sentence should read “Patients with abnormal liver tests were assessed and followed througout and after pregnancy. Medical advice was provided to obstetric teams.”
Pregnancy specific conditions
Pre-eclampsia was a common underlying abnormality seen in 68 patients (48%) but was the sole identifiable cause of liver dysfunction in only 15. Complete6 and incomplete7, 8 HELLP syndrome occurred in 30 patients of whom 29 were pre-eclamptic making this the commonest diagnosis accounting for abnormal liver tests. In most of those patients with incomplete or partial HELLP syndrome, the platelet count dropped abruptly by more than 50% in parallel with abnormal liver tests. OC was diagnosed in 23 patients (16%); two of whom had pre-eclampsia. Eleven patients (8%) had deranged LFT associated with hyperemesis gravidarum and all responded well to conservative management or oral steroids; none of these developed pre-eclamptic liver dysfunction later in pregnancy. AFLP was diagnosed in five patients (4%), three of whom needed prolonged post-natal hospitalisation because of multi-organ involvement; none of these five patients had pre-eclampsia. Clinical details of these patients have been presented and published recently.11,12
In “Other contributory conditions” the first sentence should read “Seventeen patients had abnormal liver tests in association with sepsis, most commonly caused by urinary tract infection (9 patients); 5 of these 17 were also pre-eclamptic.”
References 11 and 12 should be as follows: