Lucy Golden‐Mason, Hugo R. Rosen – 13 February 2017 – Glycan‐binding proteins, which include galectins, are involved at all stages of immunity and inflammation, from initiation through resolution. Galectin‐9 (Gal‐9) is highly expressed in the liver and has a wide variety of biological functions in innate and adaptive immunity that are instrumental in the maintenance of hepatic homeostasis. In the setting of viral hepatitis, increased expression of Gal‐9 drives the expansion of regulatory T cells and contraction of effector T cells, thereby favoring viral persistence.

Guofeng Chen, Cheng Wang, Jing Chen, Dong Ji, Yudong Wang, Vanessa Wu, Johan Karlberg, George Lau – 13 February 2017 – There is an increased awareness of hepatitis B (HBV) reactivation in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients coinfected with HBV treated with pan‐oral direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs).

Lionel Arrivé, Sanaâ Mouhadi – 13 February 2017

Raquel Yotti, Cristina Ripoll, Yolanda Benito, Maria Vega Catalina, Jaime Elízaga, Diego Rincón, Francisco Fernández‐Avilés, Javier Bermejo, Rafael Bañares – 13 February 2017 – An accurate evaluation of cardiac function in patients with cirrhosis remains a challenge. We used robust echocardiographic indices to characterize left ventricular (LV) systolic function and its relationship to activation of the sympathetic nervous system and inflammation in 59 patients with cirrhosis and 59 age‐matched controls.

Matthew A. Goldsworthy, Ian A. Rowe – 13 February 2017

Andrew P. Keaveny, C. Burcin Taner – 13 February 2017

Florian A. Lempp, Ellen Wiedtke, Bingqian Qu, Pierre Roques, Isabelle Chemin, Florian W. R. Vondran, Roger Le Grand, Dirk Grimm, Stephan Urban – 13 February 2017 – Infections with the human hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) depend on species‐specific host factors like the receptor human sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (hNTCP). Complementation of mouse hepatocytes with hNTCP confers susceptibility to HDV but not HBV, indicating the requirement of additional HBV‐specific factors.

David E. Kleiner – 13 February 2017

Avinash Kumar, Gangarao Davuluri, Rafaella Nascimento e Silva, Marielle P.K.J. Engelen, Gabrie A.M. Ten Have, Richard Prayson, Nicolaas E.P. Deutz, Srinivasan Dasarathy – 13 February 2017 – Sarcopenia or skeletal muscle loss is a frequent, potentially reversible complication in cirrhosis that adversely affects clinical outcomes. Hyperammonemia is a consistent abnormality in cirrhosis that results in impaired skeletal muscle protein synthesis and breakdown (proteostasis).

Aynur Unalp‐Arida, Constance E. Ruhl – 13 February 2017 – Fatty liver disease is common in the United States and worldwide due to changing lifestyles and can progress to fibrosis and cirrhosis contributing to premature death. We examined whether liver fibrosis scores were associated with increased overall and disease‐specific mortality in a United States population–based prospective survey with up to 23 years of linked‐mortality data. Data were analyzed from 14,841 viral hepatitis–negative adult participants in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988‐1994.