Renumathy Dhanasekaran, Ikuo Nakamura, Chunling Hu, Gang Chen, Abdul M. Oseini, Elif Sezin Seven, Alexander G. Miamen, Catherine D. Moser, Wei Zhou, Toin H. van Kuppevelt, Jan M. van Deursen, Taofic Mounajjed, Martin E. Fernandez‐Zapico, Lewis R. Roberts – 12 December 2014 – In vitro studies have proposed a tumor suppressor role for sulfatase 1 (SULF1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, high expression in human HCC has been associated with poor prognosis. The reason underlying this paradoxical observation remains to be explored.

Ann K. Daly, Christopher P. Day, Yang‐Lin Liu, Quentin M. Anstee – 12 December 2014

Beomseok Suh, Sehhoon Park, Dong Wook Shin, Jae Moon Yun, Hyung‐Kook Yang, Su Jong Yu, Cheong‐Il Shin, Jin‐Soo Kim, Eunmi Ahn, Hyejin Lee, Jin Ho Park, BeLong Cho – 12 December 2014 – Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is clinically important given that its early detection has remarkable survival benefits. We investigated the possible role of FIB‐4, a recently developed noninvasive marker for liver fibrosis based on routine laboratory tests, as a clinical indicator for predicting future HCC among hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers.

Imeke Goldschmidt, Katarina Migal, Norbert Rückert, Rolf Dick, Eva Doreen Pfister, Thomas Becker, Nicolas Richter, Frank Lehner, Ulrich Baumann – 11 December 2014 – Living related liver transplantation (LRLT) is a valuable transplant option for children with end‐stage liver disease who face long waiting times on regular waiting lists. The subjection of a healthy adult to a potentially life‐threatening operation can raise issues of freedom of choice, fear, and family conflict for the potential donors.

Hong‐Yuan Hsu, Mei‐Hwei Chang, Yen‐Hsuan Ni, Cheng‐Lun Chiang, Jia‐Feng Wu, Huey‐Ling Chen – 11 December 2014 – To determine whether universal infant immunization affects occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (OBI), serum samples from hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐negative subjects <18 years enrolled during six sequential seroepidemiological surveys conducted between 1984 (just before universal infant immunization) and 2009 were analyzed. Study subjects were divided into unvaccinated cohorts (born before 1984) and vaccinated cohorts (born after 1984).

Fotios Sampaziotis, Charis‐Patricia Segeritz, Ludovic Vallier – 11 December 2014 – Liver disease is a leading cause of death in the Western world. However, our insight into the underlying disease mechanisms and the development of novel therapeutic agents has been hindered by limited availability of primary tissue, intraspecies variability associated with the use of animal models, and reduced long‐term viability of isolated and diseased liver cells.

Fotios Sampaziotis, Charis‐Patricia Segeritz, Ludovic Vallier – 11 December 2014 – Liver disease is a leading cause of death in the Western world. However, our insight into the underlying disease mechanisms and the development of novel therapeutic agents has been hindered by limited availability of primary tissue, intraspecies variability associated with the use of animal models, and reduced long‐term viability of isolated and diseased liver cells.

Ruo‐Lang Pan, Li‐Xin Xiang, Ping Wang, Xiao‐Yuan Liu, Li Nie, Wendong Huang, Jian‐Zhong Shao – 11 December 2014 – Liver fibrosis, a major cause of end‐stage liver diseases, is closely regulated by multiple growth factors and cytokines. The correlation of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) with chronic liver injury has been reported, but the exact functions of different FGF2 isoforms in liver fibrogenesis remain unclear.

Pratima Sharma, Douglas E. Schaubel, Nathan P. Goodrich, Robert M. Merion – 11 December 2014 – Hyponatremia is associated with elevated wait‐list mortality among end‐stage liver disease candidates for liver transplantation (LT). However, the effect of low serum sodium on the survival benefit of LT has not been examined. We sought to determine whether pretransplant hyponatremia is associated with an altered LT survival benefit. Data were obtained from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

Keyur Patel, Julius Wilder – 9 December 2014 – Watch a video presentation of this article