Xin‐An Wang, Ran Zhang, Dingsheng Jiang, Wei Deng, Shumin Zhang, Shan Deng, Jinfeng Zhong, Tao Wang, Li‐Hua Zhu, Li Yang, Shufen Hong, Sen Guo, Ke Chen, Xiao‐Fei Zhang, Zhigang She, Yingjie Chen, Qinglin Yang, Xiao‐Dong Zhang, Hongliang Li – 7 March 2013 – Obesity is a calorie‐excessive state associated with high risk of diabetes, atherosclerosis, and certain types of tumors. Obesity may induce inflammation and insulin resistance (IR).

Hongping Xia, London Lucien P.J. Ooi, Kam M. Hui – 7 March 2013 – Tumor recurrence and metastases are the major obstacles to improving the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To identify novel risk factors associated with HCC recurrence and metastases, we have established a panel of recurrence‐associated microRNAs (miRNAs) by comparing miRNA expression in recurrent and nonrecurrent human HCC tissue samples using microarrays (recurrence is defined as recurrent disease occurring within a 2‐year time point of the original treatment).

Beverley Kok, Matthew R. Foxton, Christopher Clough, Debbie L. Shawcross – 7 March 2013

Greg C. G. Hugenholtz, Jelle Adelmeijer, Joost C. M. Meijers, Robert J. Porte, R. Todd Stravitz, Ton Lisman – 6 March 2013 – Emerging evidence supports the concept of a rebalanced hemostatic state in liver disease as a result of a commensurate decline in prohemostatic and antihemostatic drivers. In the present study, we assessed levels and functionality of the platelet‐adhesive protein von Willebrand factor (VWF) and its cleaving protease ADAMTS13 in the plasma of patients with acute liver injury and acute liver failure (ALI/ALF).

Tércio Genzini, Alisson Paulino Trevizol, Eduardo Tomohissa Yamashita, Huda Maria Noujaim, Regina Gomes Santos, Marilia Tavares Campos Oliveira Gaboardi, Leonardo Toledo Mota, Juan Raphael Brañez Pereira, Leonardo Ogawa Oliveira, Marcelo Perosa – 6 March 2013

Charles Miller, Martin L. Smith, Masato Fujiki, Teresa Diago Uso, Cristiano Quintini – 6 March 2013 – Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is associated with a low but finite and well‐documented risk of donor morbidity and mortality, so organizations and individuals involved in this activity must accept the fact that a donor death is a question of when and not if.

Karine Lacombe, Anders Boyd, Fabien Lavocat, Christian Pichoud, Joel Gozlan, Patrick Miailhes, Caroline Lascoux‐Combe, Guy Vernet, Pierre‐Marie Girard, Fabien Zoulim – 6 March 2013 – Anti–hepatitis B virus (HBV) nucleos(t)ides analogs (NA) exert selective pressures on polymerase (pol) and surface (S) genes, inducing treatment resistance and increasing the risk of vaccine escape mutants. The rate of emergence for these mutations is largely unknown in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HBV undergoing dual‐active therapy.

Alessio Aghemo, Raffaele De Francesco – 6 March 2013 – Most direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) that are being developed as therapy against hepatitis C virus target the NS3/4A protease, the NS5A protein, and the NS5B polymerase. The latter enzyme offers different target sites: the catalytic domain for nucleos(t)ide analogues as well as a number of allosteric sites for nonnucleos(t)ide inhibitors. Two NS3/4A protease inhibitors have been approved recently, and more than 40 new NS3/4A, NS5A, or NS5B inhibitors are in development.

Jens U. Marquardt, Peter R. Galle – 6 March 2013

Alessio Aghemo, Raffaele De Francesco – 6 March 2013 – Most direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) that are being developed as therapy against hepatitis C virus target the NS3/4A protease, the NS5A protein, and the NS5B polymerase. The latter enzyme offers different target sites: the catalytic domain for nucleos(t)ide analogues as well as a number of allosteric sites for nonnucleos(t)ide inhibitors. Two NS3/4A protease inhibitors have been approved recently, and more than 40 new NS3/4A, NS5A, or NS5B inhibitors are in development.