Shinya Maekawa, Minoru Sakamoto, Mika Miura, Makoto Kadokura, Ryota Sueki, Kazuki Komase, Hiroko Shindo, Nobutoshi Komatsu, Kuniaki Shindo, Asuka Kanayama, Takako Ohmori, Fumitake Amemiya, Shinichi Takano, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yasuhiro Nakayama, Takatoshi Kitamura, Taisuke Inoue, Shunichi Okada, Nobuyuki Enomoto – 10 May 2012 – To comprehensively characterize the contribution of virological factors as well as interleukin‐28B (IL28B) single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in determining treatment responses in pegylated‐interferon plus ribavirin (Peg‐IFN/RBV) therapy for chronic hepatitis C vir

Lauren E. Holz, Joo Chun Yoon, Sukanya Raghuraman, Susan Moir, Michael C. Sneller, Barbara Rehermann – 4 May 2012 – Mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) is the most common extrahepatic manifestation of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Although the formation of inflammation‐triggering immune complexes is driven by clonal expansions of autoreactive B cells, we found total B cell numbers paradoxically reduced in HCV‐infected patients with MC.

Xiao Qi Wang, Chung Mau Lo, Lin Chen, Cindy K.Y. Cheung, Zhen Fan Yang, Yong Xiong Chen, Michael N. Ng, Wan Ching Yu, Xiaoyan Ming, Wu Zhang, David W.Y. Ho, See Ching Chan, Sheung Tat Fan – 27 April 2012 – Liver transplantation (LT) is a cure for many liver diseases. Blood chimerism of donor origin can develop after LT, which raises the possibility of the existence of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) in the liver. We characterized the blood chimerism in a large cohort of 249 LT patients and analyzed putative HSPCs in adult human livers.

Yang‐Gun Suh, Ja Kyung Kim, Jin‐Seok Byun, Hyon‐Seung Yi, Young‐Sun Lee, Hyuk Soo Eun, So Yeon Kim, Kwang‐Hyub Han, Kwan Sik Lee, Gregg Duester, Scott L. Friedman, Won‐Il Jeong – 27 April 2012 – Clinical trials and animal models suggest that infusion of bone marrow cells (BMCs) is effective therapy for liver fibrosis, but the underlying mechanisms are obscure, especially those associated with early effects of BMCs. Here, we analyzed the early impact of BMC infusion and identified the subsets of BMCs showing antifibrotic effects in mice with carbon tetrachloride–induced liver fibrosis.

Erica L. Clinkenbeard, James E. Butler, Brett T. Spear – 27 April 2012 – We previously showed that mouse alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) enhancer 3 activity is highly restricted to pericentral hepatocytes in the adult liver. Here, using transgenic mice, we show that the upstream enhancer of the rat glutamine synthetase gene is also active, specifically in pericentral regions. Activity of both enhancers is lost in the absence of β‐catenin, a key regulator of zonal gene expression in the adult liver.

Karen F. Murray, Leszek Szenborn, Jacek Wysocki, Stephen Rossi, Amoreena C. Corsa, Phillip Dinh, John McHutchison, Phillip S. Pang, Luminita M. Luminos, Malgorzata Pawlowska, Jacek Mizerski – 27 April 2012 – Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (DF) is highly effective for the suppression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in chronically infected adults. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of tenofovir DF in adolescents with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Peter Ferenci – 26 April 2012 – Watch the interview with the authors

Corinne Wentworth‐Kotara, P.A‐C. – 26 April 2012 – Watch the interview with the authors

Anna S. Lok – 26 April 2012 – Watch the interview with the authors

Chiara Gabbi, Jan‐Åke Gustafsson – 26 April 2012