Shufeng Liu, Kevin D. McCormick, Wentao Zhao, Ting Zhao, Daping Fan, Tianyi Wang – 15 February 2012 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry is a multiple‐step process involving a number of host factors and hence represents a promising target for new antiviral drug development. In search of novel inhibitors of HCV infection, we found that a human apolipoprotein E (apoE) peptide, hEP, containing both a receptor binding fragment and a lipid binding fragment of apoE specifically blocked the entry of cell culture grown HCV (HCVcc) at submicromolar concentrations.

John D. Ryan, Sandro Altamura, Emma Devitt, Sarah Mullins, Matthew W. Lawless, Martina U. Muckenthaler, John Crowe – 15 February 2012 – Pegylated interferon‐α (PEG‐IFN‐α) forms an integral part of the current treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. PEG‐IFN‐α suppresses HCV production by augmenting the innate antiviral immune response. Recent studies have reported the induction of hepcidin, the iron regulatory hormone, by IFN‐α in vitro.

Celine S. Lages, Julia Simmons, Claire A. Chougnet, Alexander G. Miethke – 15 February 2012 – CD8 T‐lymphocytes are effector cells of cholangiocyte injury in human and in rhesus rotavirus (RRV)‐induced experimental biliary atresia (BA). Here we hypothesize that neonatal deficiency in CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) leads to aberrant activation of hepatic T‐lymphocytes in BA.

Stephen A. Harrison, Fayez M. Hamzeh, Jian Han, Prashant K. Pandya, Muhammed Y. Sheikh, John M. Vierling – 15 February 2012 – Patients with chronic hepatitis C and insulin resistance are less likely to respond to anti‐hepatitis C virus (HCV) therapy and are at risk for more rapid fibrosis progression. Coadministration of pioglitazone with peginterferon/ribavirin improves insulin sensitivity and increases virologic response rates in insulin‐resistant HCV genotype 4 patients, but it is unclear whether this finding applies to genotype 1 patients.

Régine Truchi, Eve Gelsi, Faredj Cherikh, Albert Tran, Patrice Couzigou – 15 February 2012

Nathan M. Bass – 13 February 2012

Jeffrey S. Plotkin, Lynt B. Johnson, Vinod Rustgi, Paul C. Kuo – 13 February 2012

Juling Ji, Feng Yu, Qiuhong Ji, Zhiyao Li, Kuidong Wang, Jinsheng Zhang, Jinbiao Lu, Li Chen, Qun E, Yaoying Zeng, Yuhua Ji – 13 February 2012

Lorenzo Uccellini, Fan‐Chen Tseng, Alessandro Monaco, Fatma M. Shebl, Ruth Pfeiffer, Myhanh Dotrang, Dianna Buckett, Michael P. Busch, Ena Wang, Brian R. Edlin, Francesco M. Marincola, Thomas R. O'Brien – 13 February 2012 – In patients with chronic hepatitis C, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA level is an important predictor of treatment response. To explore the relationship of HCV RNA with viral and demographic factors, as well as IL28B genotype, we examined viral levels in an ethnically diverse group of injection drug users (IDUs).

Supriya Munshaw, Hyon S. Hwang, Michael Torbenson, Jeffrey Quinn, Kasper D. Hansen, Jacquie Astemborski, Shruti H. Mehta, Stuart C. Ray, David L. Thomas, Ashwin Balagopal – 13 February 2012 – Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is complicated by hepatic fibrosis. Hypothesizing that early fibrogenic signals may originate in cells susceptible to HCV infection, hepatocyte gene expression was analyzed from persons with chronic HCV at different stages of liver fibrosis.