Maria Paola Serra, Fabio Marongiu, Marcella Sini, Ezio Laconi – 5 March 2012 – In the retrorsine (RS)‐based model of massive liver repopulation, preexposure to this naturally occurring alkaloid is sufficient to prime normal host parenchymal cells to be slowly replaced by transplanted normal hepatocytes. The basis for this striking effect is yet to be fully elucidated. In the present studies the possible involvement of cell senescence was investigated.

Po‐Jen Chen, Shiou‐Hwei Yeh, Wan‐Hsin Liu, Chen‐Ching Lin, Hsuan‐Cheng Huang, Chi‐Ling Chen, Ding‐Shinn Chen, Pei‐Jer Chen – 5 March 2012 – Deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is common in advanced human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the ones involved in early carcinogenesis have not yet been investigated. By examining the expression of 22 HCC‐related miRNAs between precancerous and cancerous liver tissues, we found miR‐216a and miR‐224 were significantly up‐regulated, starting from the precancerous stage.

Roheeth D. Delima, Anita C.G. Chua, Janina E.E. Tirnitz‐Parker, Eng K. Gan, Kevin D. Croft, Ross M. Graham, John K. Olynyk, Debbie Trinder – 2 March 2012 – Mutations in hemochromatosis protein (HFE) or transferrin receptor 2 (TFR2) cause hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) by impeding production of the liver iron‐regulatory hormone, hepcidin (HAMP). This study examined the effects of disruption of Hfe or Tfr2, either alone or together, on liver iron loading and injury in mouse models of HH.

Jesús M. Banales, Elena Sáez, Miriam Úriz, Sarai Sarvide, Aura D. Urribarri, Patrick Splinter, Pamela S. Tietz Bogert, Luis Bujanda, Jesús Prieto, Juan F. Medina, Nicholas F. LaRusso – 2 March 2012 – Cl−/HCO anion exchanger 2 (AE2) participates in intracellular pH homeostasis and secretin‐stimulated biliary bicarbonate secretion. AE2/SLC4A2 gene expression is reduced in liver and blood mononuclear cells from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).

Maureen M. Jonas, William Balistreri, Regino P. Gonzalez‐Peralta, Barbara Haber, Steven Lobritto, Parvathi Mohan, Jean P. Molleston, Karen F. Murray, Michael R. Narkewicz, Philip Rosenthal, Kathleen B. Schwarz, Bruce A. Barton, John A. Shepherd, Paul D. Mitchell, Christopher Duggan – 2 March 2012 – Weight loss and changes in growth are noted in children treated with interferon alpha (IFN‐α). The aim of this study was to prospectively determine changes in weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and body composition during and after treatment of children with hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Sumeet K. Asrani, Nina S. Asrani, Deborah K. Freese, Sabrina D. Phillips, Carole A. Warnes, Julie Heimbach, Patrick S. Kamath – 2 March 2012 – There are approximately 1 million adult patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) in the United States, and the number is increasing. Hepatic complications are common and may occur secondary to persistent chronic passive venous congestion or decreased cardiac output resulting from the underlying cardiac disease or as a result of palliative cardiac surgery; transfusion or drug‐related hepatitis may also occur.

Joseph F. Perz, Scott Grytdal, Suzanne Beck, Ana Maria Fireteanu, Tasha Poissant, Elena Rizzo, Katherine Bornschlegel, Ann Thomas, Sharon Balter, Jeremy Miller, R. Monina Klevens, Lyn Finelli – 2 March 2012 – Reports of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission associated with unsafe medical practices have been increasing in the United States. However, the contribution of healthcare exposures to the burden of new infections is poorly understood outside of recognized outbreaks.

Youhui Si, Shufeng Liu, Xiuying Liu, Jana L. Jacobs, Min Cheng, Yuqiang Niu, Qi Jin, Tianyi Wang, Wei Yang – 1 March 2012 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry is a complicated process that requires multiple host factors, such as CD81, scavenger receptor BI, claudin‐1 (CLDN1), and occludin. The interaction of virus and cellular entry factors represents a promising target for novel anti‐HCV drug development. In this study, we sought to identify peptide inhibitors for HCV entry by screening a library of overlapping peptides covering the four above‐mentioned entry factors.

Salvador Augustin, Antonio González, Laia Badia, Laura Millán, Aranzazu Gelabert, Alejandro Romero, Antoni Segarra, María Martell, Rafael Esteban, Jaime Guardia, Joan Genescà – 1 March 2012 – Although it is assumed that hemodynamic responders to pharmacological therapy after a variceal hemorrhage are adequately protected from rebleeding, there is no evidence that either this response or its protective effect extend beyond the usual 2‐year follow‐up featured in available studies.

David Y. Zhang, Scott L. Friedman – 1 March 2012 – Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rising worldwide cause of cancer mortality, making the elucidation of its underlying mechanisms an urgent priority. The liver is unique in its response to injury, simultaneously undergoing regeneration and fibrosis. HCC occurs in the context of these two divergent responses, leading to distinctive pathways of carcinogenesis. In this review we highlight pathways of liver tumorigenesis that depend on, or are enhanced by, fibrosis.