Chronic inflammation, immune escape, and oncogenesis in the liver: A unique neighborhood for novel intersections

Jimmy K. Stauffer, Anthony J. Scarzello, Qun Jiang, Robert H. Wiltrout – 1 March 2012 – Sustained hepatic inflammation, driven by alcohol consumption, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and/or chronic viral hepatitis (hepatitis B and C), results in damage to parenchyma, oxidative stress, and compensatory regeneration/proliferation. There is substantial evidence linking these inflammation‐associated events with the increased incidence of hepatocellular carcinogenesis.

Long‐term risk of recurrent peptic ulcer bleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis: A 10‐year nationwide cohort study

Yao‐Chun Hsu, Jaw‐Town Lin, Tzu‐Ting Chen, Ming‐Shiang Wu, Chun‐Ying Wu – 1 March 2012 – Peptic ulcer bleeding leads to substantial morbidity and mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis, but their long‐term risk of recurrent bleeding remains elusive. This nationwide cohort study aimed to elucidate the association between cirrhosis and recurrent peptic ulcer bleeding by analyzing the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database.

Histopathology of de novo autoimmune hepatitis

Ananya Pongpaibul, Robert S. Venick, Sue V. McDiarmid, Charles R. Lassman – 29 February 2012 – De novo autoimmune hepatitis (DAIH) is a well‐recognized complication of pediatric liver transplantation (LT). The diagnosis is largely based on elevated liver function test results and the development of autoimmune antibodies. The histology of DAIH was first described in 1998. We present detailed histological data from the largest series to date of pretreatment and posttreatment biopsy samples from pediatric LT patients with DAIH.

The impaired immune regulation of autoimmune hepatitis is linked to a defective galectin‐9/tim‐3 pathway

Rodrigo Liberal, Charlotte R. Grant, Beth S. Holder, Yun Ma, Giorgina Mieli‐Vergani, Diego Vergani, Maria Serena Longhi – 28 February 2012 – In autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), liver‐damaging CD4 T cell responses are associated with defective CD4posCD25pos regulatory T cells (T‐regs). Galectin‐9 (Gal9), a β‐galactosidase–binding protein expressed by T‐regs, is key to their function, inhibiting T helper 1 immune responses by binding T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3 (Tim‐3) on CD4 effector cells.

Hepatitis A virus vaccination in persons with hepatitis C virus infection: Consequences of quality measure implementation

Ian A. Rowe, Richard Parker, Matthew J. Armstrong, Diarmaid D. Houlihan, David J. Mutimer – 28 February 2012 – Hepatitis A virus (HAV) superinfection in persons with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been associated with a high mortality rate, and vaccination is recommended. The incidence of HAV is low, and the aim of this study was to determine the mortality risk of HAV superinfection and the consequences of routine vaccination in persons with HCV infection.

Persistence of hepatitis A vaccine induced seropositivity in infants and young children by maternal antibody status: 10‐year follow‐up

Umid M. Sharapov, Lisa R. Bulkow, Susan E. Negus, Philip R. Spradling, Chriss Homan, Jan Drobeniuc, Michael Bruce, Saleem Kamili, Dale J. Hu, Brian J. McMahon – 28 February 2012 – Persistence of seropositivity conferred by hepatitis A vaccine administered to children <2 years of age is unknown and passively transferred maternal antibodies to hepatitis A virus (maternal anti‐HAV) may lower the infant's immune response to the vaccine.

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