Jeremie Guedj, Harel Dahari, Emi Shudo, Patrick Smith, Alan S. Perelson – 16 November 2011 – Mericitabine (RG7128) is a nucleoside polymerase inhibitor (NPI), which requires intracellular uptake and phosphorylation to two active triphosphates. Mathematical modeling has provided important insights for characterizing hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA decline and estimating in vivo effectiveness of antiviral agents; however, it has not been used to characterize viral kinetics with NPIs.

Christian M. Lange, Zoltan Kutalik, Kenichi Morikawa, Stéphanie Bibert, Andreas Cerny, Günter Dollenmaier, Jean‐François Dufour, Tilman J. Gerlach, Markus H. Heim, Raffaele Malinverni, Beat Müllhaupt, Francesco Negro, Darius Moradpour, Pierre‐Yves Bochud, the Swiss Hepatitis C Cohort Study Group – 16 November 2011 – Elevated serum ferritin levels may reflect a systemic inflammatory state as well as increased iron storage, both of which may contribute to an unfavorable outcome of chronic hepatitis C (CHC).

Massimo Iavarone, Angelo Sangiovanni – 16 November 2011

Nieves Embade, David Fernández‐Ramos, Marta Varela‐Rey, Naiara Beraza, Marcella Sini, Virginia Gutiérrez de Juan, Ashwin Woodhoo, Nuria Martínez‐López, Begoña Rodríguez‐Iruretagoyena, Francisco Javier Bustamante, Ana Belén de la Hoz, Arkaitz Carracedo, Dimitris P. Xirodimas, Manuel S. Rodríguez, Shelly C. Lu, José M. Mato, María L. Martínez‐Chantar – 16 November 2011 – Hu antigen R (HuR) is a central RNA‐binding protein regulating cell dedifferentiation, proliferation, and survival, which are well‐established hallmarks of cancer.

Blythe D. Shepard, Dean J. Tuma, Pamela L. Tuma – 16 November 2011 – The liver is the major site of ethanol metabolism and thus sustains the most injury from chronic alcohol consumption. Ethanol metabolism by the hepatocyte leads to the generation of reactive metabolites and oxygen radicals that can readily adduct DNA, lipids, and proteins. More recently, it has become apparent that ethanol consumption also leads to increased post‐translational modifications of the natural repertoire, including lysine hyperacetylation.

Mauro Bernardi, Paolo Caraceni, Roberta J. Navickis, Mahlon M. Wilkes – 16 November 2011 – Albumin infusion reduces the incidence of postparacentesis circulatory dysfunction among patients with cirrhosis and tense ascites, as compared with no treatment. Treatment alternatives to albumin, such as artificial colloids and vasoconstrictors, have been widely investigated. The aim of this meta‐analysis was to determine whether morbidity and mortality differ between patients receiving albumin versus alternative treatments.

Chunbin Zhang, Guohui Wang, Ze Zheng, Krishna Rao Maddipati, Xuebao Zhang, Gregory Dyson, Paul Williams, Stephen A. Duncan, Randal J. Kaufman, Kezhong Zhang – 16 November 2011 – cAMP responsive element‐binding protein, hepatocyte specific (CREBH), is a liver‐specific transcription factor localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Our previous work demonstrated that CREBH is activated by ER stress or inflammatory stimuli to induce an acute‐phase hepatic inflammation.

Ji Ling, Todd Chaba, Lin‐Fu Zhu, René L. Jacobs, Dennis E. Vance – 16 November 2011 – A major predictor of failed liver resection and transplantation is nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is linked to a wide spectrum of diseases including obesity and diabetes that are increasingly prevalent in Western populations. Thus, it is important to develop therapies aimed at improving posthepatectomy outcomes in patients with NAFLD, as well as to improve the evaluation of patients slated for hepatic surgery.

Richard B. Freeman, Russell Wiesner – 16 November 2011

Federica Turati, Valeria Edefonti, Renato Talamini, Monica Ferraroni, Matteo Malvezzi, Francesca Bravi, Silvia Franceschi, Maurizio Montella, Jerry Polesel, Antonella Zucchetto, Carlo La Vecchia, Eva Negri, Adriano Decarli – 16 November 2011 – Familial clustering of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been frequently reported in eastern Asiatic countries, where hepatitis B infection is common. Little is known about the relationship between family history of liver cancer and HCC in Western populations.