Diana Joka, Kristin Wahl, Sarah Moeller, Jerome Schlue, Bernhard Vaske, Matthias J. Bahr, Michael P. Manns, Klaus Schulze‐Osthoff, Heike Bantel – 12 October 2011 – Fibrosis and steatosis are major histopathological alterations in chronic liver diseases. Despite various shortcomings, disease severity is generally determined by liver biopsy, emphasizing the need for simple noninvasive methods for assessing disease activity.

Kwan Ho Tang, Stephanie Ma, Terence K. Lee, Yuen Piu Chan, Pak Shing Kwan, Carol M. Tong, Irene O. Ng, Kwan Man, Ka‐Fai To, Paul B. Lai, Chung‐Mau Lo, Xin‐Yuan Guan, Kwok Wah Chan – 12 October 2011 – A novel theory in the field of tumor biology postulates that cancer growth is driven by a population of stem‐like cells, called tumor‐initiating cells (TICs). We previously identified a TIC population derived from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is characterized by membrane expression of CD133.

Jing Hieng Ngu, Richard Blair Gearry, Chris Miles Frampton, Catherine Ann Malcolm Stedman – 12 October 2011 – Population‐based quantitative data on the mortality and cancer incidence of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are scarce. Our aim was to systematically investigate the survival and risk of malignancy on population‐based cohorts of AIH, PBC, and PSC in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Yuta Enami, Brigid Joseph, Sriram Bandi, Juan Lin, Sanjeev Gupta – 12 October 2011 – Organs from non–heart‐beating donors are attractive for use in cell therapy. Understanding the nature of molecular perturbations following reperfusion/reoxygenation will be highly significant for non–heart‐beating donor cells. We studied non–heart‐beating donor rats for global gene expression with Affymetrix microarrays, hepatic tissue integrity, viability of isolated hepatocytes, and engraftment and proliferation of transplanted cells in dipeptidyl peptidase IV‐deficient rats.

Alessia Bersagliere, Iolanda D. Raduazzo, Mariateresa Nardi, Sami Schiff, Angelo Gatta, Piero Amodio, Peter Achermann, Sara Montagnese – 12 October 2011 – In patients with cirrhosis, hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy are common after gastrointestinal bleeding and can be simulated by an amino acid challenge (AAC), or the administration of a mixture of amino acids mimicking the composition of hemoglobin. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical, psychometric, and wake‐/sleep‐electroencephalogram (EEG) correlates of induced hyperammonemia.

Coral Ho, Chunmei Wang, Sandra Mattu, Giulia Destefanis, Sara Ladu, Salvatore Delogu, Julia Armbruster, Lingling Fan, Susie A. Lee, Lijie Jiang, Frank Dombrowski, Matthias Evert, Xin Chen, Diego F. Calvisi – 12 October 2011 – Activation of v‐akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog (AKT) and Ras pathways is often implicated in carcinogenesis. However, the oncogenic cooperation between these two cascades in relationship to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development remains undetermined.

Christian L. Roth, Clinton T. Elfers, Dianne P. Figlewicz, Susan J. Melhorn, Gregory J. Morton, Andrew Hoofnagle, Matthew M. Yeh, James E. Nelson, Kris V. Kowdley – 12 October 2011 – Childhood obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Recent studies have found associations between vitamin D deficiency (VDD), insulin resistance (IR), and NAFLD among overweight children.

Chen‐Hsin Liao, Chau‐Ting Yeh, Ya‐Hui Huang, Sheng‐Ming Wu, Hsiang‐Cheng Chi, Ming‐Ming Tsai, Chung‐Ying Tsai, Chia‐Jung Liao, Yi‐Hsin Tseng, Yang‐Hsiang Lin, Cheng‐Yi Chen, I‐Hsiao Chung, Wan‐Li Cheng, Wei‐Jan Chen, Kwang‐Huei Lin – 12 October 2011 – Thyroid hormone (T3) mediates cellular growth, development, and differentiation by binding to the nuclear thyroid hormone receptor (TR). Recent studies suggest that long‐term hypothyroidism is associated with human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) independent from other major HCC risk factors.

Joris J. Blok, Andries E. Braat, Rene Adam, Andrew K. Burroughs, Hein Putter, Nigel G. Kooreman, Axel O. Rahmel, Robert J. Porte, Xavier Rogiers, Jan Ringers, for the European Liver Intestine Transplant Association and the Eurotransplant Liver Intestine Advisory Committee – 10 October 2011 – In Eurotransplant, more than 50% of liver allografts come from extended criteria donors (ECDs). However, not every ECD is the same. The limits of their use are being explored.

Constance E. Ruhl, James E. Everhart – 10 October 2011 – Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is an important test for liver disease, yet there is no generally accepted upper limit of normal (ULN) in the United States. Furthermore, the ability of ALT to differentiate persons with and without liver disease is uncertain. We examined cut‐offs for ALT for their ability to discriminate between persons with positive hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and those at low risk for liver injury in the U.S. population. Among adult participants in the 1999‐2008 U.S.