Katalin Dezső, Veronika Papp, Edina Bugyik, Hargita Hegyesi, Géza Sáfrány, Csaba Bödör, Péter Nagy, Sándor Paku – 15 March 2012 – We have analyzed the architectural aspects of progenitor‐cell–driven regenerative growth in rat liver by applying the 2‐acetaminofluorene/partial hepatectomy experimental model. The regeneration is initiated by the proliferation of so‐called oval cells. The oval cells at the proximal tips of the ductules have a more differentiated phenotype and higher proliferative rate.

Young Mok Lee, Hyun Sik Jun, Chi‐Jiunn Pan, Su Ru Lin, Lane H. Wilson, Brian C. Mansfield, Janice Y. Chou – 15 March 2012 – Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD‐Ia), which is characterized by impaired glucose homeostasis and chronic risk of hepatocellular adenoma (HCA), is caused by deficiencies in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐associated glucose‐6‐phosphatase‐α (G6Pase‐α or G6PC) that hydrolyzes glucose‐6‐phosphate (G6P) to glucose. G6Pase‐α activity depends on the G6P transporter (G6PT) that translocates G6P from the cytoplasm into the ER lumen.

Wai‐Kay Seto, Danny Ka‐Ho Wong, James Fung, Ivan Fan‐Ngai Hung, Daniel Yee‐Tak Fong, John Chi‐Hang Yuen, Teresa Tong, Ching‐Lung Lai, Man‐Fung Yuen – 15 March 2012 – The kinetics of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels preceding spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance has not been fully investigated. The kinetics of HBsAg and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA of 203 treatment‐naïve, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐negative patients with spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance were compared with 203 age‐ and sex‐matched HBeAg‐negative controls.

Marnie J. Wood, Lawrie W. Powell, Jeannette L. Dixon, Grant A. Ramm – 15 March 2012 – The risk of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis in hereditary hemochromatosis relates to the degree of iron loading, but iron alone does not explain the variability in disease penetrance. This study sought to identify clinical cofactors that increase the risk of progressive liver disease. We identified 291 patients from our database who were homozygous for the C282Y mutation in HFE and had undergone a liver biopsy with quantification of hepatic iron concentration (HIC) and fibrosis staging.

Aras N. Mattis, Holger Willenbring – 15 March 2012

Yoshiaki Sunami, Frank Leithäuser, Sarah Gul, Katja Fiedler, Nurdan Güldiken, Sigrid Espenlaub, Karl‐Heinz Holzmann, Nora Hipp, Anca Sindrilaru, Tom Luedde, Bernd Baumann, Sebastian Wissel, Florian Kreppel, Marion Schneider, Karin Scharffetter‐Kochanek, Stefan Kochanek, Pavel Strnad, Thomas Wirth – 12 March 2012 – Liver damage in humans is induced by various insults including alcohol abuse, hepatitis B/C virus infection, autoimmune or metabolic disorders and, when persistent, leads to development of liver fibrosis.

Sergio Duarte, Takashi Hamada, Naohisa Kuriyama, Ronald W. Busuttil, Ana J. Coito – 12 March 2012 – Hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) remains an important challenge in clinical orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐1 (TIMP‐1) is the major endogenous regulator of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9). In this study we investigated the functional significance of TIMP‐1 expression in a well‐established mouse model of partial liver IRI.

Hee Yeon Kim, Jong Young Choi, Chang Wook Kim, Si Hyun Bae, Seung Kew Yoon, Young Joon Lee, Sung Eun Rha, Young Kyoung You, Dong Goo Kim, Eun Sun Jung – 12 March 2012 – The aim of this study was to investigate the role of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd‐EOB‐DTPA)–enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in predicting the histological grade of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) according to the hepatic function.

Naoshi Nishida, Masatoshi Kudo, Takeshi Nagasaka, Iwao Ikai, Ajay Goel – 12 March 2012 – We aimed to identify the specific subset of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) that are methylation‐silenced during the earliest steps of hepatocarcinogenesis, and to further evaluate whether these genes can serve as predictive biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) emergence.

Robert P. Myers – 12 March 2012