Runqiu Jiang, Zhongming Tan, Lei Deng, Yun Chen, Yongxiang Xia, Yun Gao, Xuehao Wang, Beicheng Sun – 14 June 2011 – Interleukin‐22 (IL‐22), one of the cytokines secreted by T helper 17 (Th17) cells, was recently reported to be a novel inflammation driver through STAT3 signaling activation. We aimed to investigate the role of IL‐22 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We demonstrated significant up‐regulation of IL‐22 in human HCC tumor infiltrated leukocytes (TILs) compared to peripheral lymphocytes.

Baomei Shao, Richard L. Kitchens, Robert S. Munford, Thomas E. Rogers, Don C. Rockey, Alan W. Varley – 14 June 2011 – Transient hepatomegaly often accompanies acute bacterial infections. Reversible, dose‐dependent hepatomegaly also occurs when animals are given intravenous infusions of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We found that recovery from LPS‐induced hepatomegaly requires a host enzyme, acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH), that inactivates LPS.

Romina Lomonaco, Carolina Ortiz‐Lopez, Beverly Orsak, Joan Finch, Amy Webb, Fernando Bril, Christopher Louden, Fermin Tio, Kenneth Cusi – 14 June 2011 – The role of ethnicity in determining disease severity in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remains unclear. We recruited 152 patients with biopsy‐proven NASH, 63% of whom were Hispanic and 37% of whom were Caucasian. Both groups were well matched for age, sex, and total body fat.

Ayako Suzuki, Elizabeth M. Brunt, David E. Kleiner, Rosa Miquel, Thomas C. Smyrk, Raul J. Andrade, M. Isabel Lucena, Agustin Castiella, Keith Lindor, Einar Björnsson – 14 June 2011 – Distinguishing drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) from idiopathic autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) can be challenging. We performed a standardized histologic evaluation to explore potential hallmarks to differentiate AIH versus DILI.

Antonio Mazzocca, Francesco Dituri, Luigi Lupo, Michele Quaranta, Salvatore Antonaci, Gianluigi Giannelli – 14 June 2011 – Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs in fibrotic liver as a consequence of underlying cirrhosis. The goal of this study was to investigate how the interaction between HCC cells and stromal fibroblasts affects tumor progression. We isolated and characterized carcinoma‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and paired peritumoral tissue fibroblasts (PTFs) from 10 different patients with HCC and performed coculture experiments.

Raymond D. Hickey, Joseph B. Lillegard, James E. Fisher, Travis J. McKenzie, Sean E. Hofherr, Milton J. Finegold, Scott L. Nyberg, Markus Grompe – 14 June 2011 – Hereditary tyrosinemia type I (HT1) results in hepatic failure, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) early in childhood and is caused by a deficiency in the enzyme fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH). In a novel approach we used the chimeric adeno‐associated virus DJ serotype (AAV‐DJ) and homologous recombination to target and disrupt the porcine Fah gene.

Giuseppe Indolfi, Melissa Sambrotta, Maria Moriondo, Chiara Azzari, Massimo Resti – 14 June 2011

Monica B. Jimenez‐Castro, Arani Casillas‐Ramirez, Marta Massip‐Salcedo, Maria Elias‐Miro, Anna Serafin, Antoni Rimola, Juan Rodes, Carmen Peralta – 10 June 2011 – Numerous steatotic livers are discarded as unsuitable for transplantation (TR) because of their poor tolerance of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Cyclic adenosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate (cAMP)–elevating agents protect against I/R injury both in nonsteatotic livers that have been removed from non–heart‐beating donors and subjected to warm ischemia or cold ischemia (CIS) and in perfused, isolated livers.

James A. Thomas, John P. Iredale, Stuart J. Forbes – 10 June 2011

Maria Elias‐Miro, Marta Massip‐Salcedo, Monica Jimenez‐Castro, Carmen Peralta – 10 June 2011 – Strategies for improving the viability of steatotic donor livers could increase the number of organs suitable for transplantation. There is evidence that adiponectin, the most abundant adipose‐specific adipokine, acts as an anti‐obesity and anti‐inflammatory hormone. Here we review the signaling pathways of adiponectin and the possible therapies based on adiponectin regulation that have been examined or applied clinically.