Clinical utility of hepatitis B surface antigen quantitation in patients with chronic hepatitis B: A review

Yun‐Fan Liaw – 18 April 2011 – This clinically relevant review focuses on recent findings concerning hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) quantitation in untreated patients and treated patients with chronic hepatitis B. Recent studies and emerging data have shown that both HBsAg and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels decline during the natural course of a chronic HBV infection; they are lowest in the inactive phase, which is also characterized by the highest HBsAg/HBV DNA ratio.

Schistosoma mansoni infection in the liver graft: The impact on donor and recipient outcomes after transplantation

Rodrigo Vincenzi, João Seda Neto, Eduardo A. Fonseca, Vincenzo Pugliese, Katia R. M. Leite, Marcel R. Benavides, Helry Lopes Cândido, Gilda Porta, Irene K. Miura, Renata Pugliese, Vera B. Danesi, Teresa C. Guimarães, Adriana Porta, Mario Kondo, Eduardo Carone, Paulo Chapchap – 18 April 2011 – The increasing number of transplants performed each year has led to the identification of unusual diseases in liver grafts from asymptomatic donors that were unrecognized before liver transplantation. Here we report our experience with patients who received liver grafts infected with schistosomiasis.

Liver‐specific loss of glucose‐regulated protein 78 perturbs the unfolded protein response and exacerbates a spectrum of liver diseases in mice

Cheng Ji, Neil Kaplowitz, Mo Yin Lau, Eddy Kao, Lydia M. Petrovic, Amy S. Lee – 18 April 2011 – The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone protein glucose‐regulated protein 78 (GRP78)/binding immunoglobulin protein is a master regulator of ER homeostasis and stress responses, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. By applying the locus of X‐over P1–cyclization recombination strategy, we generated mice with liver‐specific GRP78 loss.

Emergence of hepatitis B virus S gene mutants in patients experiencing hepatitis B surface antigen seroconversion after peginterferon therapy

Chao‐Wei Hsu, Chau‐Ting Yeh – 18 April 2011 – With anti–hepatitis B virus (anti‐HBV) therapy using peginterferon, the seroconversion of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), which is considered a cure of the disease, can be achieved in a small percentage of patients. Eight of 245 consecutive patients (3.27%) with chronic hepatitis B who received peginterferon therapy at our center achieved HBsAg seroclearance. Surprisingly, two of the eight patients remained viremic according to standard HBV DNA assays.

Mitochondrial calcium regulates rat liver regeneration through the modulation of apoptosis

Mateus T. Guerra, Emerson A. Fonseca, Flavia M. Melo, Viviane A. Andrade, Carla J. Aguiar, Lídia M. Andrade, Ana Cristina N. Pinheiro, Marisa C. F. Casteluber, Rodrigo R. Resende, Mauro C. X. Pinto, Simone O. A. Fernandes, Valbert N. Cardoso, Elaine M. Souza‐Fagundes, Gustavo B. Menezes, Ana M. de Paula, Michael H. Nathanson, Maria de Fátima Leite – 18 April 2011 – Subcellular Ca2+ signals control a variety of responses in the liver. For example, mitochondrial Ca2+ (Ca) regulates apoptosis, whereas Ca2+ in the nucleus regulates cell proliferation.

Krüppel‐like factor 15 activates hepatitis B virus gene expression and replication

Jie Zhou, Thomas Tan, Yongjun Tian, Bojian Zheng, J.‐H. James Ou, Eric J. Huang, T.S. Benedict Yen – 18 April 2011 – Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a small DNA virus that requires cellular transcription factors for the expression of its genes. To understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate HBV gene expression, we conducted a yeast one‐hybrid screen to identify novel cellular transcription factors that may control HBV gene expression. Here, we demonstrate that Krüppel‐like factor 15 (KLF15), a liver‐enriched transcription factor, can robustly activate HBV surface and core promoters.

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