Luca Valenti, MariaGrazia Rumi, Enrico Galmozzi, Alessio Aghemo, Benedetta Del Menico, Stella De Nicola, Paola Dongiovanni, Marco Maggioni, Anna Ludovica Fracanzani, Raffaela Rametta, Massimo Colombo, Silvia Fargion – 13 December 2010 – Steatosis has been reported to negatively influence the natural history of chronic hepatitis C (CHC), but controversy remains over its causal role due to the confounding effect of adiposity, insulin resistance, and diabetes.

Manuel Mendizabal, K. Rajender Reddy, James Cassuto, Kim M. Olthoff, Thomas W. Faust, George A. Makar, Elizabeth B. Rand, Abraham Shaked, Peter L. Abt – 13 December 2010 – The improved life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has led to a change in the impact of liver disease on the prognosis of this population. Liver transplantation has emerged as the procedure of choice for patients with CF and features of hepatic decompensation and for intractable variceal bleeding as a major manifestation.

Julia von Frowein, Philipp Pagel, Roland Kappler, Dietrich von Schweinitz, Adelbert Roscher, Irene Schmid – 13 December 2010 – MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are well‐known regulators of proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation and are recognized to play an important role in the development of cancers. Here we aimed to identify the functional contribution of miRNAs to the biology of hepatoblastoma (HB), the most common malignant liver tumor in childhood.

Julieta Díaz‐Juárez, Rolando Hernández‐Muñoz – 13 December 2010 – Although increased plasma enzyme activities could be diagnostic for tissue damage, the mechanisms controlling cellular enzyme release remain poorly understood. We found a selective and drastic elevation of serum enzyme activities accompanying rat liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy (PH), apparently controlled by a mechanism dependent on flow‐bearing physical forces. In fact, this study assesses a putative role of calcium mobilization and nitric oxide (NO) production underlying rat liver enzyme release.

Michinori Matsumoto, Yoshiaki Kita, Takeshi Gocho, Shigeki Wakiyama, Taro Sakamoto, Tomonori Iida, Takeyuki Misawa, Yuichi Ishida, Katsuhiko Yanaga – 13 December 2010

Ming‐Hua Zheng, Yu‐Chen Fan, Ke‐Qing Shi, Yong‐Ping Chen – 13 December 2010

Mariana Verdelho Machado, Helena Cortez‐Pinto – 13 December 2010

Elsa Solà, Sabela Lens, Mónica Guevara, Pere Ginès – 9 December 2010

Randolph P. Matthews, Steven F. EauClaire, Monica Mugnier, Kristin Lorent, Shuang Cui, Megan M. Ross, Zhe Zhang, Pierre Russo, Michael Pack – 7 December 2010 – Infantile cholestatic disorders arise in the context of progressively developing intrahepatic bile ducts. Biliary atresia (BA), a progressive fibroinflammatory disorder of extra‐ and intrahepatic bile ducts, is the most common identifiable cause of infantile cholestasis and the leading indication for liver transplantation in children.

Zhong‐Hua Lin, Yong‐Ning Xin, Quan‐Jiang Dong, Qing Wang, Xiang‐Jun Jiang, Shu‐Hui Zhan, Ying Sun, Shi‐Ying Xuan – 7 December 2010 – The aspartate aminotransferase‐to‐platelet ratio index (APRI), a tool with limited expense and widespread availability, is a promising noninvasive alternative to liver biopsy for detecting hepatic fibrosis.