Wan‐Hsin Wen, Huey‐Ling Chen, Yen‐Hsuan Ni, Hong‐Yuan Hsu, Jia‐Horng Kao, Fu‐Chang Hu, Mei‐Hwei Chang – 4 November 2010 – Genotypes B and C are the major hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes in Taiwan, and genotype C is associated with more severe liver disease than genotype B. Whether the implementation of the hepatitis B immunization program has affected the secular trend of the HBV genotype distribution remains unknown.

Min Guan, Linbing Qu, Wenjuan Tan, Ling Chen, Chi‐Wai Wong – 4 November 2010 – Hepatocyte nuclear factor‐4 alpha (HNF‐4α) is an important transcription factor governing the expression of genes involved in multiple metabolic pathways. Secreted phospholipase A2 GXIIB (PLA2GXIIB) is an atypical member of a class of secreted phospholipases A2. We establish in this study that PLA2GXIIB is an HNF‐4α target gene. We demonstrate that HNF‐4α binds to a response element on the PLA2GXIIB promoter. Moreover, HNF‐4α agonists induce PLA2GXIIB expression in human hepatocarcinoma cells.

Chung‐Feng Huang, Chia‐Yen Dai, Jee‐Fu Huang, Wan‐Long Chuang, Ming‐Lung Yu – 4 November 2010

Niraj Khandelwal, Laura P. James, Corron Sanders, Anne M. Larson, William M. Lee, and the Acute Liver Failure Study Group – 4 November 2010 – Despite extensive investigations, the cause of liver injury in 14% of patients with acute liver failure remains unknown (indeterminate). In a pilot study using a novel assay, highly specific acetaminophen‐cysteine adducts were detected in 7 of 36 indeterminate patients (19%).

Aleksander Krag, Søren Møller, Flemming Bendtsen – 4 November 2010

Jennifer M. Loftis, Benjamin J. Morasco, Peter Hauser – 4 November 2010

Dipali Sharma, Jason Wang, Ping P. Fu, Shvetank Sharma, Arumugam Nagalingam, Jamie Mells, Jeffrey Handy, Andrew J. Page, Cynthia Cohen, Frank A. Anania, Neeraj K. Saxena – 29 October 2010 – Obesity is rapidly becoming a pandemic and is associated with increased carcinogenesis. Obese populations have higher circulating levels of leptin in contrast to low concentrations of adiponectin. Hence, it is important to evaluate the dynamic role between adiponectin and leptin in obesity‐related carcinogenesis.

Nirupa Sachithanandan, Barbara C. Fam, Stacey Fynch, Nicolas Dzamko, Matthew J. Watt, Sam Wormald, Jane Honeyman, Sandra Galic, Joseph Proietto, Sofianos Andrikopoulos, Andrea L. Hevener, Thomas W.H. Kay, Gregory R. Steinberg – 29 October 2010 – Obesity is associated with chronic inflammation and contributes to the development of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The suppressor of cytokine signaling‐3 (SOCS3) protein is increased in inflammation and is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance by inhibiting insulin and leptin signaling.

Lucia Pacifico, Caterina Anania, Francesco Martino, Vito Cantisani, Roberto Pascone, Andrea Marcantonio, Claudio Chiesa – 29 October 2010 – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been consistently found to be associated with features of the metabolic syndrome (MS), a condition carrying a high risk of cardiovascular events. The present study aimed to determine whether, in children and adolescents, NAFLD is atherogenic beyond its association with MS and its components.

Jin‐Ping Lai, Abdul M. Oseini, Catherine D. Moser, Chunrong Yu, Sherine F. Elsawa, Chunling Hu, Ikuo Nakamura, Tao Han, Ileana Aderca, Hajime Isomoto, Megan M. Garrity‐Park, Abdirashid M. Shire, Jia Li, Schuyler O. Sanderson, Alex A. Adjei, Martin E. Fernandez‐Zapico, Lewis R. Roberts – 29 October 2010 – Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) act as coreceptors or storage sites for growth factors and cytokines such as fibroblast growth factor and Wnts. Glypican 3 (GPC3) is the most highly expressed HSPG in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).