Speech patterns and enunciation for encephalopathy determination—A prospective study of hepatic encephalopathy

Andrew M. Moon, Hannah P. Kim, Sarah Cook, Renee T. Blanchard, Katarina L. Haley, Adam Jacks, Jennifer S. Shafer, Michael W. Fried – 20 July 2022 – Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a complication of cirrhosis that benefits from early diagnosis and treatment. We aimed to characterize speech patterns of individuals with HE to investigate its potential to diagnose and monitor HE. This was a single‐center prospective cohort study that included participants with cirrhosis with HE (minimal HE [MHE] and overt HE [OHE]), cirrhosis without HE, and participants without liver disease.

Co‐regulation of hepatic steatosis by ferritinophagy and unsaturated fatty acid supply

Ning Li, Yilie Liao, Haipeng Huang, Suneng Fu – 20 July 2022 – Both iron overload and iron deficiency have been reported in obesity and metabolic syndromes. Due to the presence of multiple intracellular iron pools and the dynamic nature of iron mobilization and use, the actual status and contribution of free and metabolically active iron toward metabolic syndrome remain to be established. The discovery of nuclear receptor coactivator 4 (NCOA4) as a ferritinophagy receptor provides an opening to address the connection between iron and metabolic diseases.

Inhibition of CBP/β‐catenin signaling ameliorated fibrosis in cholestatic liver disease

Masamichi Kimura, Koji Nishikawa, Yosuke Osawa, Jun Imamura, Kenzaburo Yamaji, Kenichi Harada, Hiroshi Yatsuhashi, Kazumoto Murata, Kouichi Miura, Atsushi Tanaka, Tatsuya Kanto, Michinori Kohara, Terumi Kamisawa, Kiminori Kimura – 19 July 2022 – Chronic cholestatic liver diseases are characterized by injury of the bile ducts and hepatocytes caused by accumulated bile acids (BAs) and inflammation. Wnt/β‐catenin signaling is implicated in organ fibrosis; however, its role in cholestatic liver fibrosis remains unclear.

Hepatic retinoic acid receptor alpha mediates all‐trans retinoic acid's effect on diet‐induced hepatosteatosis

Fathima N. Cassim Bawa, Yanyong Xu, Raja Gopoju, Noel‐Marie Plonski, Amy Shiyab, Shuwei Hu, Shaoru Chen, Yingdong Zhu, Kavita Jadhav, Takhar Kasumov, Yanqiao Zhang – 18 July 2022 – All‐trans retinoic acid (AtRA) is an active metabolite of vitamin A that influences many biological processes in development, differentiation, and metabolism. AtRA functions through activation of retinoid acid receptors (RARs). AtRA is shown to ameliorate hepatic steatosis, but the underlying mechanism is not well understood.

A flexible three‐dimensional heterophase computed tomography hepatocellular carcinoma detection algorithm for generalizable and practical screening

Chi‐Tung Cheng, Jinzheng Cai, Wei Teng, Youjing Zheng, Yu‐Ting Huang, Yu‐Chao Wang, Chien‐Wei Peng, Youbao Tang, Wei‐Chen Lee, Ta‐Sen Yeh, Jing Xiao, Le Lu, Chien‐Hung Liao, Adam P. Harrison – 18 July 2022 – Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be potentially discovered from abdominal computed tomography (CT) studies under varied clinical scenarios (e.g., fully dynamic contrast‐enhanced [DCE] studies, noncontrast [NC] plus venous phase [VP] abdominal studies, or NC‐only studies). Each scenario presents its own clinical challenges that could benefit from computer‐aided detection (CADe) tools.

Molecular determinants of peri‐apical targeting of inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor type 3 in cholangiocytes

Michele A. Rodrigues, Dawidson A. Gomes, Romina Fiorotto, Mateus T. Guerra, Jittima Weerachayaphorn, Tao Bo, William C. Sessa, Mario Strazzabosco, Michael H. Nathanson – 18 July 2022 – Fluid and bicarbonate secretion is a principal function of cholangiocytes, and impaired secretion results in cholestasis. Cholangiocyte secretion depends on peri‐apical expression of the type 3 inositol trisphosphate receptor (ITPR3), and loss of this intracellular Ca2+ release channel is a final common event in most cholangiopathies.

Hugo Ramon Rosen, MD, FAASLD

deceased member

Hugo Ramon Rosen, MD, FAASLD

The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) acknowledges the passing of Hugo Ramon Rosen, MD, FAASLD. Dr. Rosen passed away December 28, 2021.

He was a prolific physician-scientist and liver immunologist with important contributions to the field of Hepatitis C Research. He served on the board of directors of the American Society of Transplantation and was honored with the American Society of Transplantation Achievement in Clinical Science Award. He received his M.D. at the University of Miami and completed residency at Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at the University of California Los Angeles. He was a principal investigator on several National Institutes of Health studies focusing on the Hepatitis C virus. Dr. Rosen was a Division Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of Colorado, Boulder and was recruited to become the Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Sothern California.

Dr. Rosen was a beloved member of the liver community and will be remembered for his dedication and passion to the study of liver disease. He joined AASLD in 1992 and was an active member and fellow at the time of his passing. Dr. Rosen’s obituary as well as the USC Hugo Rosen MD Legacy Fund which was created to memorialize Hugo's greatest passion and professional mission: to mentor and support young, underrepresented scientific investigators, can be found here.

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