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Michael P. Manns, Albert J. Czaja, James D. Gorham, Edward L. Krawitt, Giorgina Mieli‐Vergani, Diego Vergani, John M. Vierling – 1 September 2010

Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), emtricitabine/TDF, and entecavir in patients with decompensated chronic hepatitis B liver disease

Yun‐Fan Liaw, I‐Shyan Sheen, Chuan‐Mo Lee, Ulus Salih Akarca, George V. Papatheodoridis, Florence Suet‐Hing Wong, Ting‐Tsung Chang, Andrzej Horban, Chia Wang, Peter Kwan, Maria Buti, Martin Prieto, Thomas Berg, Kathryn Kitrinos, Ken Peschell, Elsa Mondou, David Frederick, Franck Rousseau, Eugene R. Schiff – 1 September 2010 – Data are limited on the safety and effectiveness of oral antivirals other than lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil for treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in patients with decompensated liver disease.

B7‐H4 mediates inhibition of T cell responses by activated murine hepatic stellate cells

Raghavan Chinnadurai, Arash Grakoui – 1 September 2010 – Liver fibrosis is mediated by the transformation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) from a quiescent to an activated state. To understand the role of HSC in liver immunity, we investigated the effect of this transition on T cell stimulation in vitro. Unlike quiescent HSC, activated HSC did not induce proliferation of antigen‐specific T cells. Phenotypic analysis of quiescent and activated HSC revealed that activated HSC expressed the coinhibitory molecule B7‐H4.

Unconjugated bile salts shuttle through hepatocyte peroxisomes for taurine conjugation

Krzysztof P. Rembacz, Jannes Woudenberg, Mark Hoekstra, Elles Z. Jonkers, Fiona A.J. van den Heuvel, Manon Buist‐Homan, Titia E. Woudenberg‐Vrenken, Jana Rohacova, M. Luisa Marin, Miguel A. Miranda, Han Moshage, Frans Stellaard, Klaas Nico Faber – 1 September 2010 – Bile acid‐CoA:amino acid N‐acyltransferase (BAAT) conjugates bile salts to glycine or taurine, which is the final step in bile salt biosynthesis. In addition, BAAT is required for reconjugation of bile salts in the enterohepatic circulation.

Association of host pharmacodynamic effects with virologic response to pegylated interferon alfa‐2a/ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C

Raymond T. Chung, Fred F. Poordad, Tarek Hassanein, Xiaolei Zhou, Ellen Lentz, Avinash Prabhakar, Adrian M. Di Bisceglie – 31 August 2010 – Patients receiving therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection frequently experience cytopenias and weight loss. We retrospectively assessed the pharmacodynamic effects of pegylated interferon (PEG‐IFN) alfa‐2a and ribavirin by evaluating the relationship between changes in hematologic parameters, body weight, and virologic response.

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