Kohji Moriishi, Ikuo Shoji, Yoshio Mori, Ryosuke Suzuki, Tetsuro Suzuki, Chikako Kataoka, Yoshiharu Matsuura – 23 July 2010 – We have reported previously that the proteasome activator PA28γ participates not only in degradation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein in the nucleus but also in the pathogenesis in transgenic mice expressing HCV core protein. However, the biological significance of PA28γ in the propagation of HCV has not been clarified. PA28γ is an activator of proteasome responsible for ubiquitin‐independent degradation of substrates in the nucleus.

Nadya Al‐Harthy, Teru Kumagi, Catalina Coltescu, Gideon M. Hirschfield – 23 July 2010 – Quality of life is an important concern for patients with chronic liver disease. We sought to describe the frequency, severity, and associations of fatigue, in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). We performed association testing between PBC‐40 multidomain disease‐specific quality of life responses and clinical findings. Three hundred twenty‐seven patients from a single clinic with PBC (94% female, 92% AMA‐positive) were evaluated.

Stefan Russmann, Alexander Jetter, Gerd A. Kullak‐Ublick – 23 July 2010 – Recent progress in research on drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) has been determined by key developments in two areas. First, new technologies allow the identification of genetic risk factors with improved sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency. Second, new mechanistic concepts of DILI emphasize the importance of unspecific “downstream” events following drug‐specific initial “upstream” hepatocyte injury and of complex interactions between environmental and genetic risk factors.

Riccardo Lencioni – 23 July 2010 – Loco‐regional treatments play a key role in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Image‐guided tumor ablation is recommended in patients with early‐stage HCC when surgical options are precluded. Radiofrequency ablation has shown superior anticancer effects and greater survival benefit with respect to the seminal percutaneous technique, ethanol injection, in meta‐analyses of randomized controlled trials, and is currently established as the standard method for local tumor treatment.

Tiangang Li, Erika Owsley, Michelle Matozel, Peter Hsu, Colleen M. Novak, John Y. L. Chiang – 23 July 2010 – Cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase (CYP7A1) is the rate‐limiting enzyme in the bile acid biosynthetic pathway that converts cholesterol into bile acids in the liver. Recent studies have shown that bile acids may play an important role in maintaining lipid, glucose, and energy homeostasis. However, the role of CYP7A1 in the development of obesity and diabetes is currently unclear.

Jun Su, Richard A. Brook, Nathan L. Kleinman, Patricia Corey‐Lisle – 23 July 2010 – Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is generally considered an asymptomatic disease. However, studies have shown that HCV has a substantial negative impact on patients' quality of life and functioning. This study was designed to compare absenteeism, productivity, and health cost between employees with and without HCV infection in the United States.

Paul A. Sharp – 23 July 2010

Robert J. Fontana, Leonard B. Seeff, Raúl J. Andrade, Einar Björnsson, Christopher P. Day, Jose Serrano, Jay H. Hoofnagle – 23 July 2010 – Idiosyncratic drug‐induced liver injury (DILI) is an important but relatively infrequent cause of potentially severe acute and chronic liver injury. The aim of this clinical research workshop was to review and attempt to standardize the current nomenclature and terminology used in DILI research.

Björn Lindkvist, Maria Benito de Valle, Bo Gullberg, Einar Björnsson – 23 July 2010 – Population‐based studies on the epidemiology of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are sparse. The aim of the present study was to investigate prevalence and temporal trends in the incidence of PSC 1992‐2005 in an adult population in Västra Götaland, a region in southern Sweden with a defined population of about 1.5 million. Patients with PSC aged 18 years or above were identified through a computerized search for diagnostic codes.

Susie A. Lee, Sara Ladu, Matthias Evert, Frank Dombrowski, Valentina De Murtas, Xin Chen, Diego F. Calvisi – 23 July 2010 – Sprouty2 (Spry2), a negative feedback regulator of the Ras/mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, is frequently down‐regulated in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We tested the hypothesis that loss of Spry2 cooperates with unconstrained activation of the c‐Met protooncogene to induce hepatocarcinogenesis via in vitro and in vivo approaches.