Laura K. Cole, René L. Jacobs, Dennis E. Vance – 16 June 2010 – Tamoxifen is an anti‐estrogen drug widely used for the treatment of hormone‐sensitive breast cancer. Approximately 43% of breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen develop hepatic steatosis. The mechanism or mechanisms by which tamoxifen may induce lipid accumulation in the liver are unclear. Mice were injected with tamoxifen or vehicle (sesame oil containing 1% benzyl alcohol) for 5 consecutive days. In comparison with the vehicle, tamoxifen increased hepatic triacylglycerol levels by 72%.

Xi‐Dai Long, Yun Ma, Yuan‐Feng Zhou, Ai‐Min Ma, Guo‐Hui Fu – 16 June 2010 – Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes may influence individual variations in DNA repair capacity, and this may be associated with the risk and outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) related to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure. In this study, we focused on the polymorphism of xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C (XPC) codon 939 (rs#2228001), which is involved in nucleotide excision repair.

Paul J. Pockros, Fayez M. Hamzeh, Paul Martin, Ellen Lentz, Xiaolei Zhou, Sugantha Govindarajan, Anna S. Lok – 16 June 2010 – Patients with chronic hepatitis C with partial virologic response or nonresponse to interferon‐based therapies can experience treatment‐related improvements in liver histology. This retrospective analysis assessed the histologic response to treatment in patients with varying degrees of virologic response (sustained virologic response [SVR], breakthrough, relapse, or nonresponse), time to hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA undetectability, and duration of viral suppression.

Ulrich Beuers, Simon Hohenester, Lucas J. Maillette de Buy Wenniger, Andreas E. Kremer, Peter L. M. Jansen, Ronald P. J. Oude Elferink – 16 June 2010 – This review focuses on the hypothesis that biliary HCO secretion in humans serves to maintain an alkaline pH near the apical surface of hepatocytes and cholangiocytes to prevent the uncontrolled membrane permeation of protonated glycine‐conjugated bile acids.

Rania A. Tohme, Scott D. Holmberg – 16 June 2010 – Medical opinion varies considerably regarding the transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) through sexual contact. Based on the study design, representativeness of the study population, and the methods used for case ascertainment, we analyzed 80 qualifying reports regarding the evidence for or against sexual transmission. Regarding heterosexual transmission, the weight of evidence is that there is no increased risk of sexual transmission of HCV among heterosexual couples in regular relationships.

Pamela A. Norton, Stephan Menne, Gomathinayagam Sinnathamby, Lucy Betesh, Paul J. Cote, Ramila Philip, Anand S. Mehta, Bud C. Tennant, Timothy M. Block – 16 June 2010 – In this report, the possibility of pharmacologically altering the hepatitis B virus (HBV) epitopes presented by major histocompatibility complex class I on infected cells is demonstrated. The HBV middle envelope glycoprotein (MHBs) maturation appears to require calnexin‐mediated folding. This interaction is dependent on glucosidases in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Samuele De Minicis, Ekihiro Seki, Yong‐Han Paik, Christoph H. Österreicher, Yuzo Kodama, Johannes Kluwe, Luciano Torozzi, Katsumi Miyai, Antonio Benedetti, Robert F. Schwabe, David A. Brenner – 11 June 2010 – Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX) is required for liver fibrosis. This study investigates the role of NOX in ROS production and the differential contribution of NOX from bone marrow (BM)‐derived and non–BM‐derived liver cells.

Limin Tian, Yongfeng Song, Mingzhao Xing, Wei Zhang, Guang Ning, Xiaoying Li, Chunxiao Yu, Chengkong Qin, Jun Liu, Xingsong Tian, Xianglan Sun, Rui Fu, Lin Zhang, Xiujuan Zhang, Yan Lu, Jianwen Zou, Laicheng Wang, Qingbo Guan, Ling Gao, Jiajun Zhao – 11 June 2010 – Elevated thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) and hypercholesterolemia commonly coexist, as typically seen in hypothyroidism, but there is no known mechanism directly linking the two.

Tomonori Aoyama, Sayaka Inokuchi, David A. Brenner, Ekihiro Seki – 11 June 2010 – Chronic liver disease is associated with hepatocyte injury, inflammation, and fibrosis. Chemokines and chemokine receptors are key factors for the migration of inflammatory cells such as macrophages and noninflammatory cells such as hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). The expression of CX3CR1 and its ligand, CX3CL1, is up‐regulated in chronic liver diseases such as chronic hepatitis C. However, the precise role of CX3CR1 in the liver is still unclear.

Henry Lik‐Yuen Chan, Vincent Wai‐Sun Wong, Grace Lai‐Hung Wong, Chi‐Hang Tse, Hoi‐Yun Chan, Joseph Jao‐Yao Sung – 11 June 2010 – Serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) quantification has been suggested to reflect the concentration of covalently closed circular DNA in the liver. We aimed to investigate the HBsAg levels at different stages of chronic hepatitis B and the changes in HBsAg level during the natural progression of disease. One hundred seventeen untreated patients with chronic hepatitis B were studied with longitudinal follow‐up for 99 ± 16 months.