Anna Ludovica Fracanzani, Alberto Piperno, Luca Valenti, Mirella Fraquelli, Sabina Coletti, Alessandra Maraschi, Dario Consonni, Enzo Coviello, Dario Conte, Silvia Fargion – 25 January 2010 – The clinical presentation of hereditary hemochromatosis has changed markedly in recent years. The aim of this study was to analyze a large series of consecutive Italian patients with hemochromatosis diagnosed between 1976 and 2007 to determine whether the genetic background and the presence of acquired risk factors influenced the severity of iron overload and the natural history of the disease.

Matt Cave, Keith Cameron Falkner, Mukunda Ray, Swati Joshi‐Barve, Guy Brock, Rehan Khan, Marjorie Bon Homme, Craig J. McClain – 25 January 2010 – Although nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is typically associated with obesity, it has also been reported to occur in lean individuals exposed to industrial chemicals. Occupational exposure to vinyl chloride (VC) is a well‐documented risk factor for hemangiosarcoma, but has not previously been associated with steatohepatitis. Here we evaluate liver biopsies from 25 nonobese, highly exposed VC workers for steatohepatitis.

Vincent Wai‐Sun Wong, Julien Vergniol, Grace Lai‐Hung Wong, Juliette Foucher, Henry Lik‐Yuen Chan, Brigitte Le Bail, Paul Cheung‐Lung Choi, Mathurin Kowo, Anthony Wing‐Hung Chan, Wassil Merrouche, Joseph Jao‐Yiu Sung, Victor de Lédinghen – 25 January 2010 – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases in affluent countries. Accurate noninvasive tests for liver injury are urgently needed.

Roger Chapman, Johan Fevery, Anthony Kalloo, David M. Nagorney, Kirsten Muri Boberg, Benjamin Shneider, Gregory J. Gores – 25 January 2010

Chiara Vecchi, Giuliana Montosi, Antonello Pietrangelo – 25 January 2010 – Hereditary hemochromatosis (HC) is commonly associated with homozygosity for the cysteine‐to‐tyrosine substitution at position 282 (C282Y) of the HFE protein. This mutation prevents HFE from binding beta2‐microglobulin (beta2M) and reaching the cell surface. We have discovered that a widely used hepatoma cell line, Huh‐7, carries a HFE mutation similar to that associated with human HC. By HFE gene sequencing of Huh‐7 genomic DNA, we found a TAC nucleotide deletion (c.

James E. Everhart, Elizabeth C. Wright, Zachary D. Goodman, Jules L. Dienstag, John C. Hoefs, David E. Kleiner, Marc G. Ghany, A. Scott Mills, S. Russell Nash, Sugantha Govindarajan, Thomas E. Rogers, Joel K. Greenson, Elizabeth M. Brunt, Herbert L. Bonkovsky, Chihiro Morishima, Heather J. Litman, HALT‐C Trial Group – 25 January 2010 – Studies of the prognostic value of Ishak fibrosis stage are lacking.

Xingshun Qi, Guohong Han, Daiming Fan – 25 January 2010

Matthew R. Foxton, Mohammad A. B. Al‐Freah, Andrew J. Portal, Elizabeth Sizer, William Bernal, Georg Auzinger, Mohamed Rela, Julia A. Wendon, Nigel D. Heaton, John G. O'Grady, Michael A. Heneghan – 25 January 2010 – Organ allocation based on Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) resulted in decreased waiting list mortality in the United States. However, reports suggest an increase in resource utilization as a consequence of this. The aim of this study is to assess the correlation of MELD at transplant with post–liver transplant (LT) intensive care unit (ICU) costs.

Klaus H. Kaestner – 25 January 2010

Anna Alisi, Nadia Panera, Valerio Nobili – 25 January 2010