Elisa Fabbrini, Shelby Sullivan, Samuel Klein – 25 January 2010 – Obesity is associated with an increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Steatosis, the hallmark feature of NAFLD, occurs when the rate of hepatic fatty acid uptake from plasma and de novo fatty acid synthesis is greater than the rate of fatty acid oxidation and export (as triglyceride within very low‐density lipoprotein). Therefore, an excessive amount of intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) represents an imbalance between complex interactions of metabolic events.

Daniela C. Kroy, Naiara Beraza, Darjus F. Tschaharganeh, Leif E. Sander, Stephanie Erschfeld, Arne Giebeler, Christian Liedtke, Hermann E. Wasmuth, Christian Trautwein, Konrad L. Streetz – 25 January 2010 – A deregulated cytokine balance is involved in triggering the sequence from steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, ultimately leading to liver fibrosis and cancer. To better define the role of proinflammatory interleukin‐6 (IL‐6)‐type cytokines in hepatocytes we investigated the role of IL‐6 and its shared receptor, glycoprotein 130 (gp130), in a mouse model of steatohepatitis.

Rinke Stienstra, Fredy Saudale, Caroline Duval, Shohreh Keshtkar, Johanna E. M. Groener, Nico van Rooijen, Bart Staels, Sander Kersten, Michael Müller – 25 January 2010 – Kupffer cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various liver diseases. However, their involvement in metabolic disorders of the liver, including fatty liver disease, remains unclear. The present study sought to determine the impact of Kupffer cells on hepatic triglyceride storage and to explore the possible mechanisms involved.

Seth Sweetser, Robert E. Kraichely – 25 January 2010

Javed Ehtisham, Mario Altieri, Ephrem Salamé, Eric Saloux, Isabelle Ollivier, Martial Hamon – 25 January 2010 – The prevalence of coronary artery disease in end‐stage liver disease is only now being recognized. Liver transplant patients are a high risk subgroup for coronary artery disease, even if asymptomatic. Coronary artery disease is a predictor of poor outcomes; therefore, identification of those at risk must be a key clinical priority.

Maria Cecilia S. Freitas, Yoichiro Uchida, Danyun Zhao, Bibo Ke, Ronald W. Busuttil, Jerzy W. Kupiec‐Weglinski – 25 January 2010 – Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling is one of the major pathways for cytokine signal transduction. However, the role of the JAK/STAT pathway in liver ischemia/reperfusion is not clear. This study focuses on Janus kinase‐2 (JAK2), which functions upstream of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in JAK/STAT, and its role in the mechanism of liver ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI).

Juan C. Rodríguez‐Sanjuán, Francisco González, Manuel Gómez‐Fleitas – 25 January 2010

Deniz Nart, Banu Yaman, Funda Yılmaz, Murat Zeytunlu, Zeki Karasu, Murat Kılıç – 25 January 2010 – Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are known to play an important role in cell migration during cancer invasion by degrading extracellular matrix proteins. This study aimed to determine the role of MMP‐9 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) carcinogenesis. Eighty‐nine cases who underwent liver transplantation for HCC in cirrhotic liver were selected for this study.

Heiner Claessen, Hermann Brenner, Christoph Drath, Volker Arndt – 25 January 2010 – Given the accumulating evidence that gamma‐glutamyltransferase (γ‐GT) is not merely a sensitive marker for liver and bile disorders but also a risk marker for a multiplicity of other chronic diseases, γ‐GT may represent a promising risk indicator for occupational disability, which has emerged as an important public health problem.

Yi‐Cheng Chen, Chia‐Ming Chu, Yun‐Fan Liaw – 25 January 2010 – Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion in chronic hepatitis B virus infection confers a favorable prognosis, but untoward outcomes may develop in some patients. The impact of the age of HBeAg seroconversion on prognosis is not clearly known. HBeAg‐positive patients with biopsy‐proven chronic hepatitis B were followed up long‐term. Follow‐up studies included liver biochemistry, alpha‐fetoprotein, and ultrasonography every 3 to 6 months or more frequently if clinically indicated.