Savino Bruno, Mitchell L. Shiffman, Stuart K. Roberts, Edward J. Gane, Diethelm Messinger, Stephanos J. Hadziyannis, Patrick Marcellin – 25 January 2010 – The objective of this study is to determine the efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa‐2a (40KD)/ribavirin in patients with advanced fibrosis. Data from 341 genotype 1/4 patients (99 with bridging fibrosis/cirrhosis) treated for 48 weeks and 1547 genotype 2/3 patients (380 with bridging fibrosis/cirrhosis) treated for 16 or 24 weeks enrolled in three randomized international studies were analyzed.

Antonio Mazzocca, Emilia Fransvea, Francesco Dituri, Luigi Lupo, Salvatore Antonaci, Gianluigi Giannelli – 25 January 2010 – Tumor–stroma interactions in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are of key importance to tumor progression. In this study, we show that HCC invasive cells produce high levels of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and generate tumors with a high stromal component in a xenograft model. A transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β) receptor inhibitor, LY2109761, inhibited the synthesis and release of CTGF, as well as reducing the stromal component of the tumors.

Nicolas Lanthier, Yves Horsmans, Isabelle A. Leclercq – 25 January 2010

Zubin M. Bamboat, Vinod P. Balachandran, Lee M. Ocuin, Hebroon Obaid, George Plitas, Ronald P. DeMatteo – 25 January 2010 – Endogenous ligands such as high‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) and nucleic acids are released by dying cells and bind Toll‐like receptors (TLRs). Because TLR9 sits at the interface of microbial and sterile inflammation by detecting both bacterial and endogenous DNA, we investigated its role in a model of segmental liver ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury.

David B. Rein, Sarah B. Lesesne, Ann O'Fallon, Cindy M. Weinbaum – 25 January 2010 – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) testing to identify chronic hepatitis B virus infection for foreign‐born persons from countries or regions with HBsAg prevalence of ≥2%. However, limited data exist to indicate which countries meet this definition. To address this data gap, we estimated the HBsAg prevalence among refugees entering the United States between 2006 and 2008.

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.

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.

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.

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

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).