Edmund J. Bini, Ponni V. Perumalswami – 30 November 2009 – Little is known about hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the United States. We prospectively enrolled 1,257 patients with chronic HCV infection from two medical centers in New York City. A total of 61.5% (95% confidence interval, 58.8%–64.2%) had evidence of prior exposure to HBV (hepatitis B core antibody–positive), whereas 5.8% (95% confidence interval, 4.5%–7.1%) had dual infection with HBV (hepatitis B surface antigen–positive).

Man‐Fung Yuen, Kwang‐Hyub Han, Soon‐Ho Um, Seung Kew Yoon, Hye‐Ryon Kim, John Kim, Chung Ryeol Kim, Ching‐Lung Lai – 30 November 2009 – We aimed to determine the antiviral activity and safety of a new nucleotide analogue, LB80380, in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with lamivudine‐resistant virus. Sixty‐five patients with lamivudine‐resistant virus were randomized to receive five ascending daily doses (30, 60, 90, 150, 240 mg) of LB80380. LB80380 was given together with lamivudine for the first 4 weeks, followed by 8 weeks of LB80380 monotherapy.

Wey‐Ran Lin, Siew‐Na Lim, Stuart A. C. McDonald, Trevor Graham, Victoria L. Wright, Claire L. Peplow, Adam Humphries, Hemant M. Kocher, Nicholas A. Wright, Amar P. Dhillon, Malcolm R. Alison – 30 November 2009 – Here, we investigate the clonality and cells of origin of regenerative nodules in human liver cirrhosis using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations as markers of clonal expansion. Mutated cells are identified phenotypically by deficiency in the entirely mtDNA encoded cytochrome c oxidase (CCO) enzyme by histochemical and immunohistochemical methods.

Vandana Singh, Madhavi Rudraraju, Elizabeth J. Carey, Thomas J. Byrne, David D. Douglas, Jorge Rakela, Hugo E. Vargas – 24 November 2009

Pinelopi Manousou, Dimitrios Samonakis, Evangelos Cholongitas, David Patch, James O'Beirne, Amar P. Dhillon, Keith Rolles, Aiden McCormick, Peter Hayes, Andrew K. Burroughs – 24 November 2009 – Less potent immunosuppression is considered to reduce the severity of hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence after liver transplantation. An optimal regimen is unknown. We evaluated tacrolimus monotherapy versus triple therapy in a randomized trial of 103 first transplants for HCV cirrhosis.

Salvador Benlloch, Laura Heredia, Claudia Barquero, José‐Miguel Rayón, Ramón Pina, Victoria Aguilera, Martín Prieto, Marina Berenguer – 24 November 2009 – We previously developed a mathematical model, the Hospital Universitario La Fe (HULF) index, as an alternative to protocol liver biopsy (PLB) to estimate significant fibrosis (SF) in patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) for liver damage caused by chronic HCV infection. In the present study, we sought to validate this noninvasive index.

Rhiana Garritsen, Andrei Tintu, Herold Metselaar, Geert Kazemier – 24 November 2009

Xavier Xiol, Jose Castellote, Xavier Fuentes‐Arderiu – 24 November 2009

Mureo Kasahara, Reiko Horikawa, Seisuke Sakamoto, Takanobu Shigeta, Hideaki Tanaka, Akinari Fukuda, Kiyomi Abe, Keisuke Yoshii, Yasuhiro Naiki, Rika Kosaki, Atsuko Nakagawa – 24 November 2009 – Glycogen storage disease type 1b (GSD‐1b) is due to an autosomal recessive inborn error of carbohydrate metabolism caused by defects in glucose‐6‐phosphatase translocase. Patients with GSD‐1b have severe hypoglycemia with several clinical manifestations of hepatomegaly, obesity, a doll‐like face, and neutropenia. Liver transplantation has been indicated for severe glucose intolerance.

Srinath Chinnakotla, Gary L. Davis, Sugam Vasani, Peter Kim, Koji Tomiyama, Edmund Sanchez, Nicholas Onaca, Robert Goldstein, Marlon Levy, Göran B. Klintmalm – 24 November 2009 – Tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with a poor prognosis. Because immunosuppression is a well‐known risk factor for tumor growth, it is surprising that its possible role in the outcome of liver transplantation has been poorly evaluated.