Farah Esfandiari, Valentina Medici, Donna H. Wong, Soumia Jose, Maryam Dolatshahi, Eoin Quinlivan, Sanjana Dayal, Steven R. Lentz, Hidekazu Tsukamoto, Yue Hua Zhang, Samuel W. French, Charles H. Halsted – 19 October 2009 – We tested the hypothesis that the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury is mediated by epigenetic changes in regulatory genes that result from the induction of aberrant methionine metabolism by ethanol feeding.

Hisashi Moriguchi, Raymond T. Chung, Chifumi Sato – 19 October 2009

Chiara Braconi, Nianyuan Huang, Tushar Patel – 19 October 2009 – Although the inflammation‐associated cytokine interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) has been implicated in cholangiocarcinoma growth, the relationship between IL‐6 and oncogenic changes is unknown. IL‐6 can increase expression of DNA methyltransferase‐1 (DNMT‐1) and epigenetically regulate the expression of several genes, including microRNAs (miRNAs). DNMT‐1 up‐regulation occurs in hepatobiliary cancers and is associated with a poor prognosis.

Roben G. Gieling, Ahmed M. Elsharkawy, Jorge H. Caamaño, David E. Cowie, Matthew C. Wright, Mohammad R. Ebrahimkhani, Alastair D. Burt, Jelena Mann, Pradip Raychaudhuri, Hsiou‐Chi Liou, Fiona Oakley, Derek A. Mann – 19 October 2009 – In this study, we determined the role of the nuclear factor‐kappaB (NF‐κB) subunit c‐Rel in liver injury and regeneration.

Kumiko Isse, Susan M. Specht, John G. Lunz, Liang‐I Kang, Yoshiaki Mizuguchi, Anthony J. Demetris – 19 October 2009 – Females are more susceptible than males to several biliary tract diseases. Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) is critical to triggering autoimmune reactions and contributes substantially to biliary epithelial cell (BEC) barrier function and wound repair, and estrogen differentially regulates IL‐6 expression in various cell types. We hypothesized that estrogen might stimulate BEC IL‐6 production.

William J. H. Griffiths, Roman Mayr, Ian McFarlane, Martin Hermann, David J. Halsall, Heinz Zoller, Timothy M. Cox – 19 October 2009 – Mutations in the SLC40A1 gene, which encodes ferroportin, are associated with autosomal dominant hemochromatosis. Ferroportin is inhibited directly by hepcidin, a key iron‐regulatory peptide, and functional consequences of SLC40A1 mutations account for observed phenotypic differences in patients with ferroportin disease.

Yujuan Xiong, Jian‐Hong Fang, Jing‐Ping Yun, Jine Yang, Ying Zhang, Wei‐Hua Jia, Shi‐Mei Zhuang – 19 October 2009 – Based on microarray data, we have previously shown a significant down‐regulation of miR‐29 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues. To date, the role of miR‐29 deregulation in hepatocarcinogenesis and the signaling pathways by which miR‐29 exerts its function and modulates the malignant phenotypes of HCC cells remain largely unknown.

Kojiro Taura, Kouichi Miura, Keiko Iwaisako, Christoph H. Österreicher, Yuzo Kodama, Melitta Penz‐Österreicher, David A. Brenner – 13 October 2009 – The origin of fibrogenic cells in liver fibrosis remains controversial. We assessed the emerging concept that hepatocytes contribute to production of extracellular matrix (ECM) in liver fibrosis through epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Soo Jung Park, Young‐Suk Lim, Shin Hwang, Nae Yun Heo, Han Chu Lee, Dong Jin Suh, Eunsil Yu, Sung Gyu Lee – 13 October 2009 – The outcomes of patients with acute liver failure (ALF) vary greatly according to etiology. Emergency adult‐to‐adult living‐donor liver transplantation (adult LDLT) would help address the shortage of available organs for patients with ALF, especially in hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐endemic areas. We analyzed a prospective database of 110 consecutive adult patients with ALF.

Paulette Bioulac‐Sage, Charles Balabaud, Jessica Zucman‐Rossi – 13 October 2009