Anna Cavazza, Llorenç Caballería, Annarosa Floreani, Fabio Farinati, Miquel Bruguera, Diego Caroli, Albert Parés – 28 September 2009 – The limited information and divergent results on the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) may be due to the low prevalence of the disease and geographical and environmental differences.

Bruce A. Runyon – 28 September 2009

Mona Malz, Achim Weber, Stephan Singer, Vera Riehmer, Michaela Bissinger, Marc‐Oliver Riener, Thomas Longerich, Christopher Soll, Arndt Vogel, Peter Angel, Peter Schirmacher, Kai Breuhahn – 28 September 2009 – Microtubule‐dependent effects are partly regulated by factors that coordinate polymer dynamics such as the microtubule‐destabilizing protein stathmin (oncoprotein 18). In cancer cells, increased microtubule turnover affects cell morphology and cellular processes that rely on microtubule dynamics such as mitosis and migration.

Ariel E. Feldstein, Anna Wieckowska, A. Rocio Lopez, Yao‐Chang Liu, Nizar N. Zein, Arthur J. McCullough – 28 September 2009 – Liver biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We have recently demonstrated that plasma cytokeratin 18 (CK‐18) fragment levels correlate with the magnitude of hepatocyte apoptosis and independently predict the presence of NASH. The goal of this study was to validate the use of this biomarker for NASH diagnosis. The study was an ancillary study of the NASH Clinical Research Network (NASH CRN).

Richard J. Q. McNally, Samantha Ducker, Oliver F. W. James – 28 September 2009 – The cause of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is unclear. Both genetic and environmental factors are likely to contribute. Some studies have suggested that one or more infectious agents may be involved. To examine whether infections may contribute to the cause of PBC, we have analyzed for space–time clustering using population‐based data from northeast England over a defined period (1987–2003).

Rui Zhang, Lei Wang, Gui‐Rong Yu, Xiang Zhang, Li‐Bo Yao, An‐Gang Yang – 28 September 2009

Bo Wang, Sarmila Majumder, Gerard Nuovo, Huban Kutay, Stefano Volinia, Tushar Patel, Thomas D. Schmittgen, Carlo Croce, Kalpana Ghoshal, Samson T. Jacob – 28 September 2009 – MicroRNAs (miRs) are conserved, small (20‐25 nucleotide) noncoding RNAs that negatively regulate expression of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) at the posttranscriptional level. Aberrant expression of certain microRNAs plays a causal role in tumorigenesis.

Gin‐ho Lo – 28 September 2009

Christine Carter‐Kent, Lisa M. Yerian, Elizabeth M. Brunt, Paul Angulo, Rohit Kohli, Simon C. Ling, Stavra A. Xanthakos, Peter F. Whitington, Phunchai Charatcharoenwitthaya, Jason Yap, Rocio Lopez, Arthur J. McCullough, Ariel E. Feldstein – 28 September 2009 – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may have distinct histological features in children and adults, but to date limited data are available on the spectrum and significance of histological lesions in pediatric patients.

Stuart K. Roberts, Martin D. Weltman, Darrell H. G. Crawford, Geoffrey W. McCaughan, William Sievert, Wendy S. Cheng, William Rawlinson, Paul V. Desmond, Phillipa S. Marks, Motoko Yoshihara, Bishoy Rizkalla, Jean K. DePamphilis, Gregory J. Dore, Chariot Study Group – 28 September 2009 – This study tested the hypothesis that high‐dose peginterferon alfa‐2a (PEG‐IFNα‐2a) for the first 12 weeks would increase early and sustained virological response (SVR) rates in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1.