Jui‐Chu Yang, Chiao‐Fang Teng, Han‐Chieh Wu, Hung‐Wen Tsai, Huai‐Chia Chuang, Ting‐Fen Tsai, Yung‐Hsiang Hsu, Wenya Huang, Li‐Wha Wu, Ih‐Jen Su – 28 May 2009 – Ground glass hepatocytes (GGH) in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection harbor HBV pre‐S deletion mutants in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and exhibit complex biologic features such as ER stress, DNA damage, and growth advantage. The presence of pre‐S mutants in serum has been shown to predict the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in HBV carriers. GGHs hence represent a potentially preneoplastic lesion.

Heping Yang, Komal Ramani, Meng Xia, Kwang Suk Ko, Tony W.H. Li, Pilsoo Oh, Jiaping Li, Shelly C. Lu – 28 May 2009 – Glutathione (GSH) provides important antioxidant defense and regulates multiple critical processes including fibrogenesis. There are conflicting literature studies regarding changes in GSH during cholestasis. Here we examined changes in the GSH synthetic enzymes during bile duct ligation (BDL) in mice and how treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and/or S‐adenosylmethionine (SAMe) affects the expression of these enzymes and liver injury.

Marina Berenguer – 28 May 2009

Stephen Harrison, Brent Neuschwander‐Tetri, Elizabeth Brunt – 28 May 2009

Leif E. Sander, J. Magarian Blander – 28 May 2009

Nicholas Onaca, Gary L. Davis, Linda W. Jennings, Robert M. Goldstein, Goran B. Klintmalm – 28 May 2009 – Improved outcome after liver transplantation (LTX) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) made LTX a legitimate treatment of the disease. We analyzed trends of LTX for HCC with tumors known before transplantation in 902 patients in a large international registry across 3 periods: 1983–1990, 1991–1996, and 1997–2005.

Ping Zhou, Sara Hohm, Yetunde Olusanya, David A. Hess, Jan Nolta – 28 May 2009 – Human cord blood stem cells (hCBSCs) have been reported to generate hepatocyte‐like cells and thus hold promise for repairing damaged liver. However, the frequency of hCBSC‐derived hepatocytes varies tremendously between different studies, and it is still controversial as to whether hCBSC‐derived cells can transdifferentiate into hepatocytes or simply fuse to recipient hepatocytes.

Kristin David, Kris V. Kowdley, Aynur Unalp, Fasiha Kanwal, Elizabeth M. Brunt, Jeffrey B. Schwimmer, NASH CRN Research Group – 28 May 2009 – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in the United States. The association between NAFLD and quality of life (QOL) remains unclear. These data are important to estimate the burden of illness in NAFLD. The aim was to report QOL scores of adults with NAFLD and examine the association between NAFLD severity and QOL.

Jean‐Pierre Allain, Dalila Belkhiri, Marion Vermeulen, Robert Crookes, Russell Cable, Azin Amiri, Ravi Reddy, Arthur Bird, Daniel Candotti – 28 May 2009 – Since October 2005, all blood units collected in South Africa were screened individually for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1, hepatitis B and C virus (HBV, HCV) genomes uncovering preseroconversion window period (WP) infections for each virus and occult HBV infections (OBIs) defined as persistent HBV DNA without detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).

Amélie Moreau, Christelle Téruel, Michel Beylot, Valérie Albalea, Viola Tamasi, Thierry Umbdenstock, Yannick Parmentier, Antonio Sa‐Cunha, Bertrand Suc, Jean‐Michel Fabre, Francis Navarro, Jeanne Ramos, Urs Meyer, Patrick Maurel, Marie‐José Vilarem, Jean‐Marc Pascussi – 28 May 2009 – The pregnane X receptor (PXR) initially isolated as a nuclear receptor regulating xenobiotic and drug metabolism and elimination, seems to play an endobiotic role by affecting lipid homeostasis. In mice, PXR affects lipid homeostasis and increases hepatic deposit of triglycerides.