Interleukin‐27 displays interferon‐γ–like functions in human hepatoma cells and hepatocytes

Herdis Bender, Monique Y. Wiesinger, Carolin Nordhoff, Caroline Schoenherr, Claude Haan, Stephan Ludwig, Ralf Weiskirchen, Nobuyuki Kato, Peter C. Heinrich, Serge Haan – 29 July 2009 – Interleukin‐27 (IL‐27) is a cytokine belonging to the IL‐6/IL‐12 cytokine family. It is secreted by antigen‐presenting cells, strongly acts on T cells, and also stimulates innate immune cells. In most studies, the effects of IL‐27 on T cells were investigated; however, not much is known about possible effects of IL‐27 on other cell types.

Proteomics analysis of mitochondrial proteins reveals overexpression of a mitochondrial protein chaperon, prohibitin, in cells expressing hepatitis C virus core protein

Takeya Tsutsumi, Mami Matsuda, Hideki Aizaki, Kyoji Moriya, Hideyuki Miyoshi, Hajime Fujie, Yoshizumi Shintani, Hiroshi Yotsuyanagi, Tatsuo Miyamura, Tetsuro Suzuki, Kazuhiko Koike – 29 July 2009 – The hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein is involved in viral pathogenesis such as oxidative stress induction and lipid metabolism disturbance, and is primarily located in the cytoplasm and endoplasmic reticulum in association with lipid droplets as well as in the mitochondria.

Impaired liver regeneration in mice lacking glycine N‐methyltransferase

Marta Varela‐Rey, David Fernández‐Ramos, Nuria Martínez‐López, Nieves Embade, Laura Gómez‐Santos, Naiara Beraza, Mercedes Vázquez‐Chantada, Juan Rodríguez, Zigmund Luka, Conrad Wagner, Shelly C. Lu, M. Luz Martínez‐Chantar, José M. Mato – 29 July 2009 – Hepatic S‐adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is maintained constant by the action of methionine adenosyltransferase I/III (MATI/III), which converts methionine into SAMe and glycine N‐methyltransferase (GNMT), which eliminates excess SAMe to avoid aberrant methylation reactions.

Keratin variants are overrepresented in primary biliary cirrhosis and associate with disease severity

Bihui Zhong, Pavel Strnad, Carlo Selmi, Pietro Invernizzi, Guo‐Zhong Tao, Angela Caleffi, Minhu Chen, Ilaria Bianchi, Mauro Podda, Antonello Pietrangelo, M. Eric Gershwin, M. Bishr Omary – 29 July 2009 – Keratins (K) 8 and 18 variants predispose carriers to the development of end‐stage liver disease and patients with chronic hepatitis C to disease progression. Hepatocytes express K8/K18, whereas biliary epithelia express K8/K18/K19.

Hepatic regulatory T cells and Kupffer cells are crucial mediators of systemic T cell tolerance to antigens targeting murine liver

Ekaterina Breous, Suryanarayan Somanathan, Luk H. Vandenberghe, James M. Wilson – 29 July 2009 – The mechanisms of tolerance in the liver that limit susceptibility to food allergy and that mediate the acceptance of liver transplants, even with a complete major histocompatibility complex (MHC) mismatch, remain poorly defined. Here we report that in a model of liver‐directed gene transfer, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to non‐self antigens are controlled by hepatic regulatory T cells (Tregs) that secrete the immunosuppressive cytokine interleukin (IL)‐10 in response to the antigen.

An intention‐to‐treat analysis of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma using organ procurement transplant network data

Shawn J. Pelletier, Sherry Fu, Veena Thyagarajan, Carlos Romero‐Marrero, Mashal J. Batheja, Jeffrey D. Punch, John C. Magee, Anna S. Lok, Robert J. Fontana, Jorge A. Marrero – 29 July 2009 – Single‐center studies have shown acceptable long‐term outcomes following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) when tumors are within the Milan criteria. However, the overall survival and waiting list removal rates have not been described at a national level with pooled registry data.

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