Transcription factor 7–like 2 polymorphism modulates glucose and lipid homeostasis, adipokine profile, and hepatocyte apoptosis in NASH

Giovanni Musso, Roberto Gambino, Giovanni Pacini, Gianfranco Pagano, Marilena Durazzo, Maurizio Cassader – 28 January 2009 – Genetic factors underlying the association of NAFLD with diabetes and atherosclerosis are unknown. Recent human studies suggest transcription factor 7–like 2 (TCF7L2) polymorphism predisposes to diabetes through modulation of β‐cell function and modulates lipid levels in familial dyslipidemia. Emerging experimental evidence connects TCF7L2 to adipocyte metabolism and lipid homeostasis, as well.

Predicting in‐hospital mortality in patients with cirrhosis: Results differ across risk adjustment methods

Robert P. Myers, Hude Quan, James N. Hubbard, Abdel Aziz M. Shaheen, Gilaad G. Kaplan – 28 January 2009 – Risk‐adjusted health outcomes are often used to measure the quality of hospital care, yet the optimal approach in patients with liver disease is unclear. We sought to determine whether assessments of illness severity, defined as risk for in‐hospital mortality, vary across methods in patients with cirrhosis. We identified 258,731 patients with cirrhosis hospitalized in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2002 and 2005.

Complex dynamics of hepatitis B virus resistance to adefovir

Coralie Pallier, Christophe Rodriguez, Rozenn Brillet, Patrice Nordmann, Christophe Hézode, Jean‐Michel Pawlotsky – 28 December 2008 – In patients with hepatitis B e antigen‐negative chronic hepatitis B, adefovir dipivoxil administration selects variants bearing reverse transcriptase rtN236T and/or rtA181V/T substitutions in 29% of cases after 5 years.

Ex vivo effects of high‐density lipoprotein exposure on the lipopolysaccharide‐induced inflammatory response in patients with severe cirrhosis

Arnaud Galbois, Dominique Thabut, Khalid A. Tazi, Marika Rudler, Morvarid Shir Mohammadi, Dominique Bonnefont‐Rousselot, Hind Bennani, Annie Bezeaud, Zera Tellier, Cécile Guichard, Nicolas Coant, Eric Ogier‐Denis, Richard Moreau, Didier Lebrec – 28 December 2008 – High‐density lipoproteins (HDL) are known to neutralize lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Because patients with cirrhosis have lower HDL levels, this may contribute to LPS‐induced ex vivo monocyte overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines.

Adenosine induces loss of actin stress fibers and inhibits contraction in hepatic stellate cells via Rho inhibition

Muhammad A. Sohail, Ardeshir Z. Hashmi, Wyel Hakim, Azuma Watanabe, Alexander Zipprich, Roberto J. Groszmann, Jonathan A. Dranoff, Natalie J. Torok, Wajahat Z. Mehal – 28 December 2008 – The Rho/ROCK pathway is activated in differentiated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and is necessary for assembly of actin stress fibers, contractility, and chemotaxis. Despite the importance of this pathway in HSC biology, physiological inhibitors of the Rho/ROCK pathway in HSCs are not known.

Cystathionine β‐synthase as a carbon monoxide–sensitive regulator of bile excretion

Tsunehiro Shintani, Takuya Iwabuchi, Tomoyoshi Soga, Yuichiro Kato, Takehiro Yamamoto, Naoharu Takano, Takako Hishiki, Yuki Ueno, Satsuki Ikeda, Tadayuki Sakuragawa, Kazuo Ishikawa, Nobuhito Goda, Yuko Kitagawa, Mayumi Kajimura, Kenji Matsumoto, Makoto Suematsu – 28 December 2008 – Carbon monoxide (CO) is a stress‐inducible gas generated by heme oxygenase (HO) eliciting adaptive responses against toxicants; however, mechanisms for its reception remain unknown.

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