Shirit Einav, Ella H. Sklan, Hyang Mi Moon, Elizabeth Gehrig, Ping Liu, Ying Hao, Anson W. Lowe, Jeffrey S. Glenn – 26 February 2008 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important cause of chronic liver disease and is complicated by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mechanisms whereby the virus promotes cellular transformation are poorly understood. We hypothesized that the guanosine triphosphatase activity encoded in the HCV NS4B protein's nucleotide binding motif (NBM) might play a role in the transformation process.

Geoffrey C. Nguyen, Paul J. Thuluvath – 26 February 2008 – Chronic liver diseases are a major public health issue in the United States, and there are substantial racial disparities in liver cirrhosis–related mortality. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most significant contributing factor in the development of chronic liver disease, complications such as hepatocellular carcinoma, and the need for liver transplantation. In the United States, African Americans have twice the prevalence of HCV seropositivity and develop hepatocellular carcinoma at more than twice the rate as whites.

Chiun Hsu, Chao A. Hsiung, Ih‐Jen Su, Wei‐Shou Hwang, Ming‐Chung Wang, Sheng‐Fung Lin, Tseng‐Hsi Lin, Hui‐Hua Hsiao, Ji‐Hsiung Young, Ming‐Chih Chang, Yu‐Min Liao, Chi‐Cheng Li, Hung‐Bo Wu, Hwei‐Fang Tien, Tsu‐Yi Chao, Tsang‐Wu Liu, Ann‐Lii Cheng, Pei‐Jer Chen – 26 February 2008 – Lamivudine is effective to control hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in HBV‐carrying cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy, but the optimal treatment protocol remains undetermined.

Mathieu Vinken, Tom Henkens, Evelien De Rop, Joanna Fraczek, Tamara Vanhaecke, Vera Rogiers – 26 February 2008 – The present review provides the state of the art of the current knowledge concerning gap junctional channels and their roles in liver functioning. In the first part, we summarize some relevant biochemical properties of hepatic gap junctional channels, including their structure and regulation. In the second part, we discuss the involvement of gap junctional channels in the occurrence of liver cell growth, liver cell differentiation, and liver cell death.

Zhen Fan Yang, Patricia Ngai, David W. Ho, Wan Ching Yu, Michael N.P. Ng, Chi Keung Lau, Mandy L. Y. Li, Ka Ho Tam, Chi Tat Lam, Ronnie T. P. Poon, Sheung Tat Fan – 26 February 2008 – Increasing evidence has revealed the importance of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in carcinogenesis. Although liver CSCs have been identified in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, no data have shown the presence of these cells in human settings. The present study was designed to delineate CSCs serially from HCC cell lines, human liver cancer specimens to blood samples, using CD90 as a potential marker.

Diana Klein, Alexandra Demory, Francis Peyre, Jens Kroll, Hellmut G. Augustin, Wijnand Helfrich, Julia Kzhyshkowska, Kai Schledzewski, Bernd Arnold, Sergij Goerdt – 26 February 2008 – The mechanisms regulating the growth and differentiation of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HSECs) are not well defined. Because Wnt signaling has become increasingly important in developmental processes such as vascular and hepatic differentiation, we analyzed HSEC‐specific Wnt signaling in detail.

Go Anegawa, Hirofumi Kawanaka, Daisuke Yoshida, Kozo Konishi, Shohei Yamaguchi, Nao Kinjo, Akinobu Taketomi, Makoto Hashizume, Hiroaki Shimokawa, Yoshihiko Maehara – 26 February 2008 – In liver cirrhosis, down‐regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) has been implicated as a cause of increased intrahepatic resistance. We investigated whether Rho‐kinase activation is one of the molecular mechanisms involved in defective eNOS signaling in secondary biliary cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis was induced by bile duct ligation (BDL).

Michael R. Beard, Karla J. Helbig – 26 February 2008

Keane K. Y. Lai, Deepak Kolippakkam, Laura Beretta – 26 February 2008 – We report a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of the mouse liver and plasma proteomes. The method used is based on extensive fractionation of intact proteins, further separation of proteins based on their abundance and size, and high‐accuracy mass spectrometry. This analysis reached a depth in proteomic profiling not reported to date for a mammalian tissue or a biological fluid, with 7099 and 4727 proteins identified with high confidence in the liver and in the corresponding plasma, respectively.

Song Hee Lee, Ran Song, Mi Nam Lee, Chon Saeng Kim, Hanna Lee, Young‐Yun Kong, Hoguen Kim, Sung Key Jang – 26 February 2008 – The hepatitis C virus (HCV) E2 protein has been shown to block apoptosis and has been suggested to facilitate persistent infection of the virus.