Ian M. Copple, Christopher E. Goldring, Rosalind E. Jenkins, Alvin J. L. Chia, Laura E. Randle, John D. Hayes, Neil R. Kitteringham, B. Kevin Park – 26 September 2008 – The transcription factor Nrf2 regulates the expression of numerous cytoprotective genes in mammalian cells. We have demonstrated previously that acetaminophen activates Nrf2 in mouse liver following administration of non‐hepatotoxic and hepatotoxic doses in vivo, implying that Nrf2 may have an important role in the protection against drug‐induced liver injury.

Keith D. Lindor – 26 September 2008

Jennifer Luebke‐Wheeler, Kezhong Zhang, Michele Battle, Karim Si‐Tayeb, Wendy Garrison, Sodhi Chhinder, Jixuan Li, Randal J. Kaufman, Stephen A. Duncan – 26 September 2008 – Loss of the nuclear hormone receptor hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) in hepatocytes results in a complex pleiotropic phenotype that includes a block in hepatocyte differentiation and a severe disruption to liver function. Recent analyses have shown that hepatic gene expression is severely affected by the absence of HNF4α, with expression of 567 genes reduced by ≥2.5‐fold (P ≤ 0.05) in Hnf4α−/− fetal livers.

Marina G. Silveira, Ayako Suzuki, Keith D. Lindor – 26 September 2008 – Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs with increased frequency in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Effectiveness of surveillance recommendations for HCC is controversial, and data are lacking in patients with PBC. In this study, we attempt to (1) establish the importance of surveillance for HCC in patients with PBC; (2) identify a target population of patients with PBC for HCC surveillance; and (3) propose surveillance recommendations for patients with PBC.

Istvan Hritz, Pranoti Mandrekar, Arumugam Velayudham, Donna Catalano, Angela Dolganiuc, Karen Kodys, Evelyn Kurt‐Jones, Gyongyi Szabo – 26 September 2008 – The Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) that recognizes endotoxin, a trigger of inflammation in alcoholic liver disease (ALD), activates two signaling pathways utilizing different adapter molecules: the common TLR adapter, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), or Toll/interleukin immune‐response–domain‐containing adaptor inducing interferon (IFN)‐β. The MyD88 pathway induces proinflammatory cytokine activation, a critical mediator of ALD.

Jessica D. Korman, Irene Volenberg, Jody Balko, Joe Webster, Frank V. Schiodt, Robert H. Squires, Robert J. Fontana, William M. Lee, Michael L. Schilsky, Pediatric and Adult Acute Liver Failure Study Groups – 26 September 2008 – Acute liver failure (ALF) due to Wilson disease (WD) is invariably fatal without emergency liver transplantation. Therefore, rapid diagnosis of WD should aid prompt transplant listing.

Bertina F. Jones, Rebecca R. Boyles, Sung‐Yong Hwang, Gary S. Bird, James W. Putney – 26 September 2008 – The process of capacitative or store‐operated Ca2+ entry has been extensively investigated, and recently two major molecular players in this process have been described. Stromal interacting molecule (STIM) 1 acts as a sensor for the level of Ca2+ stored in the endoplasmic reticulum, and Orai proteins constitute pore‐forming subunits of the store‐operated channels.

Craig Dorrell, Laura Erker, Kelsea M. Lanxon‐Cookson, Stephanie L. Abraham, Tristan Victoroff, Simon Ro, Pamela S. Canaday, Philip R. Streeter, Markus Grompe – 26 September 2008 – The biology of progenitor activation in the liver is of considerable medical and scientific interest. The powerful genetic tools available for the mouse make it an ideal model system to study this complex process involving many different cell types. However, reagents for the isolation and study of distinct hepatic subpopulations have been quite limited compared to those available for hematopoietic cells.

Daniel Gotthardt, Heiko Runz, Verena Keitel, Christine Fischer, Christa Flechtenmacher, Michael Wirtenberger, Karl Heinz Weiss, Sandra Imparato, Annika Braun, Kari Hemminki, Wolfgang Stremmel, Franz Rüschendorf, Adolf Stiehl, Ralf Kubitz, Barbara Burwinkel, Peter Schirmacher, A. S. Knisely, Johannes Zschocke, Peter Sauer – 26 September 2008 – Cholestatic liver disease (CLD) is a major cause of progressive liver damage and liver failure. Several forms of biliary cirrhosis are caused by mutations in specific genes.

Geoffrey C. Nguyen, Justina Sam, Paul J. Thuluvath – 26 September 2008 – Acute liver injury (ALI) following acetaminophen overdose (AO) occurs in less than 10% of cases, but that risk is increased among alcoholics and those with chronic alcoholic liver disease. We sought to assess whether coexistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection potentiated the hepatotoxic effects of acetaminophen. We queried the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (1998‐2005), a 20% sample of U.S.