Jacob Nattermann, Martin Vogel, Thomas Berg, Mark Danta, Baumgarten Axel, Christoph Mayr, Raffaele Bruno, Christina Tural, Gerd Klausen, Bonaventura Clotet, Thomas Lutz, Frank Grünhage, Michael Rausch, Hans Dieter Nischalke, Knud Schewe, Bernhard Bienek, Georg Haerter, Tilman Sauerbruch, Juergen K. Rockstroh, Ulrich Spengler – 1 August 2007 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV)/human immunodeficirency virus (HIV) coinfection poses a difficult therapeutic problem. Response to HCV‐specific therapy is variable but might be influenced by host genetic factors, including polymorphisms of cytokine genes.

Kristina Rutkute, Alexander A. Karakashian, Natalia V. Giltiay, Aneta Dobierzewska, Mariana N. Nikolova‐Karakashian – 1 August 2007 – The process of aging has recently been shown to substantially affect the ability of cells to respond to inflammatory challenges. We demonstrate that aging leads to hepatic hyperresponsiveness to interleukin 1β (IL‐1β), and we examine the factors that could be responsible for this phenomenon. IL‐1β‐induced phosphorylation of c‐jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) in hepatocytes isolated from aged rats was 3 times more potent than that in hepatocytes from young rats.

Robert E. Lanford, Bernadette Guerra, Catherine B. Bigger, Helen Lee, Deborah Chavez, Kathleen M. Brasky – 1 August 2007 – The mechanism of the interferon‐alpha (IFNα)–induced antiviral response is not completely understood. We recently examined the transcriptional response to IFNα in uninfected chimpanzees. The transcriptional response to IFNα in the liver and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was rapidly induced but was also rapidly down‐regulated, with most interferon‐alpha–stimulated genes (ISGs) returning to the baseline within 24 hours.

Aldo J. Montano‐Loza, Herschel A. Carpenter, Albert J. Czaja – 1 August 2007 – Autoimmune hepatitis may fail to respond to corticosteroid therapy, but the frequency and bases for this outcome are uncertain. We aimed to determine the frequency and nature of treatment failure in patients with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis, define features associated with its occurrence, and assess if the model for end‐stage liver disease can predict this outcome. Patients failing conventional corticosteroid regimens were compared to patients who responded to similar regimens.

Marcello Persico, Mario Capasso, Eliana Persico, Monica Svelto, Roberta Russo, Daniela Spano, Lori Crocè, Vincenzo La Mura, Francesco Moschella, Flora Masutti, Roberto Torella, Claudio Tiribelli, Achille Iolascon – 1 August 2007 – The response to antiviral therapy is lower in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients with genotype 1 than in those with genotype 2. Overexpression of the suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) gene in liver tissue is associated with a poorer treatment outcome in patients with chronic hepatitis C viral genotype 1.

Martin Schaefer, Axel Hinzpeter, Ariane Mohmand, Gesa Janssen, Maurice Pich, Markus Schwaiger, Rahul Sarkar, Astrid Friebe, Andreas Heinz, Michael Kluschke, Marlene Ziemer, Juri Gutsche, Viola Weich, Juliane Halangk, Thomas Berg – 1 August 2007 – We investigated and compared the results of treating the chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection of different groups of psychiatric‐risk patients and controls with pegylated interferon alpha (pegIFN‐α) plus ribavirin. Seventy patients were prospectively screened for psychiatric disorders.

Satoshi Yokoyama, Mureo Kasahara, Akinari Fukuda, Shinji Uemoto, Shunsuke Nosaka – 30 July 2007

Yong‐Jae Kim, Gi‐Young Ko, Hyun‐Ki Yoon, Ji‐Hoon Shin, Heung‐Kyu Ko, Kyu‐Bo Sung – 30 July 2007 – The purpose of this research was to evaluate the intermediate effectiveness of intraoperative portal vein stent placement for portal venous stenosis in liver transplantation. We attempted intraoperative portal vein stent placement in 44 portal venous anastomotic stenoses in 36 patients. All patients underwent stent placement via either the inferior or superior mesenteric vein.

Li Feng, Na Zhao, Xun Yao, Xin Sun, Liang Du, Xiang Diao, Shengfu Li, Youping Li – 30 July 2007 – University of Wisconsin (UW) solution has been recognized as the gold standard in liver preservation, but its limitations are becoming obvious, such as risk of biliary complications and its high cost. Alternatively, the effects of histidine‐tryptophan‐ketoglutarate (HTK), such as improved biliary protection and low cost, have been observed. This systematic review is conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of these 2 solutions. Databases from 1966 to June 2006 were searched.

Muhammad F. Dawwas, James D. Lewsey, James M. Neuberger, Alexander E. Gimson – 30 July 2007 – Modification of the current allocation system for donor livers in the United States to incorporate recipient serum sodium concentration ([Na]) has recently been proposed. However, the impact of this parameter on posttransplantation mortality has not been previously examined in a large risk‐adjusted analysis.