Henry L. Y. Chan, Hong Ren, Wan C. Chow, Theodore Wee, Interferon beta‐1a Hepatitis C Study Group – 27 July 2007 – The standard of care for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, pegylated interferon (IFN) alpha plus ribavirin, results in a sustained virologic response (SVR) in approximately 50%‐60% of patients. IFN beta is a potential alternative to IFN alpha. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency and durability of IFN beta and its combination with ribavirin in the naïve setting of chronic hepatitis C in Asian patients.

Chee‐Kin Hui, Nancy Leung, Siu‐Tsan Yuen, Hai‐Ying Zhang, Kar‐Wai Leung, Lei Lu, Stephen K. F. Cheung, Wai‐Man Wong, George K. Lau, Hong Kong Liver Fibrosis Study Group – 27 July 2007 – In view of the findings that high hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is associated with increased risk of chronic hepatitis B (CHB)–related complications, disease progression in CHB patients in the immune‐tolerant phase is uncertain. We evaluated disease progression in 57 immune‐tolerant CHB patients with high HBV DNA. Each subject underwent an initial liver biopsy.

Ingrid Hickman, Graeme Macdonald – 27 July 2007

Stephen H. Caldwell, James T. Patrie, Elizabeth M. Brunt, Jan A. Redick, Christine A. Davis, Sang H. Park, Brent A. Neuschwander‐Tetri – 27 July 2007 – Rosiglitazone, a thiazolidinedione peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma ligand, reduces disease activity in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a disease associated with hepatocyte mitochondrial crystalline inclusions that are not seen in animal models of NASH. In human and animal studies of adipose tissue, thiazolidinediones may induce mitochondrial biogenesis and associated morphological changes.

David L. Suskind, Karen F. Murray – 27 July 2007

Stephen H. Caldwell, Curtis K. Argo – 27 July 2007

Glen Lutchman, Apurva Modi, David E. Kleiner, Kittichai Promrat, Theo Heller, Marc Ghany, Brian Borg, Rohit Loomba, T. Jake Liang, Ahalya Premkumar, Jay H. Hoofnagle – 27 July 2007 – A pilot study of a 48‐week course of pioglitazone demonstrated significant improvements in the biochemical and histological features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The aim of the study was to assess the effects of stopping pioglitazone. Twenty‐one patients with NASH were treated with pioglitazone (30 mg/day) for 48 weeks and underwent baseline and end‐of‐treatment evaluation including liver biopsy.

Paul J. Pockros, Eugene R. Schiff, Mitchell L. Shiffman, John G. McHutchison, Robert G. Gish, Nezam H. Afdhal, Manana Makhviladze, Mira Huyghe, David Hecht, Tilman Oltersdorf, David A. Shapiro – 27 July 2007 – Increased rates of apoptosis (programmed cell death) have been demonstrated in many hepatic diseases including chronic hepatitis C. IDN‐6556 is a potent inhibitor of caspases, the proteases that execute apoptosis. In a prior phase 1 study, IDN‐6556 lowered aminotransferase activity in a small number of patients with liver impairment.

Eike Steinmann, Thomas Whitfield, Stephanie Kallis, Raymond A. Dwek, Nicole Zitzmann, Thomas Pietschmann, Ralf Bartenschlager – 27 July 2007 – Current therapy of chronic hepatitis C is based on the combination of pegylated interferon‐α and ribavirin. In spite of 50% sustained virological response, therapy is still limited by unsatisfying success rates with genotype 1 infections and adverse side effects. One attempt to increase success rates is triple combination therapy of interferon and ribavirin with amantadine, a drug assumed to interfere with HCV p7 ion channel function.

Stanley D.W. Miller, Catherine M. Greene, Caitriona McLean, Matthew W. Lawless, Clifford C. Taggart, Shane J. O'Neill, Noel G. McElvaney – 27 July 2007 – Z alpha‐1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a genetic disease associated with accumulation of misfolded AAT in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of hepatocytes. ZAAT‐expressing cells display ER stress responses including nuclear factor kappaB activation and apoptosis. Using an in vitro model of ZAAT ER accumulation, we investigated the mechanism of ZAAT‐mediated ER‐induced apoptosis and evaluated methods to inhibit this process.