Massimo Pilli, Amalia Penna, Alessandro Zerbini, Paolo Vescovi, Maddalena Manfredi, Francesco Negro, Marco Carrozzo, Cristina Mori, Tiziana Giuberti, Carlo Ferrari, Gabriele Missale – 7 March 2007 – Hepatitis C virus infection can be associated with different extrahepatic manifestations, including lichen planus; however, no clear role for HCV in their pathogenesis has been established. T cells were isolated from lichen biopsy specimens of 7 HCV positive patients with oral lichen planus.

Shunlin Ren, Phillip B. Hylemon, Dalila Marques, Emily Gurley, Patricia Bodhan, Elizabeth Hall, Kaye Redford, Gregorio Gil, William M. Pandak M.D. – 7 March 2007 – Bile acid synthesis (BAS) occurs mainly via two pathways: the “neutral” pathway, which is initiated by highly regulated microsomal CYP7A1, and an “acidic” pathway, which is initiated by mitochondrial CYP27A1.

Florence Komurian‐Pradel, Alain Rajoharison, Jean‐Luc Berland, Valérie Khouri, Magali Perret, Mark Van Roosmalen, Stanislas Pol, Francesco Negro, Glaucia Paranhos‐Baccalà – 7 March 2007 – The hepatitis C virus (HCV) F protein is a recently described, frameshift product of HCV core encoding sequence of genotype 1a. Its function and antigenic properties are unknown. Using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, we assessed the prevalence of anti‐F antibodies in 154 patients chronically infected with HCV, 65 patients with other liver diseases, and 121 healthy controls.

Barbara A. Piasecki, James D. Lewis, K. Rajender Reddy, Scarlett L. Bellamy, Steven B. Porter, Robert M. Weinrieb, Donald D. Stieritz, Kyong‐Mi Chang – 7 March 2007 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spontaneously cleared in 15% to 45% of individuals during primary infection. To define the role of alcohol, race, and HBV or HIV coinfections in natural HCV clearance, we examined these parameters in 203 spontaneously HCV‐recovered subjects (HCV Ab+/RNA‐ subjects without prior antiviral therapy) and 293 chronically HCV‐infected patients (HCV Ab+/RNA+).

7 March 2007

Bernhard Angermayr, Manfred Cejna, Franz Koenig, Franz Karnel, Franz Hackl, Alfred Gangl, Markus Peck‐Radosavljevic – 7 March 2007 – In patients with liver cirrhosis, implantation of a transjugular intrahepatic shunt (TIPS) leads to reduction of portal pressure, but not of mortality compared with other therapies. The high stenosis rates of conventional bare stents causes high reintervention rates and costs and may be correlated with poor survival. ePTFE‐covered stentgrafts provide much improved patency rates, but their impact on survival is unclear.

Marta Burrel, Josep M. Llovet, Carmen Ayuso, Carmela Iglesias, Margarita Sala, Rosa Miquel, Teresa Caralt, Juan Ramon Ayuso, Manel Solé, Marcelo Sanchez, Concepció Brú, Jordi Bruix – 7 March 2007 – Helical computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used for staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prior to curative treatments but underestimate tumor extension in 30% to 50% of cases when compared with pathologic explants. This study compares a new technology, MRI angiography (MRA), with triphasic helical CT in detection of HCC.

Mercedes Pérez‐Carreras, Pilar Del Hoyo, Miguel A. Martín, Juan C. Rubio, Ana Martín, Gregorio Castellano, Francisco Colina, Joaquín Arenas, José A. Solis‐Herruzo – 7 March 2007 – Mitochondrial dysfunction might play a central role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatits (NASH). The aims of this study were to evaluate whether free fatty acid (FFA) transport into the mitochondria or the activity of mitochondria respiratory chain (MRC) complexes are impaired in NASH.

Hazem Hallak, Giesla Moehren, Jei Tang, Mohamad Kaou, Mouhamad Addas, Jan B. Hoek, Raphael Rubin – 7 March 2007 – Insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) plays a critical role in the induction of cell cycle progression and survival in many cell types. However, there is minimal IGF‐I binding to hepatocytes, and a role for IGF‐I in hepatocyte signaling has not been elucidated. The dynamics of IGF‐I receptor (IGF‐IR) activation were examined in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes. IGF‐I did not activate the IGF‐IR.

Benita L. McVicker, Dean J. Tuma, Jacy A. Kubik, Agnes M. Hindemith, Cheryl R. Baldwin, Carol A. Casey – 7 March 2007 – Apoptotic cell death is a well‐defined process that is controlled by intrinsic cellular mechanisms followed by the generation of apoptotic bodies and their subsequent rapid elimination through the action of phagocytic cells. Within the liver, the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP‐R) has been shown to be involved in the phagocytosis of apoptotic hepatocytes, as well as altered cellular endocytic events after ethanol administration.