Influence of portal hypertension and its early decompression by TIPS placement on the outcome of variceal bleeding

Alberto Monescillo, Francisco Martínez‐Lagares, Luis Ruiz‐Del‐Arbol, Angel Sierra, Clemencia Guevara, Elena Jiménez, José Miguel Marrero, Enrique Buceta, Juan Sánchen, Ana Castellot, Mónica Peñate, Ana Cruz, Elena Peña – 7 March 2007 – Increased portal pressure during variceal bleeding may have an influence on the treatment failure rate, as well as on short‐ and long‐term survival.

Hepatitis C virus core protein activates ERK and p38 MAPK in cooperation with ethanol in transgenic mice

Takeya Tsutsumi, Tetsuro Suzuki, Kyoji Moriya, Yoshizumi Shintani, Hajime Fujie, Hideyuki Miyoshi, Yoshiharu Matsuura, Kazuhiko Koike, Tatsuo Miyamura – 7 March 2007 – In human chronic hepatitis C, alcohol intake is a synergistic factor for the acceleration of hepatocarcinogenesis. Recently, we showed a significant increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in hepatitis C virus (HCV) core‐transgenic mice fed ethanol‐containing diets.

Genetic polymorphisms in interferon pathway and response to interferon treatment in hepatitis B patients: A pilot study

Jennifer K. King, Shiou‐Hwei Yeh, Ming‐Wei Lin, Chun‐Jen Liu, Ming‐Yang Lai, Jia‐Horng Kao, Ding‐Shinn Chen, Pei‐Jer Chen – 7 March 2007 – Interferon alfa (IEN‐α) therapy remains a mainstay of treatment in active hepatitis B. However, sustained remission rates remain relatively low, and the search for factors important for response to therapy continues. Our study aimed to identify the host single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that predict IFN response in hepatitis B patients.

Liver disease in cystic fibrosis: A prospective study on incidence, risk factors, and outcome

Carla Colombo, Pier Maria Battezzati, Andrea Crosignani, Alberto Morabito, Diana Costantini, Rita Padoan, Annamaria Giunta – 7 March 2007 – Incidence of liver disease (LD) associated with cystic fibrosis (CF) and its clinical characterization still is unsettled. We have assessed prospectively the incidence and risk factors of this complication, and its impact on the clinical course of CF. Between 1980 and 1990, we enrolled 177 CF patients without LD in a systematic clinical, laboratory, ultrasonography screening program of at least a 10‐year duration.

Valine‐alanine manganese superoxide dismutase polymorphism is not associated with alcohol‐induced oxidative stress or liver fibrosis

Stephen F. Stewart, Julian B. Leathart, Yuanneng Chen, Ann K. Daly, Roberta Rolla, Daria Vay, Elisa Mottaran, Matteo Vidali, Emanuele Albano, Chris P. Day – 7 March 2007 – The role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of alcohol‐induced liver disease (ALD) is receiving increasing attention. Recently, it has been reported that homozygosity for a valine to alanine substitution in the mitochondrial targeting sequence of manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn‐SOD) represents a risk factor for severe ALD.

A phylogenetic analysis identifies heterogeneity among hepatocellular carcinomas

Katherine A. McGlynn, Michael N. Edmonson, Rita A. Michielli, W. Thomas London, Wen Yao Lin, Gong‐Chao Chen, Fu‐Min Shen, Kenneth H. Buetow – 7 March 2007 – Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant cause of cancer morbidity and mortality on the global scale. Although epidemiologic studies have identified major risk factors for HCC, the sequence of oncogenic events at the molecular level remains poorly understood. While genetic allele loss appears to be a common event, the significance of the loss is not clear.

Secretion of cytokines and growth factors into autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease liver cyst fluid

Matthew T. Nichols, Elsa Gidey, Tom Matzakos, Rolf Dahl, Greg Stiegmann, Raj J. Shah, Jared J. Grantham, J. Gregory Fitz, R. Brian – 7 March 2007 – The principal extrarenal manifestation of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) involves formation of liver cysts derived from intrahepatic bile ducts. Autocrine and paracrine factors secreted into the cyst would be positioned to modulate the rate of hepatic cyst growth. The aim of this study was to identify potential growth factors present in human ADPKD liver cyst fluid.

Persistent ascites and low serum sodium identify patients with cirrhosis and low MELD scores who are at high risk for early death

Douglas M. Heuman, Souheil G. Abou‐Assi, Adil Habib, Leslie M. Williams, R. Todd Stravitz, Arun J. Sanyal, Robert A. Fisher, Anastasios A. Mihas – 7 March 2007 – Despite the adoption of “sickest first” liver transplantation, pretransplant death remains common, and many early deaths occur despite initially low Model for End‐stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores. From 1997–2003, we studied 507 cirrhotic United States veterans referred for consideration of liver transplantation to identify additional predictors of early mortality.

Are cultured liver cells the right tool to investigate mechanisms of liver disease or hepatotoxicity?

Hartmut Jaeschke – 7 March 2007 – Microarray technology allows the simultaneous analysis of mRNA expression levels of thousands of genes. In the field of toxicogenomics, this technology could help to identify potentially unsafe compounds based on the changes in mRNA expression patterns they induce. Rodent in vivo and in vitro systems are currently the experimental models of choice for predictive toxicology, especially in early phases of development.

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