Zhenyuan Song, Zhanxiang Zhou, Silvia Uriarte, Lipeng Wang, Y. James Kang, Theresa Chen, Shirish Barve, Craig J. McClain – 7 March 2007 – In alcoholic liver disease, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNFα) is a critical effector molecule, and abnormal methionine metabolism is a fundamental acquired metabolic abnormality. Although hepatocytes are resistant to TNFα‐induced killing under normal circumstances, previous studies have shown that primary hepatocytes from rats chronically fed alcohol have increased TNFα cytotoxicity.

Nora V. Bergasa, Andrew Mason, Annarosa Floreani, Jenny Heathcote, Mark G. Swain, David E. J. Jones, Keith M. Lindor, Margaret F. Bassendine, Howard J. Worman – 7 March 2007

Giovanna M. Ledda‐Columbano, Monica Pibiri, Costanza Cossu, Francesca Molotzu, Joseph Locker, Amedeo Columbano – 7 March 2007 – It has been shown that the magnitude of DNA synthesis and the time at which maximal DNA synthesis occurs after two‐thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) is greatly reduced in the liver of aged rodents compared to young animals. This reduction could represent an intrinsic defect in proliferation or a more specialized change in the response to PH.

Sihong Song, Rafal P. Witek, Yuanqing Lu, Young‐Kook Choi, Donghang Zheng, Marda Jorgensen, Chengwen Li, Terence R. Flotte, Byron E. Petersen – 7 March 2007 – Allogeneic stem cell‐based transplants may be limited by allograft rejection, as is seen with conventional organ transplantation. One way to avert such a response is to use autologous stem cells, but that may carry the risk of recurrence of the original disease, particularly in the context of a genetic defect.

Kung‐Chia Young, Karen L. Lindsay, Ki‐Jeong Lee, Wen‐Chun Liu, Jian‐Wen He, Susan L. Milstein, Michael M. C. Lai – 7 March 2007 – Ribavirin (RBV), a guanosine analogue, has been suggested to exert an antiviral action against hepatitis C virus (HCV) by causing lethal mutations and suppressing RNA polymerase in vitro, but the mechanism of its clinical therapeutic effects is currently unknown.

David R. Nelson, Zhengkun Tu, Consuelo Soldevila‐Pico, Manal Abdelmalek, Haizhen Zhu, Yi Ling Xu, Roniel Cabrera, Chen Liu, Gary L. Davis – 7 March 2007 – An imbalance in Th1 and Th2 cytokine production is implicated in disease progression of HCV. Our aim was to determine the effect of IL‐10 administration in patients with HCV‐related liver disease. Thirty patients with advanced fibrosis who had failed antiviral therapy were enrolled in a 12‐month treatment regimen with SQ IL‐10 given daily or thrice weekly. Liver biopsies were performed before and after therapy.

Zhi Hong – 7 March 2007

7 March 2007

O Hermine, F Lefrere, Jp Bronowicki, X Mariette, K Jondeau, V Eclache‐Saudreau, B Delmas, F Valensi, P Cacoub, C Brechot, B Varet, X Troussard, Francesco Negro – 7 March 2007 – Some epidemiologic studies suggest a link between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and some B‐cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas. We undertook this study after a patient with splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes had a hematologic response after antiviral treatment of HCV infection.

Hirayuki Enomoto, Kenya Yoshida, Yoshihiko Kishima, Taisei Kinoshita, Mitsunari Yamamoto, Allen D. Everett, Atsushi Miyajima, Hideji Nakamura – 7 March 2007 – Hepatoma‐derived growth factor (HDGF) is a heparin‐binding protein, which has been purified from the conditioned media of HuH‐7 hepatoma cells. Recent studies have suggested the involvement of HDGF in development of the kidney and cardiovascular systems. In the present study, we investigated the possibility that HDGF was also involved in liver development.