Savino Bruno, Tommaso Stroffolini, Massimo Colombo, Simona Bollani, Luisa Benvegnù, Giuseppe Mazzella, Antonio Ascione, Teresa Santantonio, Felice Piccinino, Pietro Andreone, Alessandra Mangia, Giovanni B. Gaeta, Marcello Persico, Stefano Fagiuoli, Piero L. Almasio, on behalf of the Italian Association of the Study of the Liver Disease (AISF) – 26 February 2007 – The effect of achieving a sustained virological response (SVR) following interferon‐α (IFNα) treatment on the clinical outcomes of patients with HCV‐related cirrhosis is unknown.

Akihiko Ito, Yuji Nishikawa, Kazuhiro Ohnuma, Ikuyo Ohnuma, Yu‐ichiro Koma, Ayuko Sato, Katsuhiko Enomoto, Tohru Tsujimura, Hiroshi Yokozaki – 26 February 2007 – Spermatogenic immunoglobulin superfamily (SgIGSF) is an intercellular adhesion molecule of the nectin‐like family. While screening its tissue distribution, we found that it was expressed in fetal liver but not adult liver. In the present study, we examined which cells in developing and regenerating liver express SgIGSF via immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis.

Juan M. Marquès, Idoia Belza, Bettina Holtmann, Diane Pennica, Jesus Prieto, Matilde Bustos – 26 February 2007 – We previously reported that exogenous cardiotrophin‐1 (CT‐1), a member of the IL‐6 family of cytokines, exerts hepatoprotective effects. Because CT‐1 is expressed in the normal liver, we hypothesized that this cytokine may constitute an endogenous defense of the liver against proapoptotic stimuli. Here, we found that CT‐1−/− mice died faster than wild‐type animals after challenge with a lethal dose of the Fas agonist Jo‐2.

26 February 2007

Flavia Bortolotti, Maria Guido – 26 February 2007

Marlyn J. Mayo, Iorna Handem, Sandra Saldana, Heidi Jacobe, Yonas Getachew, A. John Rush – 26 February 2007 – Pruritus is frequently the most debilitating symptom of cholestatic liver diseases. Moreover, existing therapies are often ineffective. Recent small, retrospective case series reports suggest that serotonin reuptake inhibitors can improve pruritus. This study was undertaken to establish the dose of sertraline and to evaluate its efficacy for cholestatic pruritus.

Mark D. Gorrell, Fiona J. Warner – 26 February 2007

Valerio De Stefano, Alessia Fiorini, Elena Rossi, Tommaso Za, Patrizia Chiusolo, Simona Sica, Giuseppe Leone – 26 February 2007

Nadeem Hussain, Jordan J. Feld, David E. Kleiner, Jay H. Hoofnagle, Reyes Garcia‐Eulate, Sushil Ahlawat, Deloris E. Koziel, Victoria Anderson, Dianne Hilligoss, Peter Choyke, John I. Gallin, T. Jake Liang, Harry L. Malech, Steven M. Holland, Theo Heller – 26 February 2007 – Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by repeated bacterial and fungal infections. Aside from a high incidence of liver abscess, little is known about hepatic involvement in CGD. The aim of this study was to describe the spectrum of liver abnormalities seen in CGD.

Stephan Menne, Paul J. Cote, Scott D. Butler, Ilia A. Toshkov, John L. Gerin, Bud C. Tennant – 26 February 2007 – Resolution of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterized by coordinated humoral and cellular immune responses. Immunity is durable over decades, protecting the host from reinfection and potential activation of residual HBV. Woodchucks infected at birth with woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) cleared viremia and developed antibodies to surface antigen (anti‐WHs).