Gerhild Becker, Hans‐Peter Allgaier, Manfred Olschewski, Andreas Zähringer, Hubert Erich Blum – 22 December 2006 – Although numerous treatment modalities have been explored in patients with advanced HCC, the therapeutic options are still limited. Somatostatin has been shown to have antimitotic activity in endocrine as well as in a variety of nonendocrine tumors. Expression of somatostatin receptors is found in HCCs, but the efficacy of the somatostatin analogue octreotide remains controversial.

Kumar Visvanathan, Narelle A. Skinner, Alex J.V. Thompson, Stephen M. Riordan, Vitini Sozzi, Roslyn Edwards, Sally Rodgers, Jelica Kurtovic, Judy Chang, Sharon Lewin, Paul Desmond, Stephen Locarnini – 22 December 2006 – Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in the innate immune response. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The TLR2 and TLR4 expression on hepatocytes and Kupffer cells from fresh liver biopsies was measured from 21 patients with untreated hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive and HBeAg‐negative CHB.

Dirk Lebrecht, Yetlanezi A. Vargas‐Infante, Bernhard Setzer, Janbernd Kirschner, Ulrich A. Walker – 22 December 2006 – Zalcitabine is an antiretroviral nucleoside analogue that exhibits long‐term toxicity to hepatocytes by interfering with the replication of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Uridine antagonizes this effect in vitro. In the present study we investigate the mechanisms of zalcitabine‐induced hepatotoxicity in mice and explore therapeutic outcomes with oral uridine supplementation.

Patrick Bertolino, Lauren E. Holz – 22 December 2006

Scott L. Friedman, Don C. Rockey, D. Montgomery Bissell – 22 December 2006 – The third American Associated for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)–sponsored Single Topic Conference on hepatic fibrosis was held in June 2006. The conference was both international, with 6 countries represented, and cross‐disciplinary, linking the basic molecular and cellular biology of fibrogenic cells to clinical trial design for emerging antifibrotic therapies.

Gregory J. Dore – 22 December 2006

Rajeshwar P. Mookerjee, Mohammed Malaki, Nathan A. Davies, Stephen J. Hodges, R. Neil Dalton, Charles Turner, Sambit Sen, Roger Williams, James Leiper, Patrick Vallance, Rajiv Jalan – 22 December 2006 – Previous studies suggest reduced hepatic endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity contributes to increased intrahepatic resistance. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, undergoes hepatic metabolism via dimethylarginine‐dimethylamino‐hydrolase, and is derived by the action of protein‐arginine‐methyltransferases.

Silvano Fasolato, Paolo Angeli, Lucia Dallagnese, Giulio Maresio, Erika Zola, Elena Mazza, Freddy Salinas, Silvio Donà, Stefano Fagiuoli, Antonietta Sticca, Giacomo Zanus, Umberto Cillo, Ilaria Frasson, Carla Destro, Angelo Gatta – 22 December 2006 – The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical course of renal failure that was induced by the various types of bacterial infections in patients with cirrhosis and ascites.

Hari S. Conjeevaram, David E. Kleiner, Jay E. Everhart, Jay H. Hoofnagle, Steven Zacks, Nezam H. Afdhal, Abdus S. Wahed – 22 December 2006 – Hepatic steatosis is common in chronic hepatitis C and has been linked to concurrent obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, disease severity, and poor response to therapy. Racial differences in rates of obesity and diabetes may contribute to racial differences in hepatic steatosis and treatment response.

Amedeo Lonardo, Paola Loria, Marco Bertolotti, Nicola Carulli – 22 December 2006