Alan Koffron, David Geller, T. Clark Gamblin, Michael Abecassis – 28 November 2006 – Laparoscopic liver surgery has evolved rapidly over the past 5 years in a select number of centers. The growing experience with these procedures has resulted in a shift in the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to common liver tumors. The fact that resection of benign and malignant hepatic masses can now be accomplished laparoscopically with relatively low morbidity has influenced the decision‐making process for physicians involved in the diagnosis and management of these lesions.

Richard A. Del Rio, Anthony B. Post, Mendel E. Singer – 28 November 2006 – In hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected patients who develop anemia during combination therapy, erythropoietic growth factors maintain higher drug treatment levels compared to ribavirin dose reduction, which may lead to an increase in treatment response rates. This study estimated the cost‐effectiveness of growth factor therapy in maintaining anemic HCV‐infected patients on target drug levels during combination therapy.

Raymond S. Koff – 28 November 2006

David R. Snydman – 28 November 2006

Andres T. Blei – 28 November 2006

Claudia O. Zein, Kristi Beatty, Anthony B. Post, Laurie Logan, Sara Debanne, Arthur J. McCullough – 28 November 2006 – An epidemiological association between cigarette smoking and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) has been demonstrated. Our aim was to determine the relationship between smoking and severity of liver fibrosis at presentation in patients with PBC. All patients with PBC seen at the three major teaching hospitals of Case Western Reserve University between October 1998 and December 2005 were identified.

Ramón Bataller – 28 November 2006

Michele Molinari, Kymberly D.S. Watt, Thomas Kruszyna, Rebecca Nelson, Mark Walsh, Weei‐Yuan Huang, Bjorn Nashan, Kevork Peltekian – 28 November 2006 – In industrialized countries, over‐the‐counter dietary supplements have become popular in preventing and treating an expanding list of medical conditions. Although most commercially available supplements have not been rigorously tested for safety and efficacy, they have found an enlarging market because they are considered natural.

Georges Mantion – 28 November 2006

Muriel Lavie, Cécile Voisset, Ngoc Vu‐Dac, Virginie Zurawski, Gilles Duverlie, Czeslaw Wychowski, Jean Dubuisson – 28 November 2006 – Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute phase protein produced by the liver. SAA concentration increases markedly in the serum following inflammation and infection. Large increases in SAA concentration during the acute phase response suggest that SAA has a beneficial role in host defense.