Gisa Tiegs – 23 June 2006 – Fulminant liver failure (FLF) consists of a cascade of events beginning with a presumed uncontrolled systemic activation of the immune system. The etiology of FLF remains undefined. In this study, we demonstrate that CCR5 deficiency promotes the development of acute FLF in mice following Con A administration by preventing activated hepatic CD1d‐restricted NKT cells (but not conventional T cells) from dying from activation‐induced apoptosis.

Fouad Lafdil, Marie Noële Chobert, Dominique Couchie, Arthur Brouillet, Elie Serge Zafrani, Philippe Mavier, Yannick Laperche – 23 June 2006 – The protein product of the growth arrest–specific gene 6 (Gas6) is a secreted ligand for tyrosine kinase receptors, among which Axl is the most widely distributed and displays the highest affinity for Gas6. The Gas6/Axl signaling pathway has been increasingly implicated in growth and survival processes occurring during development and tissue repair.

Edwina S. Baskin‐Bey, Wendong Huang, Norihisa Ishimura, Hajime Isomoto, Steven F. Bronk, Karen Braley, Ruth W. Craig, David D. Moore, Gregory J. Gores – 23 June 2006 – The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) modulates xeno‐ and endobiotic hepatotoxicity by regulating detoxification pathways. Whether activation of CAR may also protect against liver injury by directly blocking apoptosis is unknown.

Anna Wieckowska, Nizar N. Zein, Lisa M. Yerian, A. Rocio Lopez, Arthur J. McCullough, Ariel E. Feldstein – 23 June 2006 – In patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a liver biopsy remains the only reliable way to differentiate simple steatosis from nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Noninvasive methods are urgently needed. Increasing evidence suggests hepatocyte apoptosis is a key mediator of liver injury in NAFLD. The aim of this study was to quantify hepatocyte apoptosis in plasma from patients with NAFLD and correlate it with histological severity.

Dong‐Sik Kim, Sung‐Gyu Lee, Gyu‐Bo Sung, Gi‐Young Ko, Kwang‐Min Park, Ki‐Hun Kim, Chul‐Soo Ahn, Deok‐Bog Moon, Tae‐Yong Ha, Gi‐Won Song – 23 June 2006 – Subcapsular hematoma of the graft is a serious complication of liver transplantation (LT), and there has been no discussion in the literature about optimal management except in sporadic case reports. The aim of this work is to review our experience of subcapsular hematoma in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and to introduce our management strategy.

Jason T. Blackard, Nyingi Kemmer, Kenneth E. Sherman – 23 June 2006 – An estimated 170 million persons are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) worldwide. While hepatocytes are the major site of infection, a broad clinical spectrum of extrahepatic complications and diseases are associated with chronic HCV infection, highlighting the involvement of HCV in a variety of non‐hepatic pathogenic processes. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that HCV can replicate efficiently in extrahepatic tissues and cell types, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Harvey Alter – 23 June 2006

23 June 2006

Tetsuhiro Chiba, Kaoru Kita, Yun‐Wen Zheng, Osamu Yokosuka, Hiromitsu Saisho, Atsushi Iwama, Hiromitsu Nakauchi, Hideki Taniguchi – 23 June 2006 – Recent advances in stem cell biology enable us to identify cancer stem cells in solid tumors as well as putative stem cells in normal solid organs. In this study, we applied side population (SP) cell analysis and sorting to established hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines to detect subpopulations that function as cancer stem cells and to elucidate their roles in tumorigenesis.

Michael Chudy, Michael Schmidt, Volker Czudai, Heinrich Scheiblauer, Sigrid Nick, Mira Mosebach, Michael Kai Hourfar, Erhard Seifried, W. Kurt Roth, Elke Grünelt, C. Micha Nübling – 23 June 2006 – An acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was diagnosed in a regular apheresis (plasma/platelet) donor by the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) assay and minipool nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT). The acute infection was confirmed by detection of anti‐HBc (IgM) and anti‐HBs 2 weeks later. The donor showed no clinical symptoms and had normal alanine aminotransferase levels.