Gerald S. Lipshutz, Supriya Patel, Jonathan R. Hiatt, Hassan Yersiz, Douglas G. Farmer, Sue V. McDiarmid, R. Mark Ghobrial, Ronald W. Busuttil – 23 June 2006 – Few studies have reported a series of patients who have undergone portocaval hemitransposition at the time of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Furthermore, no series report the outcome of pediatric patients who required the procedure. This work analyzes the experience with portocaval hemitransposition in the pediatric liver transplant population at a single center since the initial description of the procedure.

Aaron W. Bell, George K. Michalopoulos – 23 June 2006 – Phenobarbital is a lipophilic molecule used as a sedative and antiepileptic drug that elicits a multitude of effects in the liver, including gross liver enlargement, hepatocyte hypertrophy, and induced expression of drug‐metabolizing enzymes and other liver‐specific genes. The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR; NR1I3) and to a lesser extent the pregnane X receptor (PXR; NR1I2) are responsible for mediating induction of many phenobarbital‐responsive genes.

Nils‐Holger Zschemisch, Christian Liedtke, Uta Dierssen, Yulia A. Nevzorova, Torsten Wüstefeld, Jürgen Borlak, Michael P. Manns, Christian Trautwein – 23 June 2006 – Cyclin E1 controls G1/S phase transition of the eukaryotic cell cycle. We report the impact of alternative spliced cyclin E1 isoforms on cell cycle regulation in hepatocytes. We show that expression of new cyclin E1 mRNA variants IN3, Δ4, and Δ5 is associated with retarded proliferation in murine hepatocellular carcinoma.

Lucia Carulli, Amedeo Lonardo, Silvia Lombardini, Giulio Marchesini, Paola Loria – 23 June 2006

Coen C. Paulusma, Annemiek Groen, Cindy Kunne, Kam S. Ho‐Mok, Astrid L. Spijkerboer, D. Rudi de Waart, Frans J. Hoek, Heleen Vreeling, Kees A. Hoeben, Jan van Marle, Ludmila Pawlikowska, Laura N. Bull, Alan F. Hofmann, A. S. Knisely, Ronald P. J. Oude Elferink – 23 June 2006 – Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 (PFIC1, Byler disease, OMIM 211600) is a severe inherited liver disease caused by mutations in ATP8B1. ATP8B1 is a member of the type 4 subfamily of P‐type ATPases, which are phospholipid flippases.

23 June 2006

Neal R. Barshes, Ian W. Udell, Timothy C. Lee, Christine A. O'Mahony, Saul J. Karpen, Beth A. Carter, John A. Goss – 23 June 2006 – Although rare in the pediatric population, the natural history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence in pediatric patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for end‐stage liver disease secondary to HCV has not been well described. We performed an analysis of all 67 pediatric patients (<17 years old) who have undergone OLT for HCV in the United States between 1/1988 and 6/2005. The 67 pediatric patients received a total of 83 OLTs for HCV.

George V. Mazariegos, Kyle A. Soltys, Geoffrey J. Bond, Robert H. Squires, Rakesh Sindhi – 23 June 2006

Simona Urbani, Barbara Amadei, Paola Fisicaro, Daniela Tola, Alessandra Orlandini, Luca Sacchelli, Cristina Mori, Gabriele Missale, Carlo Ferrari – 23 June 2006 – A timely, efficient, and coordinated activation of both CD4 and CD8 T cell subsets following HCV infection is believed to be essential for HCV control. However, to what extent a failure of the individual T cell subsets can contribute to the high propensity of HCV to persist is still largely undefined.

Masanori Ikeda, Ken‐ichi Abe, Masashi Yamada, Hiromichi Dansako, Kazuhito Naka, Nobuyuki Kato – 23 June 2006 – We recently developed a genome‐length hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA replication system (OR6) with luciferase as a reporter. The OR6 assay system has enabled prompt and precise quantification of HCV RNA replication. Pegylated interferon (IFN) and ribavirin combination therapy is the world standard for chronic hepatitis C, but its effectiveness is limited to about 55% of patients. Newer therapeutic approaches are needed.