Dirk J. van Leeuwen, James L. Bernat – 25 May 2006 – Advances in molecular genetics challenge the hepatology community to understand and implement genetic knowledge. Despite excitement about the potential benefits of new genetic information, concerns have been raised about the inappropriate use of genetic testing, clinicians' incorrect ordering and misinterpretation of test results, and discrimination in employment and insurability based on tests results.

Adrian Reuben – 25 May 2006

Elwyn Elias – 25 May 2006

Hartmut Jaeschke – 25 May 2006

Xinhua Fang, Mirjam B. Zeisel, Jochen Wilpert, Bettina Gissler, Robert Thimme, Clemens Kreutz, Thomas Maiwald, Jens Timmer, Winfried V. Kern, Johannes Donauer, Marcel Geyer, Gerd Walz, Erik Depla, Fritz von Weizsäcker, Hubert E. Blum, Thomas F. Baumert – 25 May 2006 – Initiation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is mediated by docking of the viral envelope to the hepatocyte cell surface membrane followed by entry of the virus into the host cell.

Nguyen L. Toan, Le H. Song, Peter G. Kremsner, Dinh N. Duy, Vu Q. Binh, Bernd Koeberlein, Stefan Kaiser, Reinhard Kandolf, Joseph Torresi, C.‐Thomas Bock – 25 May 2006 – Eight genotypes (A‐H) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) have been identified. However, the impact of different genotypes on the clinical course of hepatitis B infection remains controversial. We investigated the frequency and clinical outcome of HBV genotypes and genotype mixtures in HBV‐infected patients from Vietnam, Europe, and Africa.

Yasuhiko Sugawara, Masatoshi Makuuchi, Sumihito Tamura, Yuichi Matsui, Junichi Kaneko, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Hiroshi Imamura, Norihiro Kokudo, Noboru Motomura, Shinichi Takamoto – 24 May 2006 – No data are available for the management of venous jump or interposition conduits for portal vein (PV) reconstruction in adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The feasibility of using cryopreserved vein grafts as PV conduits was examined. Cryopreserved vein (n = 23) was used as a patch, interposition, or jump graft.

Xiaofeng Jiang, Miwa Morita, Atsushi Sugioka, Michishige Harada, Satoshi Kojo, Hiroshi Wakao, Hiroshi Watarai, Nobuhiro Ohkohchi, Masaru Taniguchi, Ken‐ichiro Seino – 24 May 2006 – In mouse liver transplantation, tolerance is readily inducible. Recent studies have revealed that CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells play an important role in regulating various immune responses, including transplant tolerance. However, the contribution of these cells to tolerance in mouse liver transplantation has not been elucidated.

Elisabetta Cerutti, Chiara Stratta, Renato Romagnoli, Roberto Serra, Mirella Lepore, Fabrizio Fop, Luciana Mascia, Francesco Lupo, Alessandro Franchello, Angelo Panio, Mauro Salizzoni – 24 May 2006 – Infection transmission from donor to recipient is a dreadful complication in transplantation. Although bacteremia was previously detected in 5% of donors without negative impact on recipient outcome, the current expansion of graft pool requires consideration of the infectious risk associated with suboptimal donors.

Ismail Ben Mosbah, Joan Roselló‐Catafau, Rosa Franco‐Gou, Hassen Ben Abdennebi, Dalila Saidane, Silvina Ramella‐Virieux, Olivier Boillot, Carmen Peralta – 24 May 2006 – A new Institut Georges Lopez (IGL‐1) solution was used to preserve steatotic livers. Steatotic (obese [Ob]) and nonsteatotic (lean [Ln]) livers from Zücker rats (n = 16, 8 Ln and 8 Ob) were preserved for 24 hours at 4°C in University of Wisconsin (UW) or IGL‐1 solution, respectively, and then perfused ex vivo for 2 hours at 37°C.