Thomas Walter, Jérôme Dumortier, Olivier Guillaud, Valérie Hervieu, Jean‐Yves Scoazec, Olivier Boillot – 26 January 2007 – Recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation (LT) is a major problem, since up to 30% of patients develop cirrhosis only 5 years after LT in the absence of antiviral therapy. The aim of this study was to examine the rate of progression of fibrosis and its associated risk factors in patients submitted to an early antiviral treatment post‐LT.

Deepak V. Gopal, Hugo R. Rosen – 26 January 2007

Martin Hennenberg, Jonel Trebicka, Erwin Biecker, Michael Schepke, Tilman Sauerbruch, Jörg Heller – 26 January 2007 – In cirrhosis, vascular hypocontractility leads to vasodilation and contributes to portal hypertension. Impaired activation of contractile pathways contributes to vascular hypocontractility. Angiotensin II type 1 receptors (AT1‐Rs) are coupled to the contraction‐mediating RhoA/Rho‐kinase pathway and may be desensitized by phosphorylation through G‐protein‐coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) and binding of β‐arrestin‐2.

Anna S. F. Lok, Brian J. McMahon – 26 January 2007

Ignazio Grattagliano, Piero Portincasa, Vincenzo O. Palmieri, Giuseppe Palasciano – 26 January 2007 – Cholestasis is associated with changes in NO metabolism and thiol oxidation. Thioredoxin contributes to regulate vascular tone and intracellular redox status by cleaving nitrosothiols and maintaining −SH groups. This study investigated the changes in circulating thioredoxin and nitrosothiols and the relationship with protein sulfhydryls (PSH), hepatic concentrations, hyaluronate, and histology in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and in rats with bile duct ligation (BDL).

Antonella Pellicoro, Fiona A. J. van den Heuvel, Mariska Geuken, Han Moshage, Peter L. M. Jansen, Klaas Nico Faber – 26 January 2007 – Bile acid–coenzyme A:amino acid N‐acyltransferase (BAAT) is the sole enzyme responsible for conjugation of primary and secondary bile acids to taurine and glycine. Previous studies indicate a peroxisomal location of BAAT in peroxisomes with variable amounts up to 95% detected in cytosolic fractions. The absence or presence of a cytosolic pool of BAAT has important implications for the intracellular transport of unconjugated/deconjugated bile salts.

Yun‐Fan Liaw – 26 January 2007

Antonio Nocito, Panco Georgiev, Felix Dahm, Wolfram Jochum, Michael Bader, Rolf Graf, Pierre‐Alain Clavien – 26 January 2007 – Hepatic ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) leads to the formation of leukocyte–platelet aggregates. Upon activation, platelets generate reactive oxygen species and release proapoptotic and proinflammatory mediators as well as growth factors. In cold hepatic ischemia, adhesion of platelets to endothelial cells mediates sinusoidal endothelial cell apoptosis. Furthermore, platelet‐derived serotonin mediates liver regeneration.

Diethard Monbaliu, Jos van Pelt, Rita De Vos, Joanne Greenwood, Jaakko Parkkinen, Tina Crabbé, Marcel Zeegers, Katrien Vekemans, Joël Pincemail, Jean‐Olivier Defraigne, Johan Fevery, Jacques Pirenne – 26 January 2007 – More extensive use of non‐heart‐beating donors (NHBD) could reduce mortality on liver transplantation waiting lists, but this is associated with more primary nonfunction (PNF).

26 January 2007