Yasumasa Shirouzu, Mureo Kasahara, Yasutsugu Takada, Kaoru Taira, Seisuke Sakamoto, Kenji Uryuhara, Kohei Ogawa, Hiraku Doi, Hiroto Egawa, Koichi Tanaka – 20 April 2006 – The development of portopulmonary hypertension (PH) in a patient with end‐stage liver disease is related to high cardiac output and hyperdynamic circulation. However, PH following liver transplantation is not fully understood.

Maciej Wojcicki, Michael A. Silva, Paras Jethwa, Bridget Gunson, Simon R. Bramhall, David Mayer, John A.C. Buckels, Darius F. Mirza – 20 April 2006 – Biliary complications are common following split liver transplantation (SLT). We analyzed the incidence, treatment, and outcome of biliary complications following adult right lobe ex vivo SLT performed between November 1992 and January 2005. There were 72 patients, of which 70 were analyzed. Early postoperative deaths resulted in 2 being excluded from the analysis. There were 44 males (median age, 48 yr; range, 19–70 yr).

Anabel Brandoni, Silvina R. Villar, Juan C. Picena, Naohiko Anzai, Hitoshi Endou, Adriana M. Torres – 20 April 2006 – Renal function in the course of obstructive jaundice has been the subject of great interest; however, little is known about the expression of renal organic anion transporters. The objective of this work was to study, in rats with acute extrahepatic cholestasis, the cortical renal expression of the organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1) and the organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3), in association with the pharmacokinetics and renal excretion of furosemide (FS).

Cho‐Rok Jung, Jinsang Yoo, Ye Jin Jang, Sangsoo Kim, In‐Sun Chu, Young Il Yeom, Jong Young Choi, Dong‐Soo Im – 20 April 2006 – The pituitary tumor transforming (PTTG) gene family comprises PTTG1, 2, and 3. Forced expression of PTTG1 (securin) induces cellular transformation and promotes tumor development in animal models. PTTG1 is overexpressed in various human cancers. However, the expression and pathogenic implications of the PTTG gene family in hepatocellular carcinoma are largely unknown.

Thomas P. Beresford – 20 April 2006

Bhanu Sunku, Paolo R. O. Salvalaggio, James S. Donaldson, Cynthia K. Rigsby, Katie Neighbors, Riccardo A. Superina, Estella M. Alonso – 20 April 2006 – Posttransplantation biliary strictures occur in 5–34% of the pediatric liver transplant patients and are conventionally managed by interventional radiological techniques. The aim of this manuscript is to assess the outcomes of patients with biliary strictures treated by percutaneous dilatation at our institution.

Misao Fujita, Akira Akabayashi, Brian Taylor Slingsby, Shinji Kosugi, Yasuhiro Fujimoto, Koichi Tanaka – 20 April 2006 – This study examined the decision‐making processes of donors in adult‐to‐adult living donor liver transplantation. Twenty‐two donors were interviewed using a semi‐structured format. Interview contents were transcribed verbatim and analyzed qualitatively using grounded theory. A decision‐making model was developed consisting of 5 stages: (1) recognition, (2) digestion, (3) decision‐making, (4) reinforcement, and (5) resolution.

Luca Fabris, Massimiliano Cadamuro, Romina Fiorotto, Tania Roskams, Carlo Spirlì, Saida Melero, Aurelio Sonzogni, Ruth E. Joplin, Lajos Okolicsanyi, Mario Strazzabosco – 20 April 2006 – Liver involvement in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by altered remodeling of the embryonic ductal plate (DP) with presence of biliary cysts and aberrant portal vasculature. The genetic defect causing ADPKD has been identified, but mechanisms of liver cyst growth remain uncertain.

Thomas von Hahn, Brett D. Lindenbach, Agnès Boullier, Oswald Quehenberger, Matthew Paulson, Charles M. Rice, Jane A. McKeating – 20 April 2006 – Cell entry of hepatitis C virus, pseudoparticles (HCVpp) and cell culture grown virus (HCVcc), requires the interaction of viral glycoproteins with CD81 and other as yet unknown cellular factors. One of these is likely to be the scavenger receptor class B type I (SR‐BI). To further understand the role of SR‐BI, we examined the effect of SR‐BI ligands on HCVpp and HCVcc infectivity.

20 April 2006