Hermann E. Wasmuth, Hildegard Keppeler, Ulrike Herrmann, Ramin Schirin‐Sokhan, Michael Barker, Frank Lammert – 23 March 2006 – The prevalence of “black” pigment gallstones is increased in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Bile acid malabsorption with augmented bilirubin uptake from the intestine and the development of “hyperbilirubinbilia” have been proposed as key factors in gallstone formation in CF patients.

Jay H. Hoofnagle, Ronald J. Sokol – 23 March 2006

Sanaa M. Kamal, Bradley Turner, Qi He, Jens Rasenack, Leonardo Bianchi, Ahmed Al Tawil, Ahmed Nooman, Mahmoud Massoud, Margaret James Koziel, Nezam H. Afdhal – 23 March 2006 – Serial liver biopsies are the gold standard by which the progression of fibrosis is evaluated. This longitudinal cohort study assessed the different rates in the progression of fibrosis using serial liver biopsies and serum fibrosis markers YKL‐40 and PIIINP and the cytokines, transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF−α).

Anne M. Larson, Robert J. Fontana, Timothy J. Davern, William M. Lee – 23 March 2006

Anne Ropponen, Reijo Sund, Seija Riikonen, Olavi Ylikorkala, Kristiina Aittomäki – 23 March 2006 – Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a liver disorder, thought to be specific for pregnancy and to spontaneously resolve after delivery. Increased rates of gallstone formation and hepatitis C have previously been associated with ICP. However, there are no longitudinal studies to determine its significance as an indicator of subsequent liver or biliary diseases.

Antonino Castellaneta, Alfredo Di Leo, Ruggiero Francavilla, Marcella Margiotta, Michele Barone, Annacinzia Amoruso, Laura Troiani, Angus W. Thomson, Antonio Francavilla – 23 March 2006 – Local immunosuppression within the liver and sex steroid changes, in both blood and tissue during liver regeneration, are well‐recognized events. Dendritic cells (DC) play pivotal roles in the induction and regulation of immune responses. Their numbers are expanded markedly in vivo by fms‐like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) administration, without modification of their maturation state.

Shigeki Sekine, Billy Yu‐Ang Lan, Melanie Bedolli, Sandy Feng, Matthias Hebrok – 23 March 2006 – There is accumulating evidence that Wnt/β‐catenin signaling is involved in the regulation of liver development and physiology. The presence of genetic alterations resulting in constitutive β‐catenin stabilization in human and murine liver tumors also implicates this pathway in hepatocyte proliferation. In the present study, we generated hepatocyte‐specific β‐catenin knockout mice to explore the role of β‐catenin in liver function.

Chun‐Jen Liu, Ming‐Yang Lai, You‐Chen Chao, Li‐Ying Liao, Sien‐Sing Yang, Tun‐Jen Hsiao, Tsai‐Yuan Hsieh, Chih‐Lin Lin, Jui‐Ting Hu, Chi‐Ling Chen, Per‐Jer Chen, Jia‐Horng Kao, Ding‐Shinn Chen – 23 March 2006 – To study whether interferon (IFN) α and ribavirin combination therapy has a beneficial effect for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive chronic hepatitis B, we enrolled 119 such patients in a randomized study. Fifty‐nine patients received 5 million units of IFN‐α2b daily for 4 weeks followed by 5 million units three times a week for 28 weeks, plus 1,200 mg ribavirin daily.

Humberto Reyes, Rodrigo Zapata, Ismael Hernández, Martín Gotteland, Lorena Sandoval, María Isabel Jirón, Joaquín Palma, Ramón Almuna, Juan Jorge Silva – 23 March 2006 – Increased gastrointestinal permeability has been demonstrated in several liver diseases. It may facilitate the absorption of gut‐derived endotoxin‐stimulating Kupffer cells to release proinflammatory cytokines or other potentially hepatotoxic compounds.

Frank J. Gonzalez – 23 March 2006