Do alcohol‐metabolizing enzyme gene polymorphisms increase the risk of alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease?

Elias Zintzaras, Ioannis Stefanidis, Mauro Santos, Francesc Vidal – 26 January 2006 – Case–control studies that have investigated the association between alcoholism and alcohol‐induced liver damage and the ADH2, ADH3, CYP2E1, and ADLH2 polymorphisms have reported controversial or inconclusive results. Thus, we conducted a meta‐analysis of 50 association studies of the above polymorphisms.

CD4+ T cells contribute to postischemic liver injury in mice by interacting with sinusoidal endothelium and platelets

Andrej Khandoga, Marc Hanschen, Julia S. Kessler, Fritz Krombach – 26 January 2006 – The mechanisms by which T cells contribute to the hepatic inflammation during antigen‐independent ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) are not fully understood. We analyzed the recruitment of T cells in the postischemic hepatic microcirculation in vivo and tested the hypothesis that T cells interact with platelets and activate sinusoidal endothelial cells, resulting in microvascular dysfunction followed by tissue injury.

C/EBPα and HNF6 protein complex formation stimulates HNF6‐dependent transcription by CBP coactivator recruitment in HepG2 cells

Yuichi Yoshida, Douglas E. Hughes, Francisco M. Rausa, Il‐Man Kim, Yongjun Tan, Gretchen J. Darlington, Robert H. Costa – 26 January 2006 – We previously demonstrated that formation of complexes between the DNA‐binding domains of hepatocyte nuclear factor 6 (HNF6) and forkhead box a2 (Foxa2) proteins stimulated Foxa2 transcriptional activity. Here, we used HepG2 cell cotransfection assays to demonstrate that HNF6 transcriptional activity was stimulated by CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein α (C/EBPα), but not by the related C/EBPβ or C/EBPδ proteins.

Early monotherapy with pegylated interferon alpha‐2b for acute hepatitis C infection: The HEP‐NET acute‐HCV‐II study

Johannes Wiegand, Peter Buggisch, Wulf Boecher, Stefan Zeuzem, Cornelia M. Gelbmann, Thomas Berg, Wolfgang Kauffmann, Birgit Kallinowski, Markus Cornberg, Elmar Jaeckel, Heiner Wedemeyer, Michael P. Manns – 26 January 2006 – Early treatment of acute hepatitis C with interferon alpha‐2b for 24 weeks prevents chronic infection in almost all patients. Because pegylated interferons have replaced conventional interferon in the therapy of chronic hepatitis C, the aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of an early treatment of acute hepatitis C with peginterferon alfa‐ 2b.

Difference in cytotoxicity against hepatocellular carcinoma between liver and periphery natural killer cells in humans

Kohei Ishiyama, Hideki Ohdan, Masahiro Ohira, Hiroshi Mitsuta, Koji Arihiro, Toshimasa Asahara – 26 January 2006 – In rodents, liver natural killer (NK) cells have been shown to mediate higher cytotoxic activity against tumor cells than do peripheral blood (PB) NK cells. However, such differences between liver and PB NK cells have not been extensively investigated in humans. The phenotypical and functional properties of NK cells extracted from liver perfusates at the time of living donor liver transplantation were investigated.

Long‐term lamivudine therapy for children with HBeAg‐positive chronic hepatitis B

Etienne M. Sokal, Deirdre A. Kelly, Jacek Mizerski, Isabel B. Badia, Jorge A. Areias, Kathleen B. Schwarz, Angela Vegnente, Nancy R. Little, Stephen D. Gardener, Maureen M. Jonas – 26 January 2006 – One year of lamivudine treatment results in increased hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion and serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA negativity in children with chronic hepatitis B and high serum alanine aminotransferase concentrations.

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