Michie Hisada, Nilanjan Chatterjee, Zeynep Kalaylioglu, Robert J. Battjes, James J. Goedert – 29 November 2005 – Persons chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), some of whom may be coinfected with HIV and human T‐lymphotropic virus type II (HTLV‐II), are at high risk for end‐stage liver disease (ESLD). We evaluated whether ESLD death was associated with premorbid HCV RNA level or specific HCV protein antibodies among persons with or without HIV/HTLV‐II coinfection in a cohort of 6,570 injection drug users who enrolled in 9 US cities between 1987 and 1991.

Sarah N. Hilmer, Victoria C. Cogger, Robin Fraser, Allan J. McLean, David Sullivan, David G. Le Couteur – 29 November 2005 – The mechanisms for the association of old age with post‐prandial hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis are not well understood. Post‐prandial hyperlipidemia has emerged as a significant risk for atherosclerosis. The liver is the central organ for lipoprotein metabolism. The initial step in the hepatic uptake of post‐prandial lipoproteins is their transfer from the hepatic sinusoidal capillary lumen across the hepatic sinusoidal endothelium into the space of Disse.

Adrian Reuben – 29 November 2005

Chantal Guillemette, Hugo Girard – 29 November 2005

Yosuke Osawa, Yusuf A. Hannun, Richard L. Proia, David A. Brenner – 29 November 2005 – Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor– and Fas‐mediated apoptosis are major death processes of hepatocytes in liver disease. Although antiapoptotic effects in the injured liver promote chronic hepatitis and carcinogenesis, scant information is known about these mechanisms. To explore this issue, we compared acute liver injury after TNF‐α or anti‐Fas antibody (Jo2) between livers from sham‐operated mice and chronic injured liver via bile duct ligation (BDL).

Sara Aleffi, Ilaria Petrai, Cristiana Bertolani, Maurizio Parola, Sebastiano Colombatto, Erica Novo, Francesco Vizzutti, Frank A. Anania, Stefano Milani, Krista Rombouts, Giacomo Laffi, Massimo Pinzani, Fabio Marra – 29 November 2005 – Leptin upregulates collagen expression in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), but the possible modulation of other actions has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and function of leptin receptors (ObR) in human HSCs and the biological actions regulated by leptin.

Anna Glantz, Hanns‐Ulrich Marschall, Frank Lammert, Lars‐Åke Mattsson – 29 November 2005 – Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is characterized by troublesome maternal pruritus, elevated serum bile acids (≥10 μmol/L) and increased fetal risk. Recently we determined a cutoff level of serum bile acids, ≥40 μmol/L, to be associated with impaired fetal outcome. We have now studied the effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and dexamethasone on pruritus, biochemical markers of cholestasis, and fetal complication rates in a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial.

Boerries Brandenburg, Lars Stockl, Cindy Gutzeit, Martin Roos, Joachim Lupberger, Ruth Schwartlander, Hans Gelderblom, Igor M. Sauer, Peter Hans Hofschneider, Eberhard Hildt – 29 November 2005 – Protein transduction domains (PTDs) have been used to deliver a variety of biologically active cargo across cellular membranes. However the potential of PTDs to mediate transport of nanoparticular structures into the cytoplasm bypassing the endosomal compartment remains unclear.

Pierre‐Michel Huet, Jean‐Pierre Villeneuve – 29 November 2005

Jay H. Hoofnagle – 29 November 2005