Martijn J. ter Borg, Monika van Zonneveld, Stefan Zeuzem, Hakan Senturk, Ulus S. Akarca, Christopher Simon, Bettina E. Hansen, Bart L. Haagmans, Robert A. de Man, Solko W. Schalm, Harry L.A. Janssen, HBV 99‐01 Study Group – 29 August 2006 – In chronic hepatitis B, it is difficult to predict an early therapeutic response. We investigated the viral decline during therapy with pegylated interferon alpha‐2b (PEG‐IFN) with or without lamivudine in 266 HBeAg‐positive chronic hepatitis B patients.

Eric W. Olle, Xiaodan Ren, Shannon D. McClintock, Roscoe L. Warner, Michael P. Deogracias, Kent J. Johnson, Lisa M. Colletti – 29 August 2006 – Partial hepatectomy triggers hepatocyte proliferation, hepatic matrix remodeling, and hepatocyte apoptosis, all of which are important processes in the regenerating liver. Previous studies have shown an increase in the levels of matrix metalloproteinases gelatinase A (MMP‐2) and gelatinase B (MMP‐9) after partial hepatectomy. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of MMP‐9 in liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy.

Peter T. Donaldson, Anna Baragiotta, Michael A. Heneghan, Annarosa Floreani, Carla Venturi, James A. Underhill, David E.J. Jones, Oliver F.W. James, Margaret F. Bassendine – 29 August 2006 – Twin and family studies suggest there is a significant genetic component to primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). However, the inability to replicate reported associations has been a recurring problem, with the only consistently reported genetic association that between PBC and HLA‐DRB1*0801. However, recently even this has been questioned, and a number of novel associations have also been reported.

Sun Hee Yim, Yatrik Shah, Shuhei Tomita, H. Douglas Morris, Oksana Gavrilova, Gilles Lambert, Jerrold M. Ward, Frank J. Gonzalez – 29 August 2006 – Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) play a critical role in angiogenesis and organogenesis, especially in embryonic liver development. Hypoxia‐inducible transcription factors (Hifs) are a key trigger of hypoxic signals, a primary stimulus of angiogenesis. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt), also called Hif‐1β, serves as an obligate heterodimerization partner of Hif‐1α and Hif‐2α.

Takeshi Hirayama, Akira Honda, Yasushi Matsuzaki, Teruo Miyazaki, Tadashi Ikegami, Mikio Doy, Guorong Xu, Michael Lea, Gerald Salen – 29 August 2006 – Hypercholesterolemia is an important paraneoplastic syndrome in patients with hepatoma, but the nature of this defect has not yet been identified. We investigated the molecular mechanisms of hypercholesterolemia in a hepatoma‐bearing rat model. Buffalo rats were implanted in both flanks with Morris hepatoma 7777 (McA‐RH7777) cells. After 4 weeks, tumor weight was 5.5 ± 1.7 g, and serum cholesterol level increased from 60 ± 2 to 90 ± 2 mg/dL.

Yining Zhang, Tadashi Ikegami, Akira Honda, Teruo Miyazaki, Bernard Bouscarel, Marcos Rojkind, Ichinosuke Hyodo, Yasushi Matsuzaki – 29 August 2006 – Integrin‐linked kinase (ILK) is a multidomain focal adhesion protein implicated in signal transduction between integrins and growth factor receptors. Although its expression is upregulated in pulmonary and renal fibrosis, its role in the development of hepatic fibrosis remains to be determined.

Chun‐Jen Liu, Jia‐Horng Kao, Ding‐Shinn Chen – 29 August 2006

Kunihiko Izuishi, Allan Tsung, Mohammad Akram Hossain, Masao Fujiwara, Hisao Wakabayashi, Tsutomu Masaki, Timothy R. Billiar, Hajime Maeta – 29 August 2006 – Hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury occurs in the settings of transplantation, trauma, and elective liver resection. Ischemic preconditioning has been used as a strategy to reduce inflammation and organ damage from I/R of the liver. However, the mechanisms involved in this process are poorly understood.

Roger Williams – 29 August 2006 – Immigration, cheap air travel, and globalization are all factors contributing to a worldwide spread of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. End‐stage chronic liver disease (ESLD) as a result of co‐infection with HBV/HCV is now the major cause of death for individuals who have been infected with the HIV virus. The high incidence of HCV infection in Egypt—the legacy left from the mass use of tartar emetic to eradicate schistosomiasis, as in other high prevalence areas—will take years to reduce.

Timothy J. Davern – 29 August 2006 – Fulminant hepatitis of unknown origin remains a significant cause of mortality, for which liver transplantation is often considered as the only therapeutic option. In retrospective studies, human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) infections have been associated with such diseases, but the diagnosis of HHV‐6 infection of the liver is rarely established during the acute phase of liver failure. Using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we diagnosed two cases of severe acute liver failure (ALF) related to HHV‐6 occurring in immunocompetent young adults.