Stephan Hailfinger, Maike Jaworski, Albert Braeuning, Albrecht Buchmann, Michael Schwarz – 26 July 2006

Kavitha Gopal, Timothy C. Johnson, Saraswathi Gopal, Aaron Walfish, Christine T. Bang, Pauline Suwandhi, Helene N. Pena‐Sahdala, David J. Clain, Henry C. Bodenheimer, Albert D. Min – 26 July 2006 – The low‐density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) has been proposed as a candidate receptor for the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Competitive inhibition of HCV binding to the LDLR by low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) has been shown in vitro.

Lu‐Yu Hwang, Jennifer R. Kramer, Catherine Troisi, Lara Bull, Carolyn Z. Grimes, Rob Lyerla, Miriam J. Alter – 26 July 2006 – We conducted an anonymous cross‐sectional seroprevalence study of a population with a low frequency of injection drug use to determine whether persons with a history of cosmetic procedures, such as tattooing and body piercing, or intranasal drug use were at increased risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Students 18 years and older from eight college campuses in Houston, Texas, were invited to participate in the study.

Florian van Bömmel, Bernhard Zöllner, Christoph Sarrazin, Ulrich Spengler, Dietrich Hüppe, Bernd Möller, Heinz‐Hubert Feucht, Bertram Wiedenmann, Thomas Berg – 26 July 2006 – Incomplete virological response to adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) has been observed in patients with lamivudine‐resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and may be associated with developing resistance and disease progression. We therefore investigated whether the efficacy of viral suppression could be improved by replacing ADV with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF).

Ludivine Falize, Anne Guillygomarc'h, Michele Perrin, Fabrice Lainé, Dominique Guyader, Pierre Brissot, Bruno Turlin, Yves Deugnier – 26 July 2006 – The current study was undertaken to assess whether fibrosis could regress under venesection therapy in patients with C282Y homozygous genetic hemochromatosis. The 36 patients studied were recruited from a subfile of our database consisting of 125 C282Y homozygotes with either severe fibrosis or cirrhosis (F3 or F4 fibrosis stage, respectively, according to the METAVIR grading system).

Alexandre Cerqueira, Lucio Pacheco‐Moreira, Marcelo Enne, Jefferson Alves, Rodrigo Amil, Elizabeth Balbi, José Manoel Martinho – 25 July 2006

James D. Perkins – 25 July 2006

Ashesh Shah, Avinash Agarwal, Richard Mangus, Joel Lim, Jonathan Fridell, Rodrigo Vianna, A. Joseph Tector – 25 July 2006 – Routine use of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (RATG) induction therapy remains controversial in pediatric liver transplantation. We reviewed our experience of 18 cadaveric liver transplants in 18 children over a span of 2 years. All patients received the same immunosuppression: perioperative steroid therapy with taper, 3 doses of RATG, and maintenance therapy of steroids and tacrolimus started on postoperative day 3. Mean follow‐up was 2.2 ± 0.2 years.

Amy A. Dan, Zobair M. Younossi – 25 July 2006

Bernhard Zöllner, Heinz‐Hubert Feucht, Martina Sterneck, Hansjörg Schäfer, Xavier Rogiers, Lutz Fischer – 25 July 2006 – Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA is detectable in a number of liver transplant candidates who are negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). After liver transplantation (LT), such patients may have molecular and/or serologic evidence of HBV replication. However, clinical disease from reactivation of occult HBV infection after LT has not been described.