Cytoplasmic retention of peroxide‐activated ERK provides survival in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes

Carola M. Rosseland, Lene Wierød, Morten P. Oksvold, Heidi Werner, Anne Carine Østvold, G. Hege Thoresen, Ragnhild E. Paulsen, Henrik S. Huitfeldt, Ellen Skarpen – 16 June 2005 – Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in tissue damage causing primary hepatic dysfunction following ischemia/reperfusion injury and during inflammatory liver diseases. A potential role of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) as a mediator of survival signals during oxidative stress was investigated in primary cultures of hepatocytes exposed to ROS.

Outcome of hepatitis B e antigen–negative chronic hepatitis B on long‐term nucleos(t)ide analog therapy starting with lamivudine

George V. Papatheodoridis, Evangelini Dimou, Konstantinos Dimakopoulos, Spilios Manolakopoulos, Irene Rapti, George Kitis, Dimitrios Tzourmakliotis, Emanuel Manesis, Stephanos J. Hadziyannis – 16 June 2005 – We determined the clinical outcome of hepatitis e antigen (HBeAg)‐negative chronic hepatitis B patients treated with long‐term nucleos(t)ide analog therapy starting with lamivudine. We evaluated 201 such patients treated for 3.8 ± 1.4 years and 2 historical similar cohorts: 1 treated with interferon‐alfa (n = 209) and 1 untreated (n = 195).

Murine liver antigen presenting cells control suppressor activity of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells

Christiane Wiegard, Christian Frenzel, Johannes Herkel, Karl‐Josef Kallen, Edgar Schmitt, Ansgar W. Lohse – 16 June 2005 – CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Treg) are important mediators of peripheral immune tolerance; however, whether Treg participate also in hepatic immune tolerance is not clear. Therefore, we tested the potential of Treg to suppress stimulation of CD4+ T cells by liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC), Kupffer cells (KC), or hepatocytes.

Transforming growth factor β can mediate apoptosis via the expression of TRAIL in human hepatoma cells

Kerstin Herzer, Tom M. Ganten, Henning Schulze‐Bergkamen, Anne Grosse‐Wilde, Ronald Koschny, Peter H. Krammer, Henning Walczak – 16 June 2005 – Transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β) has been shown to induce apoptotic cell death in normal and transformed hepatocytes. However, the exact mechanism through which TGF‐β induces cell death is still unknown. We examined a potential role of various death receptor/ligand systems in TGF‐β–induced apoptosis and identified the tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) as a mediator of TGF‐β–induced apoptosis in hepatoma cells.

Comprehensive analyses of CD8+ T cell responses during longitudinal study of acute human hepatitis C

Andrea L. Cox, Timothy Mosbruger, Georg M. Lauer, Drew Pardoll, David L. Thomas, Stuart C. Ray – 16 June 2005 – We comprehensively studied the cellular immune response during acute human hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection by monthly prospective sampling of persons at high risk of infection. In 19 of 23 subjects, interferon‐gamma–secreting T cells specific for 1 or more peptides spanning the entire HCV polyprotein were detected 1 to 3 months after infection.

Functional analysis of hepatitis B virus reactivating in hepatitis B surface antigen‐negative individuals

Meike Hass, Charles Hannoun, Tatyana Kalinina, Gunhild Sommer, Christoph Manegold, Stephan Günther – 16 June 2005 – The biological properties of latent or occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) have been poorly characterized as a result of the extremely low virus concentration. This report describes the phenotype of HBV reactivating in two patients after an HBsAg‐negative latency period. One patient had latent HBV infection for at least 12 years without detectable viremia and symptoms of liver disease.

Subscribe to