David Taïeb, Cédric Malicet, Stéphane Garcia, Palma Rocchi, Christiane Arnaud, Jean‐Charles Dagorn, Juan L. Iovanna, Sophie Vasseur – 16 June 2005 – The p8 protein is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of genes involved in cell defense against the adverse effects of stress. Its expression is strongly, rapidly, and transiently induced in most cells on exposure to various stress agents. This study assessed the role of p8 in the response of the liver to CCl4‐induced injury. We found that p8 was indeed overexpressed in the liver after CCl4 administration.

Teh‐Ia Huo, Jaw‐Ching Wu, Shou‐Dong Lee – 16 June 2005

Christopher R. Longo, Virendra I. Patel, Gautam V. Shrikhande, Salvatore T. Scali, Eva Csizmadia, Soizic Daniel, David W. Sun, Shane T. Grey, Maria B. Arvelo, Christiane Ferran – 16 June 2005 – The liver has a remarkable regenerative capacity, allowing recovery following injury. Regeneration after injury is contingent on maintenance of healthy residual liver mass, otherwise fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) may arise. Understanding the protective mechanisms safeguarding hepatocytes and promoting their proliferation is critical for devising therapeutic strategies for FHF.

Jordan J. Feld, Huong Dinh, Tamara Arenovich, Victoria A. Marcus, Ian R. Wanless, E. Jenny Heathcote – 13 June 2005 – Although the natural history of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) has been characterized, little is known about patients who present asymptomatically. Consequently, whether they require immunosuppressive therapy with its associated complications is unclear. To compare the natural history of asymptomatic AIH with symptomatic AIH, a large cohort of patients from a single center was examined.

Luigi Bolondi, Stefano Gaiani, Natascia Celli, Rita Golfieri, Walter Francesco Grigioni, Simona Leoni, Anna Maria Venturi, Fabio Piscaglia – 13 June 2005 – In a prospective study, we examined the impact of arterial hypervascularity, as established by the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) recommendations, as a criterion for characterizing small (1‐3 cm) nodules in cirrhosis. A total of 72 nodules (1‐2 cm, n = 41; 2.1‐3 cm, n = 31) detected by ultrasonography in 59 patients with cirrhosis were included in the study.

James W. Mosley, Eva A. Operskalski, Leslie H. Tobler, William W. Andrews, Bruce Phelps, Janel Dockter, Cristina Giachetti, Michael P. Busch – 13 June 2005 – Since 1980, the Transfusion‐transmitted Viruses Study (TTVS) (1974–1980) has continued to maintain its computerized database and stored sera to enable ongoing study of new transfusion events since the 1970s. Most recently, we have used this resource to study parameters of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among 94 donor–recipient pairs in which there was transmission.

Jayant A. Talwalkar – 7 June 2005

Joan Clària, Vicente Arroyo – 1 June 2005

Nicole Seidel, Xandra Volkmann, Florian Länger, Peer Flemming, Michael P. Manns, Klaus Schulze‐Osthoff, Heike Bantel – 26 May 2005 – Hepatic steatosis is a frequent histological alteration in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection that sensitizes the liver to cell injury, inflammation, and fibrosis via unclear mechanisms. Although apoptosis has been implicated in various liver diseases, its importance in HCV‐associated steatosis is largely unknown.

Katsumi Yamauchi, Naoko Yamaguchi, Takaji Furukawa, Kazuko Takatsu, Toshimi Nakanishi, Kohji Ishida, Tatsuji Komatsu, Katsutoshi Tokushige, Hikaru Nagahara, Etsuko Hashimoto, Keiko Shiratori – 25 May 2005 – We have previously reported an immunoglobulin (Ig) M autoantibody to hepatocyte‐related 190‐kd molecules in patients with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). This molecule was first isolated by hepatocyte‐specific human monoclonal antibody (MoAb).