Hisamitsu Hayashi, Tappei Takada, Hiroshi Suzuki, Hidetaka Akita, Yuichi Sugiyama – 24 March 2005 – Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 2 (PFIC2) is caused by a mutation in the bile salt export pump (BSEP/ABCB11) gene. However, the mechanisms for the deficiency in the function of two mutations (E297G and D482G), which are frequently found in European patients, have not yet been identified. In the present study, we examined the transport activity and cellular localization of these two mutants in human embryonic kidney 293 and Madin‐Darby canine kidney II cells, respectively.

Chun‐Yi Lu, Yen‐Hsuan Ni, Mei‐Hwei Chang, Chin‐Yun Lee, Li‐Min Huang – 24 March 2005

Mical Campbell, Yu‐Xiao Yang, K. Rajender Reddy – 24 March 2005

Margarita Sala, Josep M. Llovet, Jordi Bruix – 24 March 2005

Vincent Di Martino, Pascal Lebray, Thierry Poynard – 24 March 2005

Philip Meuleman, Louis Libbrecht, Rita De Vos, Bernard de Hemptinne, Kris Gevaert, Joël Vandekerckhove, Tania Roskams, Geert Leroux‐Roels – 24 March 2005 – A small animal model harboring a functional human liver cell xenograft would be a useful tool to study human liver cell biology, drug metabolism, and infections with hepatotropic viruses. Here we describe the repopulation, organization, and function of human hepatocytes in a mouse recipient and the infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) of the transplanted cells.

Elizabeth A. Milward, Deborah Trinder, Chantelle E.J. Wilcox, Robert S. Britton, Grant A. Ramm, John K. Olynyk – 24 March 2005 – Inflammation influences iron balance in the whole organism. A common clinical manifestation of these changes is anemia of chronic disease (ACD; also called anemia of inflammation). Inflammation reduces duodenal iron absorption and increases macrophage iron retention, resulting in low serum iron concentrations (hyposideremia).

Edward Tabor – 24 March 2005

Jeroen N. Stoop, Renate G. van der Molen, Carla C. Baan, Luc J. W. van der Laan, Ernst J. Kuipers, Johannes G. Kusters, Harry L. A. Janssen – 24 March 2005 – Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is characterized by a weak immune response to HBV. Regulatory T cells (Treg) can suppress the function of effector T cells and may thus be key players in this impaired immune response. Changes in the functionality or number of Treg could explain the decreased antiviral response in chronic HBV patients.

Abdullah M. S. Al‐Osaimi, Carl L Berg, Stephen H. Caldwell – 24 March 2005