Sarah Edwards, Patricia F. Lalor, Gerard B. Nash, G. Ed Rainger, David H. Adams – 22 February 2005 – Crosstalk between hepatic sinusoidal ECs and closely juxtaposed hepatocytes via vascular endothelial growth factor is essential for the maintenance of sinusoidal endothelial growth and differentiation. We propose that paracrine interactions between endothelial cells and hepatocytes also may be responsible for the unique complement of adhesion receptors expressed on sinusoidal endothelium that regulate the recruitment of lymphocytes into the liver.

Elwyn Elias – 22 February 2005

Cho‐Yu Chan, Shou‐Dong Lee – 22 February 2005

Gisa Tiegs, Gabriele Sass – 22 February 2005

Golo Ahlenstiel, Barbara Rehermann – 22 February 2005 – Natural killer (NK) cells provide a central defense against viral infection by using inhibitory and activation receptors for major histocompatibility complex class I molecules as a means of controlling their activity. We show that genes encoding the inhibitory NK cell receptor KIR2DL3 and its human leukocyte antigen C group 1 (HLA‐C1) ligand directly influence resolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Stanley M. Lemon, MinKyung Yi, Kui Li – 22 February 2005

George K. Michalopoulos, Lindsay Barua, William C. Bowen – 22 February 2005 – Rats with chimeric livers were generated by using the protocol of injecting hepatocytes from dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV)‐positive donors into retrorsine‐treated DPPIV‐negative recipients subjected to partial hepatectomy. Rats with established chimeric livers were subjected to bile duct ligation, with or without pretreatment with the biliary toxin methylene diamiline (DAPM). Ductules bearing the donor hepatocyte marker DPPIV were seen at 30 days after bile duct ligation.

Andreas Geier, Gernot Zollner, Christoph G. Dietrich, Martin Wagner, Peter Fickert, Helmut Denk, Nico van Rooijen, Siegfried Matern, Carsten Gartung, Michael Trauner – 22 February 2005 – Cholestatic liver injury is associated not only with accumulation of bile acids but also with activation of proinflammatory cytokines. Common bile duct ligation (CBDL) induces sustained downregulation of the Na+/taurocholate cotransporter (Ntcp) in rodent liver.

Chiemi Noguchi, Hiromi Ishino, Masataka Tsuge, Yoshifumi Fujimoto, Michio Imamura, Shoichi Takahashi, Kazuaki Chayama – 22 February 2005 – G to A hypermutation of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) is induced by a deaminase APOBEC3G and is related to host antiviral defense. APOBEC3G has also been found to reduce the replication of HIV‐1 by an unknown mechanism. This enzyme also reduces the production of hepatitis B virus, although the mechanism for this action has not been clearly elucidated.

Rafael Bañares, Oscar Núñez, María Escudero, Cristina Fernández, Javier Vaquero, Inmaculada Beceiro, Antonio Echenagusía, Gerardo Clemente, Leandro Santos – 22 February 2005 – A trend toward a higher incidence of hepatocelullar carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis treated with bare‐stent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) has been observed in previous studies. To assess the influence of TIPS as a risk factor for developing HCC, we have compared the incidence of HCC in two retrospective cohorts of patients.