Antony F. McDonagh – 22 February 2005

Simrat P. S. Saini, Ying Mu, Haibiao Gong, David Toma, Hirdesh Uppal, Songrong Ren, Song Li, Samuel M. Poloyac, Wen Xie – 22 February 2005 – The pregnane X receptor (PXR) and the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) are implicated in xenobiotic and endobiotic detoxification, including the clearance of toxic bilirubin. Previous studies have suggested both overlapping and preferential regulation of target genes by these receptors, but the mechanism of cross‐talk remains elusive.

Massimo Primignani, Ida Martinelli, Paolo Bucciarelli, Tullia Battaglioli, Raffaella Reati, Federica Fabris, Alessandra Dell'Era, Emanuela Pappalardo, Pier Mannuccio Mannucci – 22 February 2005 – Scant information exists on the role of thrombophilia in extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO).

Sabine Mihm – 22 February 2005

E. Ellen Schwegler, Lisa Cazares, Laura F. Steel, Bao‐Ling Adam, David A. Johnson, O. John Semmes, Timothy M. Block, Jorge A. Marrero, Richard R. Drake – 22 February 2005 – Proteomic profiling of serum is an emerging technique to identify new biomarkers indicative of disease severity and progression. The objective of our study was to assess the use of surface‐enhanced laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (SELDI‐TOF MS) to identify multiple serum protein biomarkers for detection of liver disease progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Russell H. Wiesner – 17 February 2005

John Fung, Dympna Kelly, Zakiyah Kadry, Kusum Patel‐Tom, Bijan Eghtesad – 17 February 2005 – Although calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) remain the mainstay of immunosuppression in liver transplantation (LTX), their long‐term toxicity significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality. The elucidation of mechanisms of alloimmunity and leukocyte migration have provided novel targets for immunosuppression development. The toxicities of these agents differ from that of the CNI and act additively or synergistically.

Roy Y. Calne – 17 February 2005

Takuya Hashimoto, Yasuhiko Sugawara, Yoji Kishi, Nobuhisa Akamatsu, Yuichi Matsui, Norihiro Kokudo, Masatoshi Makuuchi – 17 February 2005 – A right lateral sector graft (RLSG) was devised to overcome graft‐size disparity in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). When the RLSG has a middle hepatic vein (MHV) tributary, which drains a significant part of segment VI, the MHV tributary (V6) should be reconstructed to avoid congestion of the RLSG.

Marianne Samyn, Paul Cheeseman, Lynsey Bevis, Rachel Taylor, Beatrice Samaroo, Muriel Buxton‐Thomas, Nigel Heaton, Mohamed Rela, Giorgina Mieli‐Vergani, Anil Dhawan – 17 February 2005 – Renal dysfunction of variable severity is being increasingly recognized as a major complication of calcineurin inhibitors (CI), in some patients even necessitating renal transplantation. Close and effective monitoring of the renal function is indicated. Current methods for this monitoring are calculation of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) based on creatinine or exogenous substances like 51Cr‐EDTA.