Michiel P.C. Siroen, Joost R. M. van der Sijp, Tom Teerlink, Cors van Schaik, Robert J. Nijveldt, Paul A. M. van Leeuwen – 22 February 2005 – Asymmetric (ADMA) and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) inhibit production of nitric oxide. The concentration of both dimethylarginines is regulated by urinary excretion, although ADMA, but not SDMA, is also subject to degradation by dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase, which is highly expressed in the liver but also present in the kidney. The exact roles of the human liver and kidney in the metabolism of dimethylarginines are currently unknown.

Ekihiro Seki, Hiroko Tsutsui, Yuji Iimuro, Tetsuji Naka, Gakuhei Son, Shizuo Akira, Tadamitsu Kishimoto, Kenji Nakanishi, Jiro Fujimoto – 22 February 2005 – Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) act as innate immune signal sensors and play central roles in host defense. Myeloid differentiation factor (MyD) 88 is a common adaptor molecule required for signaling mediated by TLRs. When the receptors are activated, cells bearing TLRs produce various proinflammatory cytokines in a MyD88‐dependent manner.

Sigal Kremer‐Tal, Helen Reeves, Goutham Narla, John Martignetti, Scott Friedman – 22 February 2005

Jay H. Hoofnagle – 22 February 2005

Giuliana Montosi, Elena Corradini, Cinzia Garuti, Samuele Barelli, Stefania Recalcati, Gaetano Cairo, Linda Valli, Elisa Pignatti, Chiara Vecchi, Francesca Ferrara, Antonello Pietrangelo – 22 February 2005 – Hepcidin, the iron hormone, is produced by the liver in response to iron and inflammation. Its synthesis during inflammation is triggered by cytokines, but the details of iron activation are obscure.

Claudio Puoti, Lia Bellis, Roberto Castellacci, Fabrizio Montagnese – 22 February 2005

Fazilat F. Mohammed, Caroline J. Pennington, Zamaneh Kassiri, Jeffrey S. Rubin, Paul D. Soloway, Ulrich Ruther, Dylan R. Edwards, Rama Khokha – 22 February 2005 – Liver regeneration depends on timely restoration of cellular mass while orchestrating structural matrix remodeling. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their endogenous inhibitors (TIMPs) are known to regulate the extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover and, more recently, the processing of growth factors and cytokines.

Dieter C. Broering, Pamela Bok, Lars Mueller, Christian Wilms, Xavier Rogiers – 17 February 2005 – Full‐right/full‐left splitting of the liver offers a chance to overcome the severe shortage of donor organs. During this procedure, the splitting surgeons are always faced with the question of how to share the middle hepatic vein (MHV), since this vein drains parts of both halves of the liver. Consequently, we developed a procedure that splits the MHV, thus creating an MHV on both grafts. In this short article, we report on this splitting technique and our first initial experience.

Florence Bettens, Jean‐Marie Tiercy, Nathalie Campanile, Emiliano Giostra, Pietro Majno, Laura Rubbia, Eddy Roosnek, Gilles Mentha, Jean Villard – 17 February 2005 – Microchimerism (MC) is defined by the persistence of <1% circulating donor cells resulting from cell migration from the graft; MC may play a role in the induction of unresponsiveness to allogeneic tissues, or may be merely the consequence of the graft's acceptance following immunosuppression.

Alexander Chiu, Sidney Tam, Wing Yan Au, See Ching Chan, Chi Leung Liu, Sheung Tat Fan – 17 February 2005 – We report a 48‐year‐old man presenting with refractory hyperammonemia after orthotopic liver transplantation. On investigation he was found to have acquired hepatic glutamine synthetase deficiency, a rare condition that occurs after organ transplantations. The patient was started on continuous venovenous hemofiltration treatment, but the hyperammonemia did not respond.