Zhiping Li, Jude A. Oben, Shiqi Yang, Huizhi Lin, Elizabeth A. Stafford, Mark J. Soloski, Steven A. Thomas, Anna Mae Diehl – 13 August 2004 – It is not known why natural killer T (NKT) cells, which modulate liver injury by regulating local cytokine production, are reduced in leptin‐deficient ob/ob mice. NKT cells express adrenoceptors. Thus, we hypothesize that the low norepinephrine (NE) activity of ob/ob mice promotes depletion of liver NKT cells, thereby sensitizing ob/ob livers to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) toxicity.

Chun‐Jen Liu, Jia‐Horng Kao, Hurng‐Yi Wang, Ming‐Yang Lai, Ting‐Chih Chen, Pei‐Jer Chen, Ding‐Shinn Chen – 13 August 2004 – Acute exacerbation (AE) of chronic hepatitis B is usually preceded by reemergence or increase of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the serum. To investigate the origin of the reemergence or increase, we compared the identity of the serum viral genome to that in the liver and in previous AE by full‐length sequencing.

Tetsuya Abe, Toshiyuki Arai, Atsushi Ogawa, Takashi Hiromatsu, Akio Masuda, Tetsuya Matsuguchi, Yuji Nimura, Yasunobu Yoshikai – 13 August 2004 – Extrahepatic cholestasis often evokes liver injury with hepatocyte apoptosis, aberrant cytokine production, and—most importantly—postoperative septic complications.

Manuelle Viguier, Matthieu Allez, Anne‐Marie Zagdanski, Philippe Bertheau, Eric de Kerviler, Michel Rybojad, Patrice Morel, Louis Dubertret, Marc Lémann, Hervé Bachelez – 13 August 2004 – Generalized pustular psoriasis is a rare form of psoriasis that is sometimes associated with extracutaneous manifestations. Evidence for biliary involvement has been suggested in isolated cases. We investigated the prevalence and nature of liver abnormalities occurring in this disease.

María de Luján Alvarez, María Teresa Ronco, J. Elena Ochoa, Juan A. Monti, Cristina E. Carnovale, Gerardo B. Pisani, María Cristina Lugano, María Cristina Carrillo – 13 August 2004 – In previous work we showed that interferon alfa‐2b (IFN‐α2b) increases apoptosis on rat hepatic preneoplastic foci. The aim of this study was to determine if transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1) was involved in the programmed cell death on the foci.

Ande Satyanarayana, Michael P. Manns, K. Lenhard Rudolph – 13 August 2004 – Telomere shortening limits the proliferative capacity of primary human cells and restrains the regenerative capacity of organ systems during chronic diseases and aging. Telomere shortening apparently has a dual role in tumor development and progression. On the one hand, it induces chromosomal instability and the initiation of cancer; on the other hand, tumor progression requires stabilization of telomeres.

Man‐Fung Yuen, Danny Ka‐Ho Wong, Ching‐Lung Lai – 13 August 2004

Neil Kaplowitz – 13 August 2004

Hermann E. Wasmuth, Alexa Werth, Tobias Mueller, Thomas Berg, Christoph G. Dietrich, Andreas Geier, Carsten Gartung, Johann Lorenzen, Siegfried Matern, Frank Lammert – 13 August 2004 – The response to antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is complex and is determined by both environmental and genetic factors. Recently, interacting gene polymorphisms of the chemokine RANTES have been shown to affect HIV disease progression. Our aim was to assess if these RANTES variants are associated with response to anti‐HCV therapy.

Raoul Poupon – 13 August 2004