Man‐Young Cha, Chang‐Myeong Kim, Young‐Min Park, Wang‐Shick Ryu – 27 May 2004 – Wnt/β‐catenin signaling contributes to diverse cellular functions, such as Drosophila wing development and colon carcinogenesis. Recently, stabilizing mutations of β‐catenin, a hallmark of Wnt signaling, were documented in significant numbers of primary hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). However, whether the β‐catenin mutation leads to the activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling in hepatoma cells has not been established.

Kris V. Kowdley – 27 May 2004

Sanaa M. Kamal, Alaa Ismail, Camilla S. Graham, Qi He, Jens W. Rasenack, Thomas Peters, Ahmed A. Tawil, Jutta J. Fehr, Khalifa El Sayed Khalifa, Mahmoud M. Madwar, Margaret James Koziel – 27 May 2004 – Pegylated interferon α (PEG IFN‐α) improves sustained virological response rates in chronic hepatitis C, but neither its role in acute hepatitis C nor the biologic basis for its action has been defined.

Jay H. Hoofnagle – 27 May 2004

John B. Dixon, Prithi S. Bhathal, Norman R. Hughes, Paul E. O'Brien – 27 May 2004 – The effect of significant weight loss on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease remains unclear. In this case series of 36 selected obese patients, we examined the effect of weight loss on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatic fibrosis. These 36 patients (11 males, 25 females) had paired liver biopsies, the first at the time of laparoscopic adjustable gastric band placement and the second after weight loss.

Jeffrey S. Glenn – 27 May 2004 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA replication depends on viral protein association with intracellular membranes, but the influence of membrane composition on viral replication is unclear. We report that HCV RNA replication and assembly of the viral replication complex require geranylgeranylation of one or more host proteins.

Tea Restuccia, Beatriz Gómez‐Ansón, Mónica Guevara, Carlo Alessandria, Aldo Torre, M. Elena Alayrach, Carlos Terra, Marta Martín, Magda Castellví, Lorena Rami, Aitor Sainz, Pere Ginès, Vicente Arroyo – 27 May 2004 – In advanced cirrhosis there is a reduction in the brain concentration of many organic osmolytes, particularly myo‐inositol (MI). Hyponatremia could theoretically aggravate these changes as a result of hypo‐osmolality of the extracellular fluid. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of hyponatremia on brain organic osmolytes and brain water content in cirrhosis.

Elwyn Elias – 27 May 2004

Darrell H.G. Crawford, Linda M. Fletcher, Stefan G. Hubscher, Katherine A. Stuart, Edward Gane, Peter W. Angus, Gary P. Jeffrey, Geoffrey W. McCaughan, Paul Kerlin, Lawrie W. Powell, Elwyn E. Elias – 27 May 2004 – The clinical outcome of patients who have undergone liver transplantation for hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) or who have received iron‐loaded donor grafts is unclear. We reviewed 3,600 adult primary orthotopic liver transplants and assessed the outcomes in 22 patients with HH. We also evaluated graft function and iron mobilization in 12 recipients of iron‐loaded donor grafts.

Man‐Fung Yuen, Danny Ka‐Ho Wong, Erwin Sablon, Eric Tse, Irene Oi‐Lin Ng, He‐Jun Yuan, Chung‐Wah Siu, Tamara J. Sander, Eric J. Bourne, Jeff G. Hall, Lynn D. Condreay, Ching‐Lung Lai – 27 May 2004 – Few studies have examined Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B who exhibit hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance. We comprehensively studied the biochemical, virological, histological, and clinical aspects of 92 patients with HBsAg seroclearance (median follow‐up, 126 months).