Pieter Langers, Serge C.L.M. Cremers, Jan den Hartigh, Roeland A. Veenendaal, W. Rogier ten Hove, Jan Ringers, Cornelis B.H.W. Lamers, Bart van Hoek – 30 January 2004 – After orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) many patients use emulsified cyclosporine. Recent data showed that blood levels 2 hours after dosing (C‐2) better reflect systemic exposure to the drug (area under the blood concentration time curve) than trough levels (C‐0) do.

Kazuto Inoue, Tadatoshi Takayama, Tokio Higaki, Yoshihiro Watanabe, Masatoshi Makuuchi – 30 January 2004 – Early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is defined as a well‐differentiated cancer containing Glisson's triad, but it remains unknown whether this lesion is curable by surgery. We studied 70 patients who had a single HCC smaller than 2 cm in diameter (Stage T1) and who underwent curative hepatectomy and long‐term follow‐up. Based on our typing system, the tumors were assigned as early HCC (n = 15), overt HCC (n = 52), and non‐HCC tumor (n = 3).

Jin Woo Kim, Qinghai Ye, Marshonna Forgues, Yidong Chen, Anuradha Budhu, Jessica Sime, Lorne J. Hofseth, Rashmi Kaul, Xin Wei Wang – 30 January 2004 – Several types of aggressive cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), often arise as a multifocal primary tumor. This suggests a high rate of premalignant changes in noncancerous tissue before the formation of a solitary tumor.

Cédric Coulouarn, Grégory Lefebvre, Céline Derambure, Thierry Lequerre, Michel Scotte, Arnaud Francois, Dominique Cellier, Maryvonne Daveau, Jean‐Philippe Salier – 30 January 2004 – The goal of the current study was to provide complete coverage of the liver transcriptome with human probes corresponding to every gene expressed in embryonic, adult, and/or cancerous liver. We developed dedicated tools, namely, the Liverpool nylon array of complementary DNA (cDNA) probes for approximately 10,000 nonredundant genes and the LiverTools database.

Katherine Anne Stuart, Gregory Jon Anderson, David Michael Frazer, Therese Luna Murphy, Lawrie William Powell, Linda Maria Fletcher, Darrell Henry Crawford – 30 January 2004 – Hepatic hemosiderosis and increased iron absorption are common findings in cirrhosis. It has been proposed that a positive relation exists between intestinal iron absorption and the development of hepatic hemosiderosis.

Robert J. Porte – 30 January 2004

Manal F. Abdelmalek, Roberto J. Firpi, Consuelo Soldevila‐Pico, Alan I. Reed, Alan W. Hemming, Chen Liu, James M. Crawford, Gary L. Davis, David R. Nelson – 30 January 2004 – Recurrent hepatitis C infection is an important cause of progressive fibrosis, cirrhosis, and graft loss following orthotopic liver transplantation. Treatment for posttransplant recurrence of hepatitis C with interferon‐based therapy is difficult but results in loss of detectable virus in up to 30% of patients.

Charles M. Miller, Michele Masetti, Nicola Cautero, Fabrizio DiBenedetto, Augusto Lauro, Antonio Romano, Cristiano Quintini, Antonio Siniscalchi, Bruno Begliomini, Antonio D. Pinna – 30 January 2004 – Clamping of the portal triad accomplishes complete inflow occlusion. This maneuver is commonly used during liver surgery to minimize blood loss but is not widely used in living donors undergoing resection for liver transplantation. We compared outcomes in living donors who underwent resection with and without inflow occlusion. We reviewed data on 2 nonsimultaneous living liver donor cohorts.

See‐Ching Chan, Siu‐Tim Cheung, Suet Yi Leung, Chi‐Leung Liu, Sheung‐Tat Fan, Chung‐Mau Lo – 30 January 2004 – This case report describes a patient who underwent liver transplantation for HCV cirrhosis for hepatocellular carcinoma. At 3.5 years post transplant, 6 cm tumor was found with CT scanning. With microsatellite analysis it was determined that the tumor was of donor origin. The patient underwent successful right hepatectomy of the tumor that proved to be sarcoma. The patient is doing well without recurrence 1.5 years after resection and 5 years post transplant.

Josep M. Llovet, Josep Fuster, Jordi Bruix – 30 January 2004 – Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common neoplasm in the world, and the third most common cause of cancer‐related death. It affects mainly patients with cirrhosis of any etiology. Patients with cirrhosis are thus usually included in surveillance plans aiming to achieve early detection and effective treatment. Only patients who would be treated if diagnosed with HCC should undergo surveillance, which is based on ultrasonography and α‐fetoprotein every 6 months.