Song Iy Han, Elaine Studer, Seema Gupta, Youwen Fang, Liang Qiao, Weiqun Li, Steven Grant, Philip B. Hylemon, Paul Dent – 30 January 2004 – Previously, we demonstrated that deoxycholic acid (DCA)‐induced ERK1/2 and AKT signaling in primary hepatocytes is a protective response. In the present study, we examined the regulation of the phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3) kinase/AKT/glycogen synthase (kinase) 3 (GSK3)/glycogen synthase (GS) pathway by bile acids.

Juan Angel Fernández, Ricardo Robles, Caridad Marín, Francisco Sánchez‐Bueno, Pablo Ramírez, Pascual Parrilla – 6 January 2004 – The introduction of biliary laparoscopic surgery led to an increase in the incidence of liver hilum injuries. These types of lesions are very serious, because they can lead to secondary biliary cirrhosis or fulminant hepatic failure and the need for liver transplantion (LT). We present three cases of liver hilum injuries, which were treated with LT; one case was due to severe and persistent cholangitis, and two cases were due to fulminant hepatic failure.

Yoji Kishi, Yasuhiko Sugawara, Junichi Kaneko, Nobuhisa Akamatsu, Hiroshi Imamura, Hirotaka Asato, Norihiro Kokudo, Masatoshi Makuuchi – 6 January 2004 – Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using right liver grafts is now widely performed. Anatomic classifications of the hepatic artery for right liver procurement, however, are limited. In this study, celiac and mesenteric angiograms of 223 consecutive living donors in a single institution were evaluated. Details of the arterial anastomosis and results were reviewed in 72 patients who underwent primary LDLT using right liver grafts.

Sergei Mechtcheriakov, Ivo W. Graziadei, Michael Mattedi, Thomas Bodner, André Kugener, Hartmann H. Hinterhuber, Josef Marksteiner, Wolfgang Vogel – 6 January 2004 – Previous studies have suggested reversibility of minimal hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis after liver transplantation (LT), however, this topic is controversially discussed. We investigated this issue in a prospective study on liver cirrhotic patients listed for LT.

Raffaele Girlanda, Abdul H Mohsen, Heather Smith, Erwin Sablon, Man‐Fung Yuen, John O'Grady, Paolo Muiesan, Mohamed Rela, Nigel Heaton, Suzanne Norris – 6 January 2004 – Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes have been associated with specific patterns of disease and response to antiviral therapy. We investigated the effect of HBV genotype on HBV recurrence and mortality after liver transplantation (LT). Pretransplant sera of 45 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive adults were submitted for HBV genotyping by a reverse‐phase hybridization line probe assay with genotype‐specific probes.

Amany Zekry, Margret Gleeson, Seren Guney, Geoffrey W. McCaughan – 6 January 2004 – It has been suggested that Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) may have an antiviral effect in patients with recurrent HCV infection post‐liver transplantation. We conducted a prospective cross‐over study in liver transplant recipients with recurrent chronic HCV infection to examine whether substitution of azathioprine (AZA) with MMF would reduce HCV load and improve allograft function. Thirteen long standing HCV liver transplant recipients receiving AZA were enrolled in a 9‐month prospective cross‐over study.

Abhinav Humar, Khalid Khwaja, Timothy D. Sielaff, John R. Lake, William D. Payne – 6 January 2004

Shin Hwang, Sung‐Gyu Lee, Kwang‐Min Park, Young‐Joo Lee, Chul‐Soo Ahn, Ki‐Hoon Kim, Deog‐Bok Moon, Tae‐Yong Ha, Sung‐Hun Cho, Ki‐Bong Oh – 6 January 2004 – The left‐sided gallbladder is very rare, but it is often accompanied by multiple anomalies of the liver, by which living donor hepatectomy cannot be feasible or becomes difficult. We have experienced 3 donors with a left‐sided gallbladder out of 642 living donors. The first case was a male donor showing bifurcating portal anomaly with intrahepatic right portal vein confluence and extremely low bifurcation of the bile ducts.

Marius C. van den Heuvel, Koert P. de Jong, Marian L.C. van der Horst, Sibrand Poppema, Maarten J.H. Slooff, Annette S.H. Gouw – 6 January 2004 – Severe loss of bile ducts is a hallmark of chronic liver rejection. We hypothesize that loss of the finest branches of the biliary tree, including the intralobular segments, contributes to an impaired regenerative response of bile ducts in chronic rejection. The number and proliferative response of bile ducts, intraportal ductules, and extraportal biliary cells were studied in graft biopsies of 12 chronic‐rejection patients.

Richard B. Freeman – 6 January 2004