Tin K. Mao, Paul A. Davis, Joseph A. Odin, Ross L. Coppel, M. Eric Gershwin – 24 November 2004 – The E2 component of mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC‐E2) is the immunodominant autoantigen of primary biliary cirrhosis. Whereas lipoylation of PDC‐E2 is essential for enzymatic activity and predominates under normal conditions, other biochemical systems exist that also target the lysine residue, including acylation of fatty acids or xenobiotics and ubiquitinylation.

Paul Klenerman, Nasser Semmo, Scott Ward – 24 November 2004 – Regulatory T (T(R)) cells consist of phenotypically and functionally distinct CD4+ and CD8+ T‐cell subsets engaged both in maintaining self‐tolerance and in preventing anti–non–self effector responses (microbial, tumor, transplant, and so on) that may be harmful to the host.

Elwyn Elias – 24 November 2004

Andres T. Blei – 24 November 2004

Eyal Shteyer, Yunjun Liao, Louis J. Muglia, Paul W. Hruz, David A. Rudnick – 24 November 2004 – The liver responds to injury with regulated tissue regeneration. During early regeneration, the liver accumulates fat. Neither the mechanisms responsible for nor the functional significance of this transient steatosis have been determined. In this study, we examined patterns of gene expression associated with hepatic fat accumulation in regenerating liver and tested the hypothesis that disruption of hepatic fat accumulation would be associated with impaired hepatic regeneration.

Bernd Kronenberger, Eva Herrmann, Florence Micol, Michael von Wagner, Stefan Zeuzem – 24 November 2004 – The aim of the present study was to compare viral kinetics between patients with chronic hepatitis C and persistently normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and those with elevated ALT levels.

Chun‐Yi Lu, Bor‐Luen Chiang, Wei‐Kuang Chi, Mei‐Hwei Chang, Yen‐Hsuan Ni, Hsu‐Mei Hsu, Shiing‐Jer Twu, Ih‐Jen Su, Li‐Min Huang, Chin‐Yun Lee – 24 November 2004 – Neonatal immunization with hepatitis B (HB) vaccine is highly effective; however, more needs to be learned about the duration of protection and indications for boosters. We measured antibody to HB core antigen (anti‐HBc), HB surface antigen (HBsAg), and pre‐ and postbooster titers of HBsAg antibody (anti‐HBs) 15 years after primary neonatal immunization with plasma‐derived HB vaccines in 2 cohorts of 15‐year‐old children.

Albert Lau, Curt Bay, Abdul Nadir – 24 November 2004

Anthony T. Dann, Anna P. Kenyon, Paul T. Seed, Lucilla Poston, Andrew H. Shennan, Rachel M. Tribe – 24 November 2004 – Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a pregnancy‐specific liver disease associated with poor maternal and fetal outcome. The diagnosis is based on pruritus with abnormal liver function in the absence of other pathological conditions. However, pruritus in pregnancy is common, and it may be the only presenting feature in ICP.

Gabriela De Larrañaga, Silvia Perés, Jorge Benetucci – 24 November 2004