Reversal of liver fibrosis in aryl hydrocarbon receptor null mice by dietary vitamin A depletion

Fausto Andreola, Diego F. Calvisi, Guillermo Elizondo, Sonia B. Jakowlew, Jennifer Mariano, Frank J. Gonzalez, Luigi M. De Luca – 5 January 2004 – Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR)‐null mice display a liver fibrosis phenotype that is associated with a concomitant increase in liver retinoid concentration, tissue transglutaminase type II (TGaseII) activity, transforming growth factorβ (TGFβ) overexpression, and accumulation of collagen.

Viral features of lamivudine resistant hepatitis B genotypes A and D

Bernhard Zöllner, Jörg Petersen, Elisabeth Puchhammer‐Stöckl, Josef Kletzmayr, Martina Sterneck, Lutz Fischer, Matthias Schröter, Rainer Laufs, Heinz‐Hubert Feucht – 5 January 2004 – Viral differences among lamivudine resistant hepatitis B (HBV) genotypes have not been yet investigated. Therefore, we analyzed the characteristics of these viral strains in vivo. Forty‐one patients carrying lamivudine resistant HBV were enrolled. Twenty‐six patients (63%) carried resistant HBV genotype A (group A) and 15 patients (37%) carried resistant HBV genotype D (group D).

Cloning the human betaretrovirus proviral genome from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

Lizhe Xu, Michael Sakalian, Zhiwei Shen, George Loss, James Neuberger, Andrew Mason – 5 January 2004 – Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) have both serologic and tissue evidence of infection. A recently identified human betaretrovirus was originally cloned from the biliary epithelium cDNA library of a patient with PBC. By conducting a BLASTN search, the initial partial pol gene fragment was found to have 95% to 97% nucleotide homology with mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) and with retrovirus sequences derived from human breast cancer samples.

Spontaneous cholecysto‐ and hepatolithiasis in Mdr2−/− mice: A model for low phospholipid‐associated cholelithiasis

Frank Lammert, David Q.‐H. Wang, Sonja Hillebrandt, Andreas Geier, Peter Fickert, Michael Trauner, Siegfried Matern, Beverly Paigen, Martin C. Carey – 5 January 2004 – Previously, we identified needle‐like and filamentous, putatively “anhydrous” cholesterol crystallization in vitro at very low phospholipid concentrations in model and native biles. Our aim now was to address whether spontaneous gallstone formation occurs in Mdr2 (Abcb4) knockout mice that are characterized by phospholipid‐deficient bile.

High prevalence of occult hepatitis B in Baltimore injection drug users

Michael Torbenson, Rajesh Kannangai, Jacquie Astemborski, Steffanie A. Strathdee, David Vlahov, David L. Thomas – 5 January 2004 – Occult hepatitis B is defined by the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in a serum or liver in the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The prevalence and clinical correlates of occult hepatitis B remain incompletely defined. A cross‐sectional study was performed to determine the prevalence of occult hepatitis B in a high‐risk cohort composed of 188 injection drug users in Baltimore, Maryland.

Subscribe to