Cynthia R. L. Webster, M. Sawkat Anwer – 30 December 2003 – We have previously shown that cAMP protects against hydrophobic bile acid‐induced apoptosis in cultured rat hepatocytes through pathways dependent on activation of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase and inhibition of mitogen activated protein kinase. Hepatocyte growth factor protects epithelial cells against apoptosis and activates both of these kinases in hepatocytes.

Leland J. Yee, Jianming Tang, Andrew W. Gibson, Robert Kimberly, Dirk J. van Leeuwen, Richard A. Kaslow – 30 December 2003 – Host genetic factors have been reported to influence the natural history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We examined whether variation in interleukin 10 (IL‐10) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) genes would predict the likelihood of sustained response to antiviral therapy. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and microsatellites at two loci encoding the cytokines IL‐10 and TNF‐α were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐based techniques.

Martin Volkmann, Lore Martin, Andrea Bäurle, Hans Heid, Christian P. Strassburg, Christian Trautwein, Walter Fiehn, Michael P. Manns – 30 December 2003 – Autoantibodies to soluble liver antigen (SLA) are considered a specific marker of autoimmune hepatitis. We have performed immunoscreening of a human liver gene expression library with an anti‐SLA—positive serum.

Robert S. Brown, John R. Lake, Nancy L. Ascher, Jean C. Emond, John P. Roberts – 30 December 2003 – Background. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is a highly effective but costly therapy for end‐stage liver disease. However, there are limited data on the demographic and clinical variables that affect cost. We undertook a preliminary study using multiple regression techniques to analyze factors that influence the cost of OLT.

Birgit Kallinowski, Christine Buhrmann, Stefanie Seipp, Tobias Goeser, Wolfgang Stremmel, Gerd Otto, Lorenz Theilmann – 30 December 2003 – A novel RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family has been discovered recently and designated hepatitis GB‐C virus (GBV‐C). Previous studies have reported that GBV‐C is associated with posttransfusion hepatitis, chronic viral hepatitis, and cryptogenic hepatitis. However, the clinical significance of GBV‐C infection has been questioned increasingly in patients not undergoing transplantation.

S P Dunn, G F Cooney, A Kulinsky, K Falkenstein, A Pierson, J Meligeni – 30 December 2003 – This case report correlates impaired cyclosporine absorption from the traditional oral formulation in a 9‐year‐old liver transplant recipient with subsequent acute allograft rejection. Although impaired absorption in this patient was documented by cyclosporine pharmacokinetic profiling (steady‐state area under the cyclosporine concentration‐time curve or AUC), no indication was evident from the pre‐dose cyclosporine trough level, which was within the typical target range of blood concentrations.

D Azoulay, R Adam, P Pham, M Salvucci, S Davoll, H Bismuth, B Debuire, A Lemoine – 30 December 2003 – Cyclosporine toxicity is still a significant problem in the early period after liver transplantation. The monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) test performed in the donor has been suggested as a reliable test to predict liver graft function in the recipient. The MEGX test was performed in 50 consecutive donors, and the clinical course of recipients, metabolic parameters of the grafts, and cyclosporine levels were followed in detail for 10 days. Two patients died of sepsis and were excluded.

M S Mandell, J J Katz, M Wachs, E Gill, I Kam – 30 December 2003

D P Dunham, P P Aran – 30 December 2003 – Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess the use of the serum chemical markers, γ‐glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (AP), and total bilirubin (BR) as tests for biliary complications in patients who had undergone orthotopic liver transplantation. Our study consisted of 105 consecutive adult transplant patients at the University of Chicago from March 1985 to November 1988. Biliary complications were determined by cholangiogram.

R M Weinrieb, C P O'Brien – 30 December 2003