N. Ito, S. Kawata, H. Tsushima, S. Tamura, S. Kiso, S. Takami, T. Igura, M. Monnden, Y. Matsuzawa – 30 December 2003 – A patient, having a huge hepatic hemangioma, presented with decreases in the number of peripheral lymphocytes and in serum concentrations of γ‐globulin and immunoglobulin (Ig) G, and a negative purified protein derivatives skin test, indicating that the patient's immunity was impaired. The plasma concentration of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1), a potent immunosuppressor, in the patient was markedly elevated (113 ng/mL, normal < 5).

M. Ohmoto, K. Yamamoto, T. Nagano, S. Matsumoto, H. Kobashi, R. Okamoto, T. Tsuji – 30 December 2003 – The histological hallmark of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is the destruction of the interlobular and septal bile ducts accompanied by a dense accumulation of lymphocytes; this constellation of features is termed chronic nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis.

J. Shoda, J. Miyamoto, M. Kano, T. Ikegami, Y. Matsuzaki, N. Tanaka, T. Osuga, H. Miyazaki – 30 December 2003 – The high prevalence of cholesterol gallstone disease in hypertriglyceridemic patients may be associated with frequent metabolic defects in cholesterol and bile acid syntheses and in the concomitant formation of bile supersaturated with cholesterol.

J. F. Medina, E. Martínez‐Ansó, J. J. Vázquez, J. Prieto – 30 December 2003 – Chloride‐bicarbonate anion exchanger 2 (AE2) is expressed in a variety of tissues, including the liver and salivary glands, where it may participate in the generation of hydroionic fluxes into secretions. We have previously reported decreased hepatic levels of AE2 messenger RNA in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), a cholestatic condition frequently associated with pluriglandular exocrine failure. Here we investigated the expression of AE2 protein in the liver of PBC patients.

Gilles Pomier‐Layrargues, Sarto C. Paquin, Ziad Hassoun, Michel Lafortune, Albert Tran – 30 December 2003 – The hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is related to vasoconstriction of the renal cortex induced by systemic hypovolemia that follows splanchnic vasodilatation as the primary event in the cascade of hemodynamic changes associated with portal hypertension. We evaluated the effects of octreotide, a splanchnic vasoconstrictor, on HRS in cirrhotic patients.

Konrad L. Streetz, Frank Tacke, Ludger Leifeld, Torsten Wüstefeld, Andrea Graw, Christian Klein, Kenjii Kamino, Ulrich Spengler, Hans Kreipe, Stefan Kubicka, Werner Müller, Michael P. Manns, Christian Trautwein – 30 December 2003 – The contribution of the acute phase inducer interleukin 6 (IL‐6) in the pathogenesis of liver diseases is yet unclear. Our analysis showed enhanced expression of IL‐6 in livers derived from patients with acute and chronic liver diseases.

Jay H. Hoofnagle, Marc G. Ghany, David E. Kleiner, Edward Doo, Theo Heller, Kittichai Promrat, Janus Ong, Farooq Khokhar, Alejandro Soza, David Herion, Yoon Park, James E. Everhart, T.

Daniel Rost, Thomas Herrmann, Peter Sauer, Hans‐Ludwig Schmidts, Bruno Stieger, Peter J. Meier, Wolfgang Stremmel, Adolf Stiehl – 30 December 2003 – Hepatic uptake of organic anions, including bile salts, is mediated by members of the organic anion‐transporting polypeptide (Oatp) family. In rat liver, Oatp1 (Slc21a1), Oatp2 (Slc21a5), and Oatp4 (Slca10) are expressed at the basolateral membrane of hepatocytes and may be differentially regulated under pathophysiologic conditions such as cholestasis.

Harald Hofer, Peter Ferenci – 30 December 2003

Keyur Patel, Andrew J. Muir, John G. McHutchison – 30 December 2003