Human and rat hepatic stellate cells express neurotrophins and neurotrophin receptors

David Cassiman, Carl Denef, Valeer J. Desmet, Tania Roskams – 30 December 2003 – The expression of neurotrophins and neurotrophin receptors in non‐neural tissue is related to tissue remodeling, differentiation, proliferation and migration of target cells. The literature yields contradictory results on neurotrophin and neurotrophin receptor expression in the liver.

Furosemide‐induced natriuresis as a test to identify cirrhotic patients with refractory ascites

Laurent Spahr, Jean‐Pierre Villeneuve, Hanh Khiem Tran, Gilles Pomier‐Layrargues – 30 December 2003 – The diagnosis of refractory ascites in cirrhotic patients carries a poor prognosis and liver transplantation should always be considered in this situation. Identification of patients who will not respond to diuretic therapy usually requires several weeks of observation during which a trial of diuretics is instituted using stepwise increases in dosage in order to classify ascites as refractory.

Antibodies Against Hepatitis C Virus–Like Particles and Viral Clearance in Acute and Chronic Hepatitis C

Thomas F. Baumert, Sabine Wellnitz, Shigeaki Aono, Jujin Satoi, David Herion, J. Tilman Gerlach, Gerd R. Pape, Johnson Y.N. Lau, Jay H. Hoofnagle, Hubert E. Blum, T. Jake Liang – 30 December 2003 – We recently described the efficient assembly of hepatitis C virus (HCV) structural proteins into HCV‐like particles (HCV‐LPs) in insect cells. These noninfectious HCV‐LPs have similar morphologic and biophysical properties as putative virions isolated from HCV‐infected humans and can induce a broadly directed immune response in animal models.

Hepatitis C–induced hepatic allograft injury is associated with a pretransplantation elevated viral replication rate

Shawn J. Pelletier, Daniel P. Raymond, Traves D. Crabtree, Carl L. Berg, Julia C. Iezzoni, Young S. Hahn, Robert G. Sawyer, Timothy L. Pruett – 30 December 2003 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) allograft infection after liver transplantation follows a variable but accelerated course compared with the nontransplantation population. Predictors of outcome and mechanisms of reinfection remain elusive.

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