The hepatic circulation in health and disease: Report of a single‐topic symposium
Vijay Shah, Guillermo García‐Cardeña, William C. Sessa, Roberto J. Groszmann – 30 December 2003
Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma
Jane Collier, Morris Sherman – 30 December 2003
Identification of a protein isolated from senescent human cells that binds to hepatitis B virus X antigen
Bill S. Sun, Xianhua Zhu, Marcy M. Clayton, Jingbo Pan, Mark A. Feitelson – 30 December 2003 – Hepatitis B virus–encoded X antigen contributes to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Given that X antigen functions by binding to other proteins, additional X‐binding proteins were sought from an adult human liver cDNA library in a yeast two‐hybrid system. The results yielded a clone encoding a 55‐kd protein that is associated with replicative senescence (p55sen). Binding of p55sen to X antigen was confirmed in vitro by immunoprecipitation and affinity chromatography.
Pharmacological expression in rat hepatocytes of a gene transferred by an adenovirus vector enabled by a chimeric promoter containing multiple cyclic adenosine monophosphate response elements
Motoyoshi Suzuki, Ravi N. Singh, Ronald G. Crystal – 30 December 2003 – Using the adenovirus vector AdCF126(CRE8).Luc to deliver an expression cassette containing multiple cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response elements driving the luciferase reporter gene, this study is directed toward evaluating the possibility of controlling genes transferred to the liver using pharmacological agents that raise hepatocyte cAMP levels. Infection of primary rat hepatocytes with AdCF126(CRE8).Luc yielded a low level of luciferase activity that was enhanced 16‐fold by the addition of forskolin.
Increased renal and vascular cytosolic phospholipase A2 activity in rats with cirrhosis and ascites
Michel Niederberger, Pere Ginès, Pierre‐Yves Martin, Judy St. John, Paul Woytaszek, Lieming Xu, Phoebe Tsai, Raphael A. Nemenoff, Robert W. Schrier – 30 December 2003 – Indirect evidence suggests that the renal and vascular production of prostaglandins is increased in cirrhosis with ascites. However, the activity of the enzymes regulating the prostaglandin pathway has not been investigated in cirrhosis.
The first year in San Francisco
D. Montgomery Bissell – 30 December 2003
Sexual and perinatal transmission of hepatitis C
J L Dienstag – 30 December 2003 – Such nonpercutaneous routes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission as sexual and perinatal spread are relatively inefficient. Several observations have been cited to support a role for sexual transmission of hepatitis C. Approximately 10% of persons with reported cases of acute hepatitis C in the United States report a history of potential sexual exposure. Anecdotal cases of sexual transmission have been reported, and HCV nucleotide sequence homology has been observed in viral isolates from sexual partners.
Lipoproteins: Are they important components of host defense?
K R Feingold, C Grunfeld – 30 December 2003
Targeting naproxen coupled to human serum albumin to nonparenchymal cells reduces endotoxin‐induced mortality in rats with biliary cirrhosis
C Albrecht, D K Meijer, C Lebbe, H Sagesser, B N Melgert, K Poelstra, J Reichen – 30 December 2003 – Endotoxin is thought to play a major role in cirrhotic liver disease. Cyclo‐oxygenase inhibitors were shown to be partially protective against endotoxin but cannot be used in cirrhotic patients because of renal side‐effects.
Successful tacrolimus therapy for a severe recurrence of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis in a liver graft recipient
Monika Hurtova, Jean‐Charles Duclos‐Vallée, Catherine Johanet, Jean‐Francçois Emile, Anne‐Marie Roque‐Afonso, Cyrille Feray, Henri Bismuth, Didier Samuel – 30 December 2003 – A 34‐year‐old woman underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for decompensated type 1 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). She was administered standard tripledrug immunosuppressive therapy (cyclosporine, steroids, and azathioprine).