An efficacy and cost‐effectiveness analysis of combination hepatitis B immune globulin and lamivudine to prevent recurrent hepatitis B after orthotopic liver transplantation compared with hepatitis B immune globulin monotherapy

Steven‐Huy B. Han, Joshua Ofman, Curtis Holt, Kevin King, Gregg Kunder, Pauline Chen, Sherfield Dawson, Leonard Goldstein, Hasan Yersiz, Douglas G. Farmer, Rafik M. Ghobrial, Ronald W. Busuttil, Paul Martin – 30 December 2003 – Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was limited until recently by poor graft and patient outcomes caused by recurrent HBV. Long‐term immunoprophylaxis with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) dramatically improved post‐OLT survival, but recurrent HBV still occurred in up to 36% of the recipients.

Characterization of HCV‐specific Patr class II restricted CD4+ T cell responses in an acutely infected chimpanzee

David J. Woollard, Arash Grakoui, Naglaa H. Shoukry, Krishna K. Murthy, Katherine J. Campbell, Christopher M. Walker – 30 December 2003 – Resolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with strong and sustained virus‐specific CD4+ T cell responses. In this study, we investigated the evolution of functional T cell responses during acute infection of a chimpanzee and the longevity of these lymphocytes in blood and liver after resolution of infection.

Intracellular accumulation of pIgA‐R and regulators of transcytotic trafficking in cholestatic rat hepatocytes

Janet M. Larkin, Hope Coleman, Angelica Espinosa, Amy Levenson, Mee Soon Park, Bonnie Woo, Alice Zervoudakis, Vu Tinh – 30 December 2003 – Bile duct ligation (BDL) impairs basolateral‐to‐apical transcytosis in hepatocytes, causing accumulation of transcytotic carriers for the polymeric IgA receptor (pIgA‐R) and redistribution of secretory component (SC) from bile to blood.

Biliary lipid secretion, bile acid metabolism, and gallstone formation are not impaired in hepatic lipase‐deficient mice

Ludwig Amigo, Pablo Mardones, Carla Ferrada, Silvana Zanlungo, Flavio Nervi, Juan Francisco Miquel, Attilio Rigotti – 30 December 2003 – Whereas hepatic lipase (HL) has been implicated in lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis, its role in controlling biliary lipid physiology has not been reported. This work characterizes plasma lipoprotein cholesterol, hepatic cholesterol content, bile acid metabolism, biliary cholesterol secretion, and gallstone formation in HL‐deficient mice and C57BL/6 controls fed standard chow, a cholesterol‐supplemented diet, or a lithogenic diet.

Viral and clinical factors associated with the fulminant course of hepatitis A infection

Guilhermo Rezende, Anne Marie Roque‐Afonso, Didier Samuel, Michele Gigou, Elisabeth Nicand, Virginie Ferre, Elisabeth Dussaix, Henri Bismuth, Cyrille Féray – 30 December 2003 – Fulminant hepatitis is a severe complication of hepatitis A virus infection. Its mechanism is unknown. Liver transplantation can be necessary, but spontaneous recovery is frequent. There are no data on the level of viral replication according to the clinical form of hepatitis A. We reviewed the files of 50 patients with acute hepatitis A.

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Nicola Coppola, Giorgio de Stefano, Cecilia Marrocco, Ferdinando Scarano, Carlo Scolastico, Luciano Tarantino, Felice Piccinino, Antonio Giorgio, Evangelista Sagnelli, Pietro Filippini – 30 December 2003

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