Ming‐Chih Hou, Paul A. Cahill, Shuangmin Zhang, Yi‐Ning Wang, Richard J. Hendrickson, Eileen M. Redmond, James V. Sitzmann – 30 December 2003 – Portal hypertension (PHT) is characterized by splanchnic hyperemia due to enhanced production of vasodilator substances. Enhanced vasodilation and increased splanchnic blood flow contribute to the elevated portal pressure characteristic of PHT. The aim of this study was to determine whether cyclooxygenase (Cox) expression is altered in PHT vessels and whether chronic inhibition of this enzyme impacts on splanchnic blood flow in PHT.

Frederik Nevens, Rami Bustami, Ilse Scheys, Emmanuel Lesaffre, Johan Fevery – 30 December 2003 – Predictive criteria for a first variceal hemorrhage lack substantial accuracy. Cross‐sectional studies suggest a close relationship between variceal pressure (VP) and the occurrence of variceal bleeding. In the present prospective cohort study, the significance of VP measurement for prediction of a first variceal bleed was assessed. Eighty‐seven patients with cirrhosis and large esophageal varices who had never developed variceal bleeding were followed for 12 months.

S W Schalm, G Fattovich, J T Brouwer – 30 December 2003 – The management of both compensated and decompensated cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C must be viewed in the context of the natural history of the disease. The prognosis of compensated cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C is relatively good. In a recent retrospective study, after 5 years of follow‐up evaluation, 18% of patients had developed hepatic decompensation and 7% hepatocellular carcinoma. Overall 5‐year survival rate was 91%.

G Dusheiko – 30 December 2003 – Alpha interferons have been used widely to treat chronic hepatitis C virus infection. These include recombinant interferons, purified natural leukocyte, and lymphoblastoid interferons. Alpha interferon is administered by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection either daily or three times weekly for a period of 6 to as long as 24 months. A wide array of adverse effects of α interferon have been described. Several side effects such as fever, headache fatigue, arthralgias, and myalgias are common, especially with the initial injections.

W F Carman, F J Van Deursen, L T Mimms, D Hardie, R Coppola, R Decker, R Sanders – 30 December 2003 – Three assays, one based on monoclonal antibodies and the others on polyclonal antibodies, were employed to detect hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐reactive samples in both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations in areas of the world where hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic.

K Fujiwara, O Yokosuka, T Ehata, F Imazeki, H Saisho, M Miki, M Omata – 30 December 2003 – The diagnosis of type A hepatitis is performed mainly by immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti‐hepatitis A antibody assay, but it has not been established whether there is a correlation between changes in viremia and the clinical course of type A hepatitis. We examined hepatitis A virus (HAV) RNA in the sera from type A and non‐A, non‐B, non‐C acute hepatitis and analyzed the relation of HAV viremia with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and IgM‐HA levels.

S L Nyberg – 30 December 2003

G Fattovich, G Giustina, G Realdi, R Corrocher, S W Schalm – 30 December 2003 – The aim of this study was to evaluate whether interferon alfa (IFN‐α) treatment‐associated virological and biochemical remission improves survival in a cohort of 90 white patients with compensated cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B (Child A) followed for a mean period of 7 years. Inclusion criteria were biopsy‐proven cirrhosis, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positivity, abnormal serum aminotransferase levels, exclusion of hepatitis delta virus, and absence of complications of cirrhosis.

V M Factor, M R Jensen, S S Thorgeirsson – 30 December 2003 – We have recently shown that overexpression of c‐myc and transforming growth factor α (TGF‐α) in the liver of double‐transgenic mice results in severe DNA damage, aberrant hepatic growth, and development of tumors at a much younger age than that observed in c‐myc single‐ transgenic mice. We now report that double‐transgenic TGF‐α/c‐myc hepatocytes rapidly lose their ability to proliferate upon mitogenic stimulation following partial hepatectomy (PH).

E Lotterer, J Hogel, W Gaus, W E Fleig, J Bircher – 30 December 2003 – Quantitative liver function tests such as the determination of galactose elimination capacity (GEC) or the aminopyrine breath test (ABT) may have the potential to serve as refined entry criteria and surrogate markers for end‐points in controlled clinical trials. The magnitude of a statistically detectable difference in test results and the period of observation required to document such a difference must be known to properly design such trials.