Kristin Michel, Sylke Roth, Christian Trautwein, WenRong Gong, P. Flemming, Axel M. Gressner – 30 December 2003 – Latent transforming growth factor β binding protein (LTBP), a component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of various tissues, is important for the secretion of TGF‐β and, furthermore, for the storage of TGF‐β in ECM. The proteolytic cleavage of LTBP is assumed to be the prerequisite for the activation of TGF‐β.

Jingyu Diao, Norma D. Churchill, Tomasz I. Michalak – 30 December 2003 – Hepadnavirus invasion in woodchucks has been identified as a potent inducer of autoantibodies against asialoglycoprotein receptor (anti‐ASGPR), a molecule essentially unique to hepatocytes that mediate clearance of desialylated serum proteins.

Richard A. Jones, Victoria L. Johnson, Neil R. Buck, Miloslav Dobrota, Richard H. Hinton, Sek C. Chow, George E. Kass – 30 December 2003 – The mechanism of Fas antigen‐induced hepatocyte apoptosis was investigated. Using a monoclonal antibody directed against the Fas antigen, apoptosis was induced in freshly isolated murine hepatocytes within 90 minutes of antibody addition as assessed by plasma membrane bleb formation, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmentation.

Jean‐Michel Pawlotsky, Isabelle Lonjon, Christophe Hezode, Bruno Raynard, Francoise Darthuy, Jocelyne Remire, Claude‐James Soussy, Daniel Dhumeaux – 30 December 2003 – The aim of this study was to determine a cost‐effective strategy for the diagnosis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in clinical laboratories. Anti‐HCV antibodies were sought in 3,014 consecutive unselected samples with two different enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). An immunoblot‐based confirmatory assay (RIBA3.0) was performed in the samples with at least one ELISA positive or weakly positive.

Rin Yamaguchi, Hirohisa Yano, Akihiro Iemura, Sachiko Ogasawara, Makoto Haramaki, Masamichi Kojiro – 30 December 2003 – Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is thought to take an important role in tumor angiogenesis. The present study examined VEGF expression immunohistochemically in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) in various histological grades and sizes. In HCCs that were composed of cancerous tissues of single histological grade, VEGF expression was the highest in well‐differentiated HCCs, followed by moderately differentiated HCCs, and then poorly differentiated HCCs.

David R. Nelson, Constantine G. Marousis, Tomoyoshi Ohno, Gary L. Davis, Johnson Y.N. Lau – 30 December 2003 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) have been shown to play a role in host defense and pathogenesis of chronic HCV infection. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that intrahepatic HCV‐specific CTL activity may impact subsequent response to interferon alfa (IFN‐α) therapy.

James M. Crawford, James L. Boyer – 30 December 2003

Luca G. Guidotti – 30 December 2003

Francesco Negro – 30 December 2003

Giuseppe Barbaro, Gabriella Di Lorenzo, Maurizio Soldini, Giuseppe Giancaspro, Giorgio Bellomo, Giancarlo Belloni, Benvenuto Grisorio, Mauro Annese, Donato Bacca, Ruggiero Francavilla, Giorgio Barbarini – 30 December 2003 – The rationale for use of benzodiazepine receptor antagonists is based on the so‐called benzodiazepine pathogenetic hypothesis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE).