Alejandro Soza, James E. Everhart, Marc G. Ghany, Edward Doo, Theo Heller, Kittichai Promrat, Yoon Park, T. Jake Liang, Jay H. Hoofnagle – 30 December 2003 – Interferon therapy of hepatitis C causes a decrease in neutrophil counts, and neutropenia is a common reason for dose adjustment or early discontinuation. However, it is unclear whether neutropenia caused by interferon is associated with an increased rate of infection. In this study, we assessed factors associated and clinical consequences of neutropenia before and during interferon therapy of chronic hepatitis C.

Evangelista Sagnelli, Nicola Coppola, Vincenzo Messina, Domenico di Caprio, Cecilia Marrocco, Anna Marotta, Mirella Onofrio, Carlo Scolastico, Pietro Filippini – 30 December 2003 – We enrolled 44 patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) acute infection, 21 anti‐hepatitis C virus (HCV)–positive for at least 1 year (case BC group), 20 anti‐HCV–negative (control B group), and 3 with HBV/HCV acute concurrent infection. For each case BC, a subject with chronic HCV infection alone was selected (control C group).

Hashem B. El‐Serag – 30 December 2003 – Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major risk factor for development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In general, HCC develops only after 2 or more decades of HCV infection and the increased risk is restricted largely to patients with cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis. Factors that predispose to HCC among HCV‐infected persons include male sex, older age, hepatitis B virus (HBV) coinfection, heavy alcohol intake, and possibly diabetes and a transfusion‐related source of HCV infection. Viral factors play a minor role.

Miguel R. Arguedas, Gary A. Abrams, Michael J. Krowka, Michael B. Fallon – 30 December 2003 – The hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) occurs in a subgroup of patients with cirrhosis and results from intrapulmonary vasodilatation, which may cause significant hypoxemia. Liver transplantation has emerged as a therapeutic option for patients with HPS based on retrospective case series and reports. However, morbidity and mortality appear to be increased after transplantation for HPS, and no prospective studies evaluating clinical features that may predict poor surgical outcome are available.

Elias Kouroumalis, Demetrios Samonakis, Panagiotis Skordilis – 30 December 2003

Davide Trerè, Mauro Borzio, Alberto Morabito, Franco Borzio, Massimo Roncalli, Massimo Derenzini – 30 December 2003 – Patients with cirrhosis are at significant risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the percentage of hepatocytes showing nucleolar hypertrophy and the development of HCC in cirrhosis of different causes. A total of 111 cirrhotic patients were studied, with a mean follow‐up period of 83.3 months.

Zhiping Li, Shiqi Yang, Huizhi Lin, Jiawen Huang, Paul A. Watkins, Ann B. Moser, Claudio DeSimone, Xiao‐yu Song, Anna Mae Diehl – 30 December 2003 – Ob/ob mice, a model for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), develop intestinal bacterial overgrowth and overexpress tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α). In animal models for alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), decontaminating the intestine or inhibiting TNF‐α improves AFLD.

Yutaka Yata, Andrew Scanga, Andrea Gillan, Liu Yang, Shimon Reif, Michael Breindl, David A. Brenner, Richard A. Rippe – 30 December 2003 – Liver fibrosis is characterized by a dramatic increase in the expression of type I collagen. Several deoxyribonuclease (DNase) I–hypersensitive sites (HS) have been located in the distal 5′‐flanking region of the α1(I) collagen gene that are specific to collagen‐producing cells.

Amany Zekry, G. Alex Bishop, David G. Bowen, Margaret M. Gleeson, Seven Guney, Dorothy M. Painter, Geoffrey W. McCaughan – 30 December 2003 – Recurrent chronic hepatitis, cholestatic hepatitis, and acute rejection in conjunction with hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence are well‐recognized clinical sequelae of reinfection of the hepatic allograft with HCV. The aim of this study is to characterize intrahepatic cytokine responses associated with reinfection of the allograft with HCV in these settings.

Ronald W. Busuttil – 30 December 2003