Peter Pediaditakis, Juan Carlos Lopez‐Talavera, Bryon Petersen, Satdarshan P. S. Monga, George K. Michalopoulos – 30 December 2003 – Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) is a pluripotent growth factor capable of acting as a motogen, a morphogen, and a mitogen. Originally, HGF/SF was found as a blood‐borne mitogen for hepatocytes and has since been determined to be very important in liver repair. Previous studies have established that HGF/SF must be proteolytically cleaved to elicit its effects.

Stephanos J. Hadziyannis, Dimitrios Vassilopoulos – 30 December 2003

Peter Ferenci, Harald Brunner, Karin Nachbaur, Christian Datz, Michael Gschwantler, Harald Hofer, Rudolf Stauber, Franz Hackl, Wolfgang Jessner, Martha Rosenbeiger, Petra Munda‐Steindl, Karin Hegenbarth, Alfred Gangl, Wolfgang Vogel – 30 December 2003 – The initial clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) during interferon‐alfa therapy is dose‐dependent. Therefore, higher initial interferon doses (induction therapy) may improve treatment results. This concept was tested in a prospective, randomized controlled trial.

Michael Schepke, Jörg Heller, Sebastian Paschke, Julia Thomas, Martin Wolff, Markus Neef, Max Malago, Gerhard J. Molderings, Ulrich Spengler, Tilman Sauerbruch – 30 December 2003 – Splanchnic vasodilatation and vascular hyporesponsiveness to vasopressors are characteristic features of patients with cirrhosis. Although the vascular response to different vasopressors has been shown to be attenuated in cirrhosis, alterations on the receptor level are discussed controversially. Thus, impaired postreceptor signaling has been postulated.

Ming Yin, Erwin Gäbele, Michael D. Wheeler, Henry Connor, Blair U. Bradford, Anna Dikalova, Ivan Rusyn, Ronald Mason, Ronald G. Thurman – 30 December 2003 – Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) and free radicals are produced in early alcohol‐induced liver injury. Recently, pathology caused by alcohol was blocked nearly completely in tumor necrosis factor α receptor 1 (TNF‐R1) knockout mice. With this model, it is now possible to evaluate whether free radicals are directly toxic or act as redox regulators of TNF‐α production.

Megan E. Briggs, Christiane Baker, Robert Hall, J. Michael Gaziano, David Gagnon, Natalie Bzowej, Teresa L. Wright – 30 December 2003 – This study was designed to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in veterans. Anti‐HCV testing was performed in 1,032 patients and a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic characteristics and potential risk factors was administered. Adjusted prevalence of unique HCV‐positive patients using outpatient services was 17.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 17.2%, 18.2%).

Milan Jirsa, Lucie Muchová, Lubica Dráberová, Petr Dráber, František Šmíd, Masahide Kuroki, Zdenčk Mareček, Albert K. Groen – 30 December 2003 – A pronase resistant 85‐kd glycoprotein in the Concanavalin A–binding fraction (CABF) of biliary glycoproteins has been reported to act as a promotor of cholesterol crystallization. De Bruijn et al. (Gastroenterology 1996;110:1936‐1944) found this protein in a low‐density protein‐lipid complex (LDP) with potent cholesterol crystallization promoting activity. This study identifies and characterizes this protein.

Adrian Reuben – 30 December 2003

Hartmut Jaeschke – 30 December 2003

Adrian Reuben – 30 December 2003