R L Carithers, S S Emerson – 30 December 2003 – We performed an independent meta‐analysis of all available randomized clinical trials of interferon alfa‐2b in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Articles published between 1986 and 1996 had to include previously untreated patients who were randomly allocated to therapy with at least 2 million units (MU) of interferon alfa‐2b three times weekly for 24 weeks. A total of 32 trials met the inclusion criteria.

A Alberti, L Chemello, F Noventa, L Cavalletto, GianLuca De Salvo – 30 December 2003 – The long‐term benefit of interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C is limited. During therapy, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels decrease to normal and hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA decreases in 40% to 60% of patients. However, most patients relapse after therapy withdrawal, so that no more than 15% to 25% achieve a sustained response.

Kunihiko Ohnishi, Hisashi Yoshioka, Susumu Ito, Kenji Fujiwara – 30 December 2003 – To assess whether ultrasound‐guided percutaneous acetic acid injection is superior to percutaneous ethanol injection in the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 60 patients with one to four HCCs smaller than 3 cm were entered onto a randomized controlled trial. Thirty‐one and 29 patients, respectively, were treated by percutaneous acetic acid injection using 50% acetic acid or by percutaneous ethanol injection using absolute ethanol.

Marc G. Ghany, Brick Ayola, Federico G. Villamil, Robert G. Gish, Sergio Rojter, John M. Vierling, Anna S. Lok – 30 December 2003 – Long‐term hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) has been shown to reduce hepatitis B virus (HBV) reinfection in patients transplanted for hepatitis B. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HBV S gene mutations in liver transplant recipients who developed recurrent hepatitis B despite HBIG prophylaxis, and to determine if these mutations can revert after withdrawal of HBIG.

Annika Bergquist, Hans Glaumann, Bo Persson, Ulrika Broomé – 30 December 2003 – The reason why 10% to 20% of all patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) develop cholangiocarcinoma (CC) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and biochemical presentation in PSC patients with and without hepatobiliary malignancy and to look for risk factors for developing hepatobiliary carcinoma in PSC.

Aldo V. Greco, Geltrude Mingrone, Giuseppe Benedetti, Esmeralda Capristo, Pietro A. Tataranni, Giovanni Gasbarrini – 30 December 2003 – Twenty‐four‐hour energy expenditure (EE) and substrate oxidation (respiratory chamber), and whole‐body glucose uptake and oxidation rates (euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp [EHC] and indirect calorimetry) were measured in 10 male patients with posthepatitis, Child B cirrhosis, and 8 healthy male controls matched for age, body size, and body composition. Twenty‐four‐hour EE was higher in cirrhotic patients than in controls (8,567 ± 764 vs.

Yoshito Wada, Osamu Nakashima, Rumiko Kutami, Osamu Yamamoto, Masamichi Kojiro – 30 December 2003 – We examined the clinicopathologic features of 11 surgically resected hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) less than 3 cm in diameter with marked inflammatory cell infiltration (LHCCs). In comparison with the other 152 HCCs without such an infiltration (controls), there were no significant differences in male/female ratio, age, serum α‐fetoprotein levels, and laboratory and imaging findings.

Kyeong Sook Choi, In Kyoung Lim, John N. Brady, Seong‐Jin Kim – 30 December 2003 – Transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) arrests growth and/or stimulates apoptosis of a variety of cells. The biochemical pathways involved in the apoptotic processes, however, remain poorly defined. TGF‐β1 induces DNA fragmentation together with morphological changes, which are characteristic of apoptosis in the FaO rat hepatoma cell line. Histones were remarkably enriched in lysates of these cells during TGF β1‐induced apoptosis.

Jörg König, Daniel Rost, Yunhai Cui, Dietrich Keppler – 30 December 2003 – Several members of the multidrug resistance protein (MRP) family are expressed in the liver. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)–dependent transport of glutathione and glucuronoside conjugates across the hepatocyte canalicular membrane is mediated by the apical MRP isoform, MRP2 (APMRP), also known as canalicular multispecific organic anion transporter (cMOAT). We have cloned an additional MRP isoform, MRP3, from human liver and localized it to the basolateral membrane domain of hepatocytes.

Jordi Ortiz, Maria Carme Vila, Germán Soriano, Josep Miñana, Jordi Gana, Beatriz Mirelis, Maria Teresa Novella, Susana Coll, Miriam Sàbat, Montserrat Andreu, Guillem Prats, Ricard Solà, Carlos Guarner – 30 December 2003 – Selective intestinal decontamination with norfloxacin is useful to prevent bacterial infections in several groups of cirrhotic patients at high risk of infection. However, the emergence of infections caused by Escherichia coli resistant to quinolones has recently been observed in cirrhotic patients undergoing prophylactic norfloxacin.