Raquel Abecasis, David Kravetz, Eduardo Fassio, Beatriz Ameigeiras, Daniel Garcia, Rogelio Isla, Graciela Landeira, Nora Dominguez, Gustavo Romero, Julio Argonz, Ruben Terg – 30 December 2003 – Treatment with β‐blockers fails to decrease portal pressure in nearly 40% of cirrhotic patients. Recent studies have suggested that treatment with spironolactone reduces pressure and flow in the portal and variceal systems. This trial was designed to assess if nadolol plus spironolactone is more effective than nadolol alone to prevent the first variceal bleeding.

Hajime Sumi, Osamu Yokosuka, Naohiko Seki, Makoto Arai, Fumio Imazeki, Tomoko Kurihara, Tatsuo Kanda, Kenichi Fukai, Masaki Kato, Hiromitsu Saisho – 30 December 2003 – To investigate the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype‐related differences in the progression of liver disease, 585 patients with chronic HBV infection including 258 with histologically verified chronic liver disease (CLD) and 74 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were examined.

Claudia Zwingmann, Nicolas Chatauret, Dieter Leibfritz, Roger F. Butterworth – 30 December 2003 – Acute liver failure (ALF) results in alterations of energy metabolites and of glucose‐derived amino acid neurotransmitters in brain. However, the dynamics of changes in glucose metabolism remain unclear.

Kazushi Sugimoto, Jason Stadanlick, Fusao Ikeda, Colleen Brensinger, Emma E. Furth, Harvey J. Alter, Kyong‐Mi Chang – 30 December 2003 – This study was performed to examine the immunologic basis for the apparent ethnic difference in clinical outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection between African Americans (AA) and Caucasian Americans (CA). To this end, we recruited 99 chronically HCV‐infected and 31 spontaneously HCV‐cleared subjects for clinical, virologic, and immunologic analysis.

Dominique Thabut, Marion Simon, Robert P. Myers, Djamila Messous, Vincent Thibault, Françoise Imbert‐Bismut, Thierry Poynard – 30 December 2003

Juan G. Abraldes, Ilaria Tarantino, Juan Turnes, Juan Carlos Garcia‐Pagan, Juan Rodés, Jaime Bosch – 30 December 2003 – In cirrhotic patients under pharmacologic treatment for portal hypertension, a reduction in hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) of ≥20% of baseline or to ≤12 mm Hg markedly reduces the risk of variceal rebleeding. This study was aimed at evaluating whether these hemodynamic targets also prevent other complications of portal hypertension and improve long‐term survival.

Pietro Lampertico, Ersilio Del Ninno, Mauro Viganò, Raffaella Romeo, Maria Francesca Donato, Erwin Sablon, Alberto Morabito, Massimo Colombo – 30 December 2003 – To assess whether extended treatment with interferon improves the outcome of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐negative chronic hepatitis B, 101 consecutive patients were treated with 6 MU of interferon alfa 2b 3 times weekly for 24 months.

Nina Singh, Timothy Gayowski, Marilyn M. Wagener – 30 December 2003 – The aim of this study is to assess the predictors, impact on infectious morbidity, and outcome of posttransplantation dialysis in liver transplant recipients and to compare the results with data from patients who did not require dialysis after transplantation. The study sample included 176 consecutive patients undergoing liver transplantation; the median follow‐up was 4.3 years. All patients were administered tacrolimus as primary immunosuppression.

Gregory J. Gores – 30 December 2003

Juli Busquets, Juan Figueras, Teresa Serrano, Jaume Torras, Emilio Ramos, Antonio Rafecas, Juan Fabregat, Carmen Lama, Xavier Xiol, Carme Baliellas, Eduardo Jaurrieta – 30 December 2003 – Biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) may occur because of preservation injury (PI). In this study, we examine findings on routine reperfusion biopsy specimens in relation to the occurrence of biliary complications and graft outcome. From 1997 to 2000, a total of 193 OLTs were performed in our center.