Ralf M. Zwacka, Yulong Zhang, Weihong Zhou, Jeff Halldorson, John F. Engelhardt – 30 December 2003 – For many inherited and acquired hepatic diseases, liver transplantation is the only possible therapeutic strategy. Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage to donor tissue is thought to be one component that may play a role in the decline of posttransplant tissue function and ultimately rejection. The transcription factors, AP‐1 and nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB), play important roles in the acute cellular responses to tissue damage, as well as the inflammatory phase following I/R.

Koert P. De Jong, Rudi Stellema, Arend Karrenbeld, Jan Koudstaal, Annette S. Gouw, Wim J. Sluiter, Paul M. J. G. Peeters, Maarten J. H. Slooff, Elisabeth G. E. De Vries – 30 December 2003 – To determine whether the expression of transforming growth factor α (TGF‐α), its receptor (epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFr]), p53 nuclear protein, and proliferation influences prognosis of patients with liver metastases, a study was performed in 45 liver metastases and 33 corresponding primary colorectal carcinomas in patients referred for liver surgery.

Henrik Toft Sørensen, Søren Friis, Jørgen H. Olsen, Ane Marie Thulstrup, Lene Mellemkjær, Martha Linet, Dimitrios Trichopoulos, Hendrik Vilstrup, Jørn Olsen – 30 December 2003 – Cancer risk in patients with cirrhosis could be modified by factors such as changes in hormonal levels, impaired metabolism of carcinogens, or alteration of immunological status. We investigated the risk of liver and various forms of cancer in patients with cirrhosis in a follow‐up study.

E B Haagsma, G P Smit, K E Niezen‐Koning, A S Gouw, L Meerman, M J Slooff – 30 December 2003 – Type III glycogen storage disease (GSD) is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism caused by a deficiency of debranching enzyme. Different subtypes with different clinical pictures have been recognized. During childhood and early adulthood, the symptoms generally regress, and normal adulthood appears possible in most patients without symptoms or signs of cirrhosis. We report on an adult patient with GSD who developed endstage cirrhosis and a small hepatocellular carcinoma.

30 December 2003

A Fabbri, G P Bianchi, G Marchesini – 30 December 2003

A Kwon, S K Ha‐Kawa, S Uetsuji, T Inoue, Y Matsui, Y Kamiyama – 30 December 2003 – Technetium‐99m‐diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acidgalactosyl human serum albumin (Tc‐GSA) is a new liver scintigraphy agent which binds to the asialoglycoprotein receptors. We evaluated the preoperative assessment for hepatectomy using Tc‐GSA liver scintigraphy. Ninety patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were admitted for elective hepatectomy.

Kenneth A. Somberg – 30 December 2003

I. Lautenschlager, K. Höckerstedt, H. Jalanko, R. Loginov, K. Salmela, E. Taskinen, J. Ahonen – 30 December 2003 – Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the suggested risk factors for chronic allograft rejection. Clinical and experimental studies have shown that CMV is somehow implicated in rejection mechanisms and in the generation of graft arteriosclerosis, characteristic of chronic rejection. In liver transplantation, there is also evidence of an association between CMV and vanishing bile duct‐syndrome (VBDS), which is characteristic of chronic liver allograft rejection.

J. Eileen Hay – 30 December 2003