Alex Blindenbacher, Xueya Wang, Igor Langer, Rocco Savino, Luigi Terracciano, Markus H. Heim – 30 December 2003 – The response to partial hepatectomy (PH) is impaired in interleukin 6 (IL‐6)‐deficient mice. IL‐6 is well known for its role in the induction of the acute phase (AP) response, and the impairment of this response after surgery and hepatectomy could explain the defective hepatocyte regeneration. In addition, it was proposed that IL‐6 has an important role in stimulating the reentry of quiescent cells into the cell cycle within the first 2 to 4 hours after PH.

Javier Inserte, Antonia Perelló, Luis Agulló, Marisol Ruiz‐Meana, Klaus‐Dieter Schlüter, Noelia Escalona, Mariona Graupera, Jaume Bosch, David Garcia‐Dorado – 30 December 2003 – Portal hypertension induces neuroendocrine activation and a hyperkinetic circulation state. This study investigated the consequences of portal hypertension on heart structure and function. Intrahepatic portal hypertension was induced in male Sprague‐Dawley rats by chronic bile duct ligation (CBDL).

Gary L. Davis, John B. Wong, John G. McHutchison, Michael P. Manns, Joann Harvey, Janice Albrecht – 30 December 2003 – Interferon‐based regimens for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C have become increasingly effective and are able to eradicate virus in more than one half of cases. Early identification of patients who will not respond is desirable because treatment might be stopped, thereby avoiding the expense and inconvenience of unnecessary therapy.

Tuvia Gilat, Alicia Leikin‐Frenkel, Ilana Goldiner, Christine Juhel, Huguette Lafont, Diana Gobbi, Fred M. Konikoff – 30 December 2003 – Fatty acid bile acid conjugates (FABACs) are a new family of synthetic molecules designed to solubilize biliary cholesterol. They were shown to prevent and dissolve cholesterol gallstones in inbred C57L/J mice fed a lithogenic, high‐fat diet (HFD). In these mice, fatty liver was observed in the controls but not in the FABAC‐treated ones.

Narci Teoh, Isabelle Leclercq, Aileen Dela Pena, Geoffrey Farrell – 30 December 2003 – Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) is implicated in the pathogenesis of hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury but can also prime hepatocytes to enter the cell cycle. Ischemic preconditioning protects against ischemia‐reperfusion (IR) liver injury and is associated with activation of nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) and cell cycle entry.

Raza Malik, Neil Mellor, Clare Selden, Humphrey Hodgson – 30 December 2003 – This study investigates the effects of administering a primary mitogen, triiodothyronine (T3), at the time of 70% partial hepatectomy (PH) in the rat, thus combining the 2 distinct pathways of liver growth: direct hyperplasia and compensatory regeneration. T3 enhances the proliferative response of hepatocytes within the liver following PH.

Chien‐Jen Chen, Ding‐Shinn Chen – 30 December 2003

Doris B. Strader – 30 December 2003 – Managing patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection consists primarily of antiviral treatment, currently with peginterferon and ribavirin. Unfortunately, treatment recommendations derive largely from trials that have focused on highly selected patient populations. As a consequence of the strict inclusion and exclusion criteria in these studies, more than half of all HCV‐infected patients would be ineligible for enrollment. Even among the selected patients enrolled into studies, only 50% achieve a sustained virological response (SVR).

Brian R. Edlin – 30 December 2003 – Injection drug users constitute the largest group of persons infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States, and most new infections occur in drug users. Controlling hepatitis C in the U.S. population, therefore, will require developing, testing, and implementing effective prevention and treatment strategies for persons who inject drugs. Fortunately, a substantial body of research and clinical experience exists on the prevention and management of chronic viral diseases among injection drug users.

John G. McHutchison, Keyur Patel – 30 December 2003 – Currently available therapies for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C are effective in half of patients, but are expensive, often poorly tolerated, and unsuitable for certain patient populations. The ideal therapy would be highly effective, orally bioavailable, have minimal side effects, be cost effective, and suitable for the majority of patients with hepatitis C.