Jean‐Michel Pawlotsky – 30 December 2003 – Four virological markers of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are used clinically for management of patients with hepatitis C, namely the HCV genotype, HCV RNA, HCV core antigen, and antibody to HCV (anti‐HCV). The diagnosis of acute and chronic hepatitis C is based on both anti‐HCV detection using enzyme immunoassays (EIA) and HCV RNA detection using a sensitive molecular biology‐based technique.

Leonard B. Seeff – 30 December 2003 – Much controversy surrounds the issue of the natural history of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Many authorities view the disease as inexorably progressive with a high probability of advancing over time to cirrhosis and occasionally hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and, therefore, likely to be responsible for causing death.

Norah A. Terrault – 30 December 2003 – The accumulated evidence indicates that hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be transmitted by sexual contact but much less efficiently than other sexually transmitted viruses, including hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, because sex is such a common behavior and the reservoir of HCV‐infected individuals is sizable, sexual transmission of HCV likely contributes to the total burden of infection in the United States. Risk of HCV transmission by sexual contact differs by the type of sexual relationship.

Pilar Cejudo‐Martín, Manuel Morales‐Ruiz, Josefa Ros, Miguel Navasa, Guillermo Fernández‐Varo, Josep Fuster, Francisca Rivera, Vicente Arroyo, Juan Rodés, Wladimiro Jiménez – 30 December 2003 – The aim of the investigation was to assess whether hypoxia induces the production of endogenous vasoactive peptides in macrophages of cirrhotic patients with ascites because low tissue oxygenation is a relatively frequent event in these patients.

Julie A. Price, Stephen J. Kovach, Timothy Johnson, Leonidas G. Koniaris, Paul A. Cahill, James V. Sitzmann, Iain H. McKillop – 30 December 2003 – Hepatocyte growth factor–scatter factor (HGF‐SF) is a potent hepatic mitogen yet inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell growth in vitro. Insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) is a pleiotropic growth factor shown to be important in cell growth and differentiation in other tumors. We hypothesized that IGF‐I may play a role in regulating HGF‐SF activity and HCC progression.

Uwe Heemann, Ulrich Treichel, Jan Loock, Thomas Philipp, Guido Gerken, Massimo Malago, Sebastian Klammt, Matthias Loehr, Stephan Liebe, Steffen Mitzner, Reinhardt Schmidt, Jan Stange – 30 December 2003 – Patients with liver cirrhosis and a superimposed acute injury with progressive hyperbilirubinemia have a high mortality. A prospective, controlled study was performed to test whether hyperbilirubinemia, 30‐day survival, and encephalopathy would be improved by extracorporeal albumin dialysis (ECAD).

Ya‐Wen Chen, Yung‐Ming Jeng, Shiou‐Hwei Yeh, Pei‐Jer Chen – 30 December 2003 – Hepatocellular adenoma (HA) and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) are 2 rare, benign liver neoplasms that often are discovered incidentally. To date, few genetic changes have been found in these 2 benign lesions. However, the 2 pathways of p53 and Wnt signaling, which may be the most common molecular targets involved in liver tumorgenesis, were studied in HA and FNH. Ten HAs and 11 FNHs were analyzed for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and sequencing analysis of mutation hot spots in exons 5 to 8 of the p53 gene.

Angels Escorsell, Angels Ginès, Josep Llach, Joan C. García‐Pagán, Josep M. Bordas, Jaume Bosch, Joan Rodés – 30 December 2003 – Many daily activities cause acute elevations of intra‐abdominal pressure (IAP). In portal hypertensive cirrhotic patients, increased IAP increases absolute portal pressure and azygos blood flow, suggesting that it may have detrimental consequences at the esophageal varices. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of increased IAP on variceal pressure, size, and wall tension.

Roland Reinehr, Richard Fischer, Dieter Häussinger – 30 December 2003 – Sensitization of the endothelin‐A receptor (ETA) occurs during HSC transdifferentiation, but the underlying mechanisms remained unclear. Sensitization of ETA was studied in quiescent and activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) at the levels of receptor phosphorylation, localization, endothelin (ET)‐1‐induced Ca2+ signals, and cell contraction.

Antony F. McDonagh – 30 December 2003