Marie‐Pierre Bralet, Jean‐Marc Régimbeau, Pascal Pineau, Sylvie Dubois, Gwenolé Loas, Françoise Degos, Dominique Valla, Jacques Belghiti, Claude Degott, Benoît Terris – 30 December 2003 – Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurring in nonfibrotic liver represents a rare, ill‐defined subgroup of HCC without cirrhosis in which mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis remain unclear. The aim of our study was to assess epidemiological factors and detailed histopathologic changes in the nontumoral liver of patients developing such tumors.

Domenico Alvaro, Antonio Benedetti, Luca Marucci, Marco Delle Monache, Rita Monterubbianesi, Emanuele Di Cosimo, Lucia Perego, Giampiero Macarri, Shannon Glaser, Gene Le Sage, Gianfranco Alpini – 30 December 2003 – We studied the effects of alkaline phosphatase (AP) on the secretory processes of the rat intrahepatic biliary epithelium as well as the role of the intrahepatic biliary epithelium in the uptake and biliary secretion of exogenous AP.

Ranjit Banerjee, Lorraine Caruccio, Yu Jing Zhang, Scott McKercher, Regina M. Santella – 30 December 2003 – To elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in the action of common carcinogens, which can act as important cofactors in modulating hepatitis B virus–mediated hepatocellular carcinogenesis, we have investigated the influence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB), a potent liver carcinogen, as well as benzo[a]pyrene (BP) and 4‐aminobiphenyl (4‐ABP), carcinogens in cigarette smoke, on the induction of various transcription factors in human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells.

Alison J. Rodger, Stuart Roberts, Anna Lanigan, Scott Bowden, Tracy Brown, Nick Crofts – 30 December 2003 – The aim of this study was to examine the long‐term effects of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on a cohort of patients admitted with acute viral hepatitis from 1971 through 1975. The availability of stored sera from this time enabled testing to identify those who were anti‐HCV–positive on admission. Sixteen percent (n = 238) of the cohort tested anti‐HCV–positive. The unexposed group was selected from those who were anti‐HCV–negative.

Geetha M. Habib, Zheng‐zheng Shi, Ching‐nan Ou, Geeta Kala, Subbarao V. Kala, Michael W. Lieberman – 30 December 2003 – We used mice deficient in γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) to analyze the effects of GGT deficiency and altered thiol levels on gene expression in liver. GGT‐deficient mice have markedly reduced levels of glutathione (GSH), cysteine, methionine, and cysteinylglycine in liver.

Raymundo Paraná, Liana Codes, Zilton drade – 30 December 2003

James L. Boyer – 30 December 2003

Victor Wu – 30 December 2003

James L. Boyer – 30 December 2003

Neil Kaplowitz – 30 December 2003