P Caraceni, H S Ryu, V Subbotin, N De Maria, A Colantoni, L Roberts, F Trevisani, M Bernardi, D H Van Thiel – 30 December 2003 – The aim of this study was to determine whether rat hepatocytes isolated from steatotic or nonsteatotic livers have different thresholds for injury due to anoxia‐reoxygenation. Rats were fed ethanol or control diets for 8 weeks. Histology showed that more than 75% of the hepatocytes in alcohol‐fed and less than 3% in control animals contained fatty vacuoles. The glycogen content was significantly reduced in steatotic livers.

L Aloj, R E Carson, L Lang, P Herscovitch, W C Eckelman – 30 December 2003 – We have evaluated the use of [18F]holo‐transferrin ([18F]Tf) and positron emission tomography (PET) to measure in vivo Tf receptor expression and recycling using the baboon liver as a model. [18F]Tf was intravenously injected in three baboons and dynamic PET was performed over the region containing liver and spleen. In two of the three baboons, [18F]albumin ([18F]Alb), labeled with the same technique, was administered 3 hours later. Time activity curves (TACs) were obtained from liver and spleen for both tracers.

N Miyanari, Y Yamaguchi, K Matsuno, A Tominaga, M Goto, O Ichiguchi, K Mori, M Ogawa – 30 December 2003 – A single intravenous injection of freshly heparinized blood from a donor‐specific blood transfusion (DST) seven days before transplantation significantly prolongs the subsequent survival of hepatic allografts from ACI(RT1a) to LEW(RT11) rats. We used W3/25 (anti‐CD4) and OX22 (anti‐CD45 RC: an isoform of leukocyte‐common antigen [CD45R]) monoclonal antibodies to investigate the cellular identity of hepatic allograft infiltrates following transplantation.

A Tanaka, S Iwabuchi, M Takatori, A Ohno, H Yamada, N Hashimoto, Y Ikeda, T Kato, K Nishioka, S Iino, K Yamamoto – 30 December 2003 – The immunopathogenesis of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and the role of T cells in the onset and maintenance of this disease, are still unclear. Since T cells expand clonally after stimulation by an antigen, it is important to analyze the behavior of T cells at a clonal level.

P Invernizzi, A Crosignani, P M Battezzati, G Covini, G De Valle, A Larghi, M Zuin, M Podda – 30 December 2003 – Reports from North America and Northern Europe have suggested that antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) negative primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a distinct chronic cholestatic liver disease with high prevalence of serum non‐organ‐specific autoantibodies other than AMA.

G Lo, K Lai, J Cheng, C Lin, J Huang, P Hsu, H Chiang – 30 December 2003 – Active bleeding varices are a great challenge to endoscopists. In this study, we compared the short‐term efficacy and safety of banding ligation with injection sclerotherapy in the arresting of active bleeding from esophageal varices. Seventy‐one cirrhotic patients with active variceal bleeding were randomized to receive banding ligation (37 patients) or sclerotherapy (34 patients) immediately after endoscopic examinations.

C Puoti, T Stati, A Magrini, P Rossi, G Romagnoli, M Baldi, S Resta – 30 December 2003

H Hsu, M Chang, Y Ni, H Lin, S Wang, D Chen – 30 December 2003 – Serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA from 4 infants with fulminant hepatitis B, 3 infants with acute self‐limited hepatitis B, and 15 infants with chronic HBV infection were amplified by polymerase chain reaction followed by direct sequencing of the region of HBV genome encoding the major antigenic epitopes of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). All infants were born to carrier mothers and administered immunoprophylaxis from birth.

R Duan, A Nilsson – 30 December 2003 – The hydrolysis of sphingomyelin (SM) generates important signals regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. Acid and neutral sphingomyelinases (SMase) have been identified and their biological effects intensively studied. We recently found in human bile a novel alkaline SMase that may have important roles in hepatobiliary diseases. In this work, we purified the enzyme and studied the factors influencing enzyme activity.

J J Kril, R F Butterworth – 30 December 2003 – Formalin‐fixed sections from the brains of 36 patients (30 alcoholic and 6 nonalcoholic) with autopsy‐proven cirrhosis who died while in a hepatic coma were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and examined for the presence of diencephalic, cerebellar, pontine, and basal ganglia lesions.