Regulation of rat organic anion transporters in bile salt‐induced cholestatic hepatitis: Effect of ursodeoxycholate

Daniel Rost, Thomas Herrmann, Peter Sauer, Hans‐Ludwig Schmidts, Bruno Stieger, Peter J. Meier, Wolfgang Stremmel, Adolf Stiehl – 30 December 2003 – Hepatic uptake of organic anions, including bile salts, is mediated by members of the organic anion‐transporting polypeptide (Oatp) family. In rat liver, Oatp1 (Slc21a1), Oatp2 (Slc21a5), and Oatp4 (Slca10) are expressed at the basolateral membrane of hepatocytes and may be differentially regulated under pathophysiologic conditions such as cholestasis.

Maintenance therapy with ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C who fail to respond to combination therapy with interferon alfa and ribavirin

Jay H. Hoofnagle, Marc G. Ghany, David E. Kleiner, Edward Doo, Theo Heller, Kittichai Promrat, Janus Ong, Farooq Khokhar, Alejandro Soza, David Herion, Yoon Park, James E. Everhart, T.

Interleukin 6/gp130‐dependent pathways are protective during chronic liver diseases

Konrad L. Streetz, Frank Tacke, Ludger Leifeld, Torsten Wüstefeld, Andrea Graw, Christian Klein, Kenjii Kamino, Ulrich Spengler, Hans Kreipe, Stefan Kubicka, Werner Müller, Michael P. Manns, Christian Trautwein – 30 December 2003 – The contribution of the acute phase inducer interleukin 6 (IL‐6) in the pathogenesis of liver diseases is yet unclear. Our analysis showed enhanced expression of IL‐6 in livers derived from patients with acute and chronic liver diseases.

Octreotide in hepatorenal syndrome: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover study

Gilles Pomier‐Layrargues, Sarto C. Paquin, Ziad Hassoun, Michel Lafortune, Albert Tran – 30 December 2003 – The hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is related to vasoconstriction of the renal cortex induced by systemic hypovolemia that follows splanchnic vasodilatation as the primary event in the cascade of hemodynamic changes associated with portal hypertension. We evaluated the effects of octreotide, a splanchnic vasoconstrictor, on HRS in cirrhotic patients.

Decreased anion exchanger 2 immunoreactivity in the liver of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

J. F. Medina, E. Martínez‐Ansó, J. J. Vázquez, J. Prieto – 30 December 2003 – Chloride‐bicarbonate anion exchanger 2 (AE2) is expressed in a variety of tissues, including the liver and salivary glands, where it may participate in the generation of hydroionic fluxes into secretions. We have previously reported decreased hepatic levels of AE2 messenger RNA in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), a cholestatic condition frequently associated with pluriglandular exocrine failure. Here we investigated the expression of AE2 protein in the liver of PBC patients.

Simultaneous determination of plasma mevalonate and 7 α‐hydroxy‐4‐cholesten‐3‐one levels in hyperlipoproteinemia: Convenient indices for estimating hepatic defects of cholesterol and bile acid syntheses and biliary cholesterol supersaturation

J. Shoda, J. Miyamoto, M. Kano, T. Ikegami, Y. Matsuzaki, N. Tanaka, T. Osuga, H. Miyazaki – 30 December 2003 – The high prevalence of cholesterol gallstone disease in hypertriglyceridemic patients may be associated with frequent metabolic defects in cholesterol and bile acid syntheses and in the concomitant formation of bile supersaturated with cholesterol.

Accumulation of multiple T‐cell clonotypes in the liver of primary biliary cirrhosis

M. Ohmoto, K. Yamamoto, T. Nagano, S. Matsumoto, H. Kobashi, R. Okamoto, T. Tsuji – 30 December 2003 – The histological hallmark of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is the destruction of the interlobular and septal bile ducts accompanied by a dense accumulation of lymphocytes; this constellation of features is termed chronic nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis.

Increased circulating transforming growth factor β1 in a patient with giant hepatic hemangioma: Possible contribution to an impaired immune function

N. Ito, S. Kawata, H. Tsushima, S. Tamura, S. Kiso, S. Takami, T. Igura, M. Monnden, Y. Matsuzawa – 30 December 2003 – A patient, having a huge hepatic hemangioma, presented with decreases in the number of peripheral lymphocytes and in serum concentrations of γ‐globulin and immunoglobulin (Ig) G, and a negative purified protein derivatives skin test, indicating that the patient's immunity was impaired. The plasma concentration of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1), a potent immunosuppressor, in the patient was markedly elevated (113 ng/mL, normal < 5).

Lack of correlation between hepatitis C virus genotypes and clinical course of hepatitis C virus‐related cirrhosis

L. Benvegnù, P. Pontisso, D. Cavalletto, F. Noventa, L. Chemello, A. Alberti – 30 December 2003 – The influence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐genotype on liver disease severity was evaluated in 429 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C, including 109 with cirrhosis who were followed up prospectively, allowing for the assessment of the role of the HCV‐genotype on disease outcome and on the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCV‐1 was detected in 147 (46%) patients without cirrhosis and in 47 (43%) with cirrhosis (x not significant), being mainly HCV‐1b.

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