Rafael Bruck, Olga Genina, Hussein Aeed, Rosaly Alexiev, Arnon Nagler, Yona Avni, Mark Pines – 30 December 2003 – Hepatic fibrosis is associated with activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), the major source of the extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. The predominant ECM protein synthesized by the HSC is collagen type I. We evaluated the effect of halofuginone—an inhibitor of collagen synthesis—on thioacetamide (TAA)‐induced liver fibrosis in rats.

Juan Francisco Miquel, Joris van der Putten, Fernando Pimentel, Kam S. Mok, Albert K. Groen – 30 December 2003 – Chile has one of the highest prevalences of cholesterol gallstone disease in the world. Recent data indicate that this is partly caused by genetic (Indian) factors. However, the causal factors inducing increased gallstone formation have not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to compare biliary composition and cholesterol crystallization in bile from patients of high and moderate risk areas (Chile and The Netherlands) for gallstone disease.

Preeti Pancholi, Dong‐Hun Lee, Qingyan Liu, Charles Tackney, Patricia Taylor, Marion Perkus, Linda Andrus, Betsy Brotman, Alfred M. Prince – 30 December 2003 – There are about 200 million chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers at high risk of development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Termination of the carrier state may avert these risks. We have investigated immunotherapy for chronic HBV infection in a chimpanzee HBV carrier using recombinant DNA‐based immunization followed by a recombinant canarypox booster.

Jaspreet S. Gujral, Thomas J. Bucci, Anwar Farhood, Hartmut Jaeschke – 30 December 2003 – Reperfusion injury can cause liver dysfunction after cold storage and warm ischemia. Recently it has been suggested that more than 50% of hepatocytes and sinusoidal endothelial cells (SEC) are undergoing apoptosis during the first 24 hours of reperfusion. The aim of our study was to quantify apoptotic and necrotic hepatocytes and apoptotic SEC after 60 or 120 minutes of warm, partial no‐flow ischemia and 0 to 24 hours reperfusion in male SD rats.

Anna Ludovica Fracanzani, Dario Conte, Mirella Fraquelli, Emanuela Taioli, Michela Mattioli, Alessandra Losco, Silvia Fargion – 30 December 2003 – It has been suggested that excess iron may facilitate the occurrence of cancer. Patients with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) are at high risk of developing liver cancer, and studies of limited series reported a high frequency of nonhepatic cancers.

Arash Grakoui, Holly L. Hanson, Charles M. Rice – 30 December 2003

Eng‐Kiong Teo, George Ostapowicz, Munira Hussain, William M. Lee, Robert J. Fontana, Anna S. F. Lok – 30 December 2003 – Occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been reported in 30% to 50% of patients with acute liver failure (ALF) in small case series. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of occult HBV infection in a large series of ALF patients in the United States and the prevalence of precore and core promoter variants in patients with ALF caused by hepatitis B.

Junichi Shoda, Koji Oda, Hiroshi Suzuki, Yuichi Sugiyama, Kosei Ito, David E. Cohen, Li Feng, Junichi Kamiya, Yuji Nimura, Hiroshi Miyazaki, Masahito Kano, Yasushi Matsuzaki, Naomi Tanaka – 30 December 2003 – Intrahepatic calculi, highly prevalent in the Far East, including Japan, are characterized clinically by chronic proliferative cholangitis with frequent stone recurrences. Intrahepatic calculi consist of 2 groups, i.e., brown pigment stones, including a high cholesterol content, and cholesterol stones, with the former predominating.

Arndt Vogel, Heike Liermann, Andrea Harms, Christian P. Strassburg, Michael P. Manns, Petra Obermayer‐Straub – 30 December 2003 – The mechanisms driving the immune‐mediated destruction of hepatic tissues in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) are unknown. Recently the autoimmune regulator (AIRE), a gene associated with the development of the autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS‐1), was cloned. About 15% to 20% of APS‐1 patients develop hepatitis. However, the role of AIRE mutations in AIH, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is not known.

Chien‐Te K. Tseng, Emil Miskovsky, Michael Houghton, Gary R. Klimpel – 30 December 2003 – The pathogenic mechanisms involved in viral hepatitis are not completely understood. Evidence suggests that the pathology associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are a result of the immune response in the liver to these viruses. The livers of patients with viral hepatitis have been shown to contain elevated numbers of T cells expressing the γ/δ form of the T‐cell receptor for antigen (TCRγδ).