Markus Backmund, Kirsten Meyer, Michael Von Zielonka, Dieter Eichenlaub – 30 December 2003 – Chronic hepatitis C is the most common infectious disease among injection drug users (IDUs). Because of the allegedly poor compliance of IDUs with treatment requirements and conditions, hepatologists recommend treatment only if former IDUs have spent 6 to 12 months drug free. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether opiate‐dependent IDUs with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can be treated successfully with interferon.

Norihiro Kokudo, Keiichiro Tada, Makoto Seki, Hirotoshi Ohta, Kaoru Azekura, Masashi Ueno, Keiichiro Ohta, Toshiharu Yamaguchi, Toshiki Matsubara, Takashi Takahashi, Toshifusa Nakajima, Tetsuichiro Muto, Takaaki Ikari, Akio Yanagisawa, Yo Kato – 30 December 2003 – Although hemihepatic portal vein embolization (PVE) has been used preoperatively to extend indications for hepatectomy in patients with colorectal metastases, the effects of this procedure on tumor growth and outcome remain controversial.

Robert A. de Man, Patrick Marcellin, Flavio Habal, Paul Desmond, Teresa Wright, Toby Rose, Regina Jurewicz, Clarence Young, the Famciclovir Hepatitis B Study Group – 30 December 2003 – We conducted a randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical study evaluating famciclovir (500 mg 3 times daily and 1.5 g once daily) for 1 year (6 months post‐treatment follow‐up) in patients with chronic hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The study was conducted in 80 centers in North America, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand.

Isabel Fabregat, Blanca Herrera, Margarita Fernández, Alberto M. Álvarez, Aránzazu Sánchez, César Roncero, Juan‐José Ventura, Ángela M. Valverde, Manuel Benito – 30 December 2003 – Transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β)–mediated apoptosis is one of the major death processes in the liver. We have previously shown that epidermal growth factor (EGF) is an important survival signal for TGF‐β–induced apoptosis in fetal hepatocytes (Fabregat et al., FEBS Lett 1996;384:14‐18). In this work we have studied the intracellular signaling implicated in the protective effect of EGF.

Smita Rouillard, Nancy E. Lane – 30 December 2003

C. Charles Barton, Eva X. Barton, Patricia E. Ganey, Steven L. Kunkel, Robert A. Roth – 30 December 2003 – Exposure to a nontoxic dose of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) potentiates the hepatotoxicity of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Because some of the pathophysiologic effects associated with LPS are mediated through tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α), this study was conducted to explore the role of TNF‐α in the AFB1/LPS model.

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.