T Kawahara, S Kasai, H Yagita, M Sawa, K Kato, M Azuma, A Nakajima, K Okumura, S Futagawa, M Mito – 30 December 2003 – Cytolytic induction of T cells requires both the T‐cell receptor (TCR)‐mediated antigenic stimulation and the CD28‐mediated co‐stimulatory signal. Blockade of the interactions between CD28 and its ligands, CD80 and CD86, prolongs the survival of allografts in some transplantation models.

S K Joseph – 30 December 2003

M L Shiffman, C M Hofmann, E B Thompson, A Ferreira‐Gonzalez, M J Contos, A Koshy, V A Luketic, A J Sanyal, A S Mills, C T Garrett – 30 December 2003 – The present study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between biochemical, virological, and histological response during the course of interferon therapy. Ninety consecutive patients with well‐documented chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) were treated with 5 MU of interferon alfa‐2b three times weekly for 6 months. Liver biopsy was performed, and serum HCV RNA titer was measured before and at the completion of interferon treatment.

H Nakano, H Nagasaki, A Barama, K Boudjema, D Jaeck, K Kumada, M Tatsuno, Y Baek, N Kitamura, T Suzuki, M Yamaguchi – 30 December 2003 – Abundant fat in the liver has been implicated in poor outcome after liver transplantation or liver surgery, but the reasons for this association are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine mechanisms that may be involved in hepatic dysfunction after ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R) of the steatotic rat liver. Steatosis was produced by a choline‐methionine‐deficient (CMDD) diet.

J Napoli, D Prentice, C Niinami, G A Bishop, P Desmond, G W McCaughan – 30 December 2003 – Chronic hepatic regeneration constitutes an important part of the cirrhotic process. The factors regulating chronic hepatic regeneration, however, remain unclear.

A Tsukahara, S Seki, T Iiai, T Moroda, H Watanabe, S Suzuki, T Tada, H Hiraide, K Hatakeyama, T Abo – 30 December 2003 – Mouse liver contains both IL‐2Rβ‐ (or low positive) high T‐cell receptor (TCR(hi)) cells and IL‐2Rβ+ intermediate TCR (TCR(int)) cells. TCR(int) cells consist of natural killer 1.1 (NK1)+ and NK1‐ subsets. NK1‐ TCR(int) cells increase constantly with age whereas TCR(hi) cells decrease. NK1+ TCR(int) cell proportions in the liver increase until middle age and decrease thereafter.

T Tanaka, N Yamanaka, T Oriyama, K Furukawa, E Okamoto – 30 December 2003 – This study was performed to investigate factors determining tumor pressure (TP) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and a correlation of pressure gradient between TP and portal vein pressure (PVP) with tumor spread. TP and hepatic tissue pressure (HTP) were measured in 70 patients who underwent hepatic resection for HCC. Changes in TP after hepatic artery occlusion (HAO) or portal vein occlusion (PVO) were observed.

M S Khuroo – 30 December 2003

N P Lam, A U Neumann, D R Gretch, T E Wiley, A S Perelson, T J Layden – 30 December 2003 – To determine if the clearance of hepatitis C genotype 1 virus (HCV) is dependent on the dose of interferon alfa‐2b (IFN‐α2b), the acute clearance of HCV after a single dose of either 3, 5, or 10 mIU of IFN‐α was compared in patients with chronic hepatitis C. HCV‐RNA levels following IFN‐α administration were measured. At 24 hours, mean percentage serum viral reduction was 41.4%, 63.7%, and 85.5% for 3, 5, and 10 mIU, respectively (P < .001).

M Runnegar, X Wei, N Berndt, S F Hamm‐Alvarez – 30 December 2003 – To understand the regulation of receptor‐mediated endocytosis in hepatocytes, we have used two specific inhibitors of serine‐threonine protein phosphatases (PP), microcystin (MCYST) and okadaic acid (OKA) as probes to alter protein phosphorylation in hepatocytes. We have then examined the impact of these changes on the specific binding and uptake of transferrin (Tf) in hepatocytes. The measurement of PP activity in hepatocyte lysates showed that OKA and MCYST shared a common inhibition of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A).