Manfred Wiese, Frieder Berr, Michael Lafrenz, Heiner Porst, Ute Oesen – 30 December 2003 – From August 1978 until March 1979, 14 batches of anti‐D immune globulin contaminated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b (20,000‐480,000 copies/dose) from a single erythrocyte donor had been administered for prophylaxis of rhesus isoimmunization throughout East Germany. All 2,867 women involved had been recalled after January 12, 1979 for repeated screening of alanine transaminase (ALT). They were prospectively followed in regional centers.

Shigeki Arii, Yoshio Yamaoka, Syunji Futagawa, Kyoichi Inoue, Kenichi Kobayashi, Masamichi Kojiro, Masatoshi Makuuchi, Yasuni Nakamura, Kiwamu Okita, Ryusaku Yamada – 30 December 2003 – Hepatic resection (HX), percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI), and transcatheter arterial embolization (TCAE) have all been used in the treatment of patients with small‐sized hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). However, the indications for these therapeutic modalities remain unclear.

Verena Keitel, Jürgen Kartenbeck, Anne T. Nies, Herbert Spring, Manuela Brom, Dietrich Keppler – 30 December 2003 – The Dubin‐Johnson syndrome is an inherited disorder characterized by conjugated hyperbilirubinemia. The deficient hepatobiliary transport of anionic conjugates is caused by the absence of a functional multidrug‐resistance protein 2 (MRP2, symbol ABCC2) from the apical (canalicular) membrane of hepatocytes. Mechanisms underlying this deficiency may include rapid degradation of mutated MRP2 messenger RNA (mRNA) or impaired MRP2 protein maturation and trafficking.

Donghong Gao, Jiashun Li, Charles G. Orosz, Ginny L. Bumgardner – 30 December 2003 – The current study evaluated the role of CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) and CD28/B7 costimulation signals during alloimmune responses independently mediated by CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. Allogeneic hepatocytes were transplanted into CD8 or CD4 knock out (KO) mice under cover of costimulatory blockade. Rejection of FVB/N (H‐2q) hepatocytes occurred by day 10 posttransplant in untreated CD8 or CD4 KO (H‐2b) mice.

Paul Angulo, Tushar Patel, Roberta A. Jorgensen, Terry M. Therneau, Keith D. Lindor – 30 December 2003 – Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a safe and effective medical therapy for most patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), but some patients show an incomplete response. Silymarin is a potent antioxidant with immunomodulatory and antifibrotic properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and assess the efficacy of silymarin in patients with PBC who had shown a suboptimal response to UDCA.

Douglas D. Richman – 30 December 2003

Asma Poonawala, Satheesh P. Nair, Paul J. Thuluvath – 30 December 2003 – It has recently been suggested that nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is an under‐recognized cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis (CC) on the basis of higher prevalence of obesity and type II diabetes among these patients. To test this hypothesis, we studied 65 consecutive patients with advanced cirrhosis (Child‐Pugh Score ≥ 7) of undetermined etiology (CC) from our active waiting list for liver transplantation in January 1993, 1996, and 1999.

Àngels Escorsell, Luis Ruiz Del Arbol, Ramon Planas, Agustín Albillos, Rafael Bañares, Paul Calès, Dominique Pateron, Brigitte Bernard, Jean‐Pierre Vinel, Jaume Bosch – 30 December 2003 – Failure to control bleeding and early rebleeding account for the high mortality associated with variceal hemorrhage in cirrhosis. We compared endoscopic sclerotherapy to terlipressin, a drug that effectively controls acute bleeding while reducing in‐hospital mortality.

Cécile Crosnier, Tania Attié‐Bitach, Férechté Encha‐Razavi, Sophie Audollent, Fardouss Soudy, Michelle Hadchouel, Michèle Meunier‐Rotival, Michel Vekemans – 30 December 2003 – Mutations of the JAGGED1 gene, encoding a NOTCH receptor ligand, cause Alagille syndrome (AGS), a complex malformative disorder affecting mainly the liver, heart, vertebrae, eye, and face. Minor and occasional features involving kidney, pharynx, systemic arteries, skeleton, and ear are in some cases associated with the syndrome.

Hisashi Doyama, Toshihide Okada, Tomomi Kobayashi, Ayako Suzuki, Yasuo Takeda, Hiroshi Mabuchi – 30 December 2003 – TATA box abnormality in the promoter region of the bilirubin UDP glucuronosyltransferase 1 gene has been reported to cause Gilbert's syndrome in white subjects. It has also been reported that the majority of Japanese patients with Gilbert's syndrome are heterozygous for Gly71Arg in the coding region of this gene. On the other hand, some patients with chronic hepatitis often show signs of unexpected hyperbilirubinemia.