María Dolores Ayllón, Rubén Ciria, Manuel Cruz‐Ramírez, María Pérez‐Ortiz, Irene Gómez, Roberto Valente, John O'Grady, Manuel de la Mata, César Hervás‐Martínez, Nigel D. Heaton, Javier Briceño – 16 September 2017 – In 2014, we reported a model for donor‐recipient (D‐R) matching in liver transplantation (LT) based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) from a Spanish multicenter study (Model for Allocation of Donor and Recipient in España [MADR‐E]). The aim is to test the ANN‐based methodology in a different European health care system in order to validate it.

Oriana Lo Re, Caterina Fusilli, Francesca Rappa, Matthias Van Haele, Julien Douet, Jana Pindjakova, Sura Wanessa Rocha, Illar Pata, Barbora Valčíková, Stjepan Uldrijan, Raymond S. Yeung, Christina Alves Peixoto, Tania Roskams, Marcus Buschbeck, Tommaso Mazza, Manlio Vinciguerra – 15 September 2017 – Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) contain a subpopulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which exhibit stem cell–like features and are responsible for tumor relapse, metastasis, and chemoresistance.

Jordan A. Kohler, Flor M. Munoz, John A. Goss, Tamir A. Miloh – 15 September 2017

The management of women of child-bearing age and pregnant women with chronic hepatitis B requires special consideration due to the potential effects of antiviral therapy on unborn fetus and potential for hepatitis flares for pregnant and postpartum women. While universal maternal screening programs and immunoprophylaxis to newborns have greatly reduced mother-to-child-transmission (MTCT), immunoprophylaxis can fail in up to 30% of infants, especially in mothers with high HBV DNA levels and positive HBeAg.

Adam C. Winters, Douglas Tremblay, Suzanne Arinsburg, John Mascarenhas, Thomas D. Schiano – 13 September 2017 – Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disorder of iron metabolism that may lead to iron overload. Clinical penetrance is low, however those afflicted may develop cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, diabetes mellitus, and cardiomyopathy. Treatment of HH involves regular phlebotomy to reduce the systemic iron burden.

Alexander Wree, Matthew D. McGeough, Maria Eugenia Inzaugarat, Akiko Eguchi, Susanne Schuster, Casey D. Johnson, Carla A. Peña, Lukas J. Geisler, Bettina G. Papouchado, Hal M. Hoffman, Ariel E. Feldstein – 13 September 2017 – The NLRP3 inflammasome, a caspase‐1 activation platform, plays a key role in the modulation of liver inflammation and fibrosis. Here, we tested the hypothesis that interleukin 17 (IL‐17) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) are key cytokines involved in amplifying and perpetuating the liver damage and fibrosis resulting from NLRP3 activation.

Fabio Piscaglia, Francesco Tovoli, Patrizia Pini, Veronica Salvatore – 13 September 2017

Maurizio Cesari, Anna Chiara Frigo, Marta Tonon, Paolo Angeli – 13 September 2017 – Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is associated with poor outcomes in patients with cirrhosis. We investigated if subclinical cardiac morphologic and functional modifications can influence survival in patients with cirrhosis during follow‐up. A series of patients with cirrhosis without cardiovascular or pulmonary disease underwent standard and tissue Doppler echocardiography to assess left ventricular geometry, systolic/diastolic function, and the main haemodynamic parameters.

Graham F. Brady, Raymond Kwan, Peter J. Ulintz, Phirum Nguyen, Shirin Bassirian, Venkatesha Basrur, Alexey I. Nesvizhskii, Rohit Loomba, M. Bishr Omary – 13 September 2017 – Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the major chronic liver disease in many countries. Its pathogenesis is multifactorial, but twin and familial studies indicate significant heritability, which is not fully explained by currently known genetic susceptibility loci. Notably, mutations in genes encoding nuclear lamina proteins, including lamins, cause lipodystrophy syndromes that include NAFLD.

Adam C. Winters, Douglas Tremblay, Suzanne Arinsburg, John Mascarenhas, Thomas D. Schiano – 13 September 2017 – Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disorder of iron metabolism that may lead to iron overload. Clinical penetrance is low, however those afflicted may develop cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, diabetes mellitus, and cardiomyopathy. Treatment of HH involves regular phlebotomy to reduce the systemic iron burden.