Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐δ induces insulin‐induced gene‐1 and suppresses hepatic lipogenesis in obese diabetic mice

Xiaomei Qin, Xuefen Xie, Yanbo Fan, Jianwei Tian, Youfei Guan, Xian Wang, Yi Zhu, Nanping Wang – 24 March 2008 – Primary nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is one of the most common forms of chronic liver diseases and is associated with insulin‐resistant states such as diabetes and obesity. Recent work has revealed potential implications of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐δ (PPARδ) in lipid homeostasis and insulin resistance.

Robust antiviral activity of R1626, a novel nucleoside analog: A randomized, placebo‐controlled study in patients with chronic hepatitis C

Stuart K. Roberts, Graham Cooksley, Gregory J. Dore, Richard Robson, David Shaw, Heather Berns, George Hill, Klaus Klumpp, Isabel Najera, Carla Washington – 18 March 2008 – The nucleoside analog R1479 is a potent and highly selective inhibitor of nonstructural protein 5B–directed hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in vitro. R1626, a tri‐isobutyl ester prodrug of R1479, was developed to increase bioavailability and improve antiviral activity.

Sirolimus‐based immunosuppression following liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

Michael A. Zimmerman, James F. Trotter, Michael Wachs, Tom Bak, Jeffrey Campsen, Afshin Skibba, Igal Kam – 6 March 2008 – Experience with sirolimus (SRL)‐based immunosuppression following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is rapidly accumulating. In combination with calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), SRL may reduce the incidence of acute rejection and lower overall required drug levels. This study sought to quantify long‐term outcome following OLT in patients with cirrhosis and concomitant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were treated with an SRL‐based regimen as a primary therapy.

Sustained and focused hepatitis B virus nucleocapsid–specific T‐cell immunity in liver transplant recipients compared to individuals with chronic and self‐limited hepatitis B virus infection

Florian Bihl, Elisabetta Loggi, John V. Chisholm, Maurizio Biselli, Maria C. Morelli, Carmela Cursaro, Norah A. Terrault, Mauro Bernardi, Antonio Bertoletti, Pietro Andreone, Christian Brander – 6 March 2008 – Hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is associated with poor graft‐ and patient‐survival. Treatment with HBV‐specific immunoglobulins (HBIG) in combination with nucleos(t)ide analogs is effective in preventing HBV reinfection of the graft and improving OLT outcome.

Utility of liver allograft biopsy obtained at procurement

Irene J. Lo, Jay H. Lefkowitch, Nikki Feirt, Barbara Alkofer, Cindy Kin, Benjamin Samstein, James V. Guarrera, John F. Renz – 6 March 2008 – Extended‐donor criteria (EDC) liver allografts potentiate the role of procurement biopsy in organ utilization. To expedite allocation, histologic evaluation is routinely performed upon frozen‐section (FS) specimens by local pathologists.

Should trichrome stain be used on all post–liver transplant biopsies with hepatitis c virus infection to estimate the fibrosis score?

David Tretheway, Ashok Jain, Randi LaPoint, Rajeev Sharma, Mark Orloff, Patricia Milot, Adel Bozorgzadeh, Charlotte Ryan – 6 March 2008 – Recurrent hepatitis C is virtually universal after liver transplantation; however, an individual patient's clinical course and disease burden are highly variable and difficult to predict. The fibrosis score determined on posttransplant biopsies appears to be a sensitive and specific marker of disease progression and severity.

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