Masaaki Shiina, Barbara Rehermann – 26 January 2008 – Previous studies suggested a functional impairment of dendritic cells (DCs) in patients with chronic hepatitis C. To investigate whether this effect was mediated by a direct interaction of hepatitis C virus (HCV) with DCs, we studied the effects of infectious cell culture–produced hepatitis C virus (HCVcc) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), ex vivo isolated plasmacytoid, and myeloid DCs and in vitro generated monocyte‐derived DCs of healthy blood donors.

Jeremy F L Cobbold, Simon D Taylor‐Robinson – 26 January 2008

Pierre Bedossa, Rami Moucari, Emna Chelbi, Tarik Asselah, Valerie Paradis, Michel Vidaud, Dominique Cazals‐Hatem, Nathalie Boyer, Dominique Valla, Patrick Marcellin – 26 January 2008

Humberto Reyes – 26 January 2008

Philippe Colson, Nabil Brouk, Frédérique Lembo, Paul Castellani, Catherine Tamalet, René Gérolami – 26 January 2008

Leonard B. Seeff, Teresa M. Curto, Gyongyi Szabo, Gregory T. Everson, Herbert L. Bonkovsky, Jules L. Dienstag, Mitchell L. Shiffman, Karen L. Lindsay, Anna S. F. Lok, Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, William M. Lee, Marc G. Ghany, HALT‐C Trial Group – 26 January 2008 – Herbal products, used for centuries in Far Eastern countries, are gaining popularity in western countries. Surveys indicate that persons with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) often use herbals, especially silymarin (milk thistle extract), hoping to improve the modest response to antiviral therapy and reduce side effects.

Masayuki Adachi, David A. Brenner – 26 January 2008 – Adiponectin is an adipocyte‐derived, antidiabetic, antiatherogenic adipocytokine that is present in serum as 3 isoforms. Decreased plasma adiponectin levels are closely associated with the severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases. This study was designed to elucidate a role of adiponectin and its mediator adenosine monophosphate–activated protein kinase (AMPK) on proliferation of activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), the key cells promoting fibrosis.

Anais Vallet‐Pichard, Vincent Mallet, Stanislas Pol – 26 January 2008

Daniel S. Emmett, Andrew Feranchak, Gordan Kilic, Livia Puljak, Bonnie Miller, Svjetlana Dolovcak, Ryan McWilliams, R. Brian Doctor, J. Gregory Fitz – 26 January 2008 – Ionotrophic purinergic (P2X) receptors function as receptor‐gated cation channels, where agonist binding leads to opening of a nonselective cation pore permeable to both Na+ and Ca2+.

Jasmohan S. Bajaj, Muhammad Hafeezullah, Raymond G. Hoffmann, Rajiv R. Varma, Jose Franco, David G. Binion, Thomas A. Hammeke, Kia Saeian – 26 January 2008 – Patients with minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) have attention, response inhibition, and working memory difficulties that are associated with driving impairment and high motor vehicle accident risk. Navigation is a complex system needed for safe driving that requires functioning working memory and other domains adversely affected by MHE.