Chun‐Jen Liu, Ming‐Yang Lai, You‐Chen Chao, Li‐Ying Liao, Sien‐Sing Yang, Tun‐Jen Hsiao, Tsai‐Yuan Hsieh, Chih‐Lin Lin, Jui‐Ting Hu, Chi‐Ling Chen, Per‐Jer Chen, Jia‐Horng Kao, Ding‐Shinn Chen – 23 March 2006 – To study whether interferon (IFN) α and ribavirin combination therapy has a beneficial effect for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive chronic hepatitis B, we enrolled 119 such patients in a randomized study. Fifty‐nine patients received 5 million units of IFN‐α2b daily for 4 weeks followed by 5 million units three times a week for 28 weeks, plus 1,200 mg ribavirin daily.

Humberto Reyes, Rodrigo Zapata, Ismael Hernández, Martín Gotteland, Lorena Sandoval, María Isabel Jirón, Joaquín Palma, Ramón Almuna, Juan Jorge Silva – 23 March 2006 – Increased gastrointestinal permeability has been demonstrated in several liver diseases. It may facilitate the absorption of gut‐derived endotoxin‐stimulating Kupffer cells to release proinflammatory cytokines or other potentially hepatotoxic compounds.

Frank J. Gonzalez – 23 March 2006

Christophe Moreno, Jacques Devière, Hubert Louis – 23 March 2006

Harvey Alter – 23 March 2006

Jamie C. Mandac, Sonal Chaudhry, Kenneth E. Sherman, Yaron Tomer – 23 March 2006 – Interferon‐alpha (IFNα) is a major treatment modality for several malignant and nonmalignant diseases, especially hepatitis C. Prospective studies have shown that up to 15% of patients with hepatitis C receiving IFNα develop clinical thyroid disease, and up to 40% were reported to develop thyroid antibodies. Some of these complications may result in discontinuation of interferon therapy. Thus, interferon induced thyroiditis (IIT) is a major clinical problem for patients receiving interferon therapy.

Evangelos B Cholongitas, Alex Betrossian, Gioacchino Leandro, Steve Shaw, David Patch, Andrew K. Burroughs – 23 March 2006

Victor Navarro, Steven Herrine, Charles Katopes, Beth Colombe, C. Victor Spain – 22 March 2006 – The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) compatibility and liver transplantation outcomes by analyzing the effect of HLA compatibility on 5‐year graft survival. We analyzed first liver transplants between 1987 and 2002 in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) database, where A, B, or DR loci data were available. Graft failure was defined as retransplantation or death from transplant‐related cause.

Jan Michael Langrehr, Gero Puhl, Marcus Bahra, Maximilian Schmeding, Antonino Spinelli, Thomas Berg, Constanze Schönemann, Veit Krenn, Peter Neuhaus, Ulf Peter Neumann – 22 March 2006 – The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching on outcome, severity of recurrent hepatitis C and risk of rejection in hepatitis C positive patients after liver transplantation (LT).

Young S. Oh, Mauricio Lisker‐Melman, Kevin M. Korenblat, Gary R. Zuckerman, Jeffrey S. Crippin – 22 March 2006 – A 61‐yr‐old liver transplant recipient presented with abdominal cramping and nonbloody diarrhea resulting in orthostasis. Multiple ulcerations throughout the colon were seen during endoscopy, and biopsies from the ulcer edges revealed histoplasmosis. Treatment with a course of itraconazole improved the diarrhea. The patient later presented with pericarditis and symptomatic pleural effusions, the latter of which was confirmed to be a result of disseminated histoplasmosis.