Stefan Zeuzem, Gerlinde Teuber, Uta Naumann, Thomas Berg, Jochen Raedle, Susanne Hartmann, Uwe Hopf – 30 December 2003 – Although the antiviral effects of amantadine sulphate (1‐aminoadamantan sulphate) have not been characterized for the hepatitis C virus (HCV), previous pilot studies have suggested promising results in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy, safety, and health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) of interferon alfa (IFN‐α) alone or in combination with oral amantadine for treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Atsushi Suzuki, Midori Hayashida, Hirokazu Kawano, Kazushi Sugimoto, Takeshi Nakano, Katsuya Shiraki – 30 December 2003 – The Akt/PI‐3 kinase pathway is a system essential for cell survival. In the current study, we showed that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) activates the Akt/PI‐3 kinase pathway to suppress Fas‐mediated cell death in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; 3 lines; SK‐Hep1, HLE, and Chang Liver cell lines), hepatoblastoma (1 line; HepG2), and embryonic hepatocyte (1 line; WRL). Five tested cell lines showed the resistance to Fas‐mediated cell death by the pretreatment of HGF.

Patrick Marcellin, Jean‐Pierre Benhamou, Jenny Heathcote, Henri Bismuth, Valler Desmet, Jaime Guardia, Anna Lok, Karl H. Meyer Zum Buschenfeld, Luigi Pagliaro, Gustav Paumgartner, Juan Rodes, Sheila Sherlock – 30 December 2003

Pieter Honkoop, Robert A. de Man, Hubert G.M. Niesters, Pieter E. Zondervan, Solko W. Schalm – 30 December 2003 – Acute exacerbations of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection occur after withdrawal of lamivudine therapy in approximately 16% of patients and are considered of little clinical significance. We observed “lamivudine withdrawal hepatitis” accompanied by jaundice and incipient liver failure, but also followed by complete recovery and viral clearance.

Ikuo Hirano, Andres T. Blei – 30 December 2003

Michael Charlton – 30 December 2003

C. A. Schirren, M.‐C. Jung, T. Worzfeld, M. Mamin, G. B. Baretton, N. H. Gruener, J. T. Gerlach, H. M. Diepolder, R. Zachoval, G. R. Pape – 30 December 2003 – Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is a successful treatment in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐associated end‐stage liver disease worldwide. T lymphocytes and their cytokines are believed to have a pivotal role in the defense against HCV and in allograft rejection.

Robert L. Carithers – 30 December 2003 – Liver transplantation has revolutionized the care of patients with end‐stage liver disease. Liver transplantation is indicated for acute or chronic liver failure from any cause. Because there are no randomized controlled trials of liver transplantation versus no therapy, the efficacy of this surgery is best assessed by carefully comparing postoperative survival with the known natural history of the disease in question.

Menahem Ben‐Haim, Sasan Roayaie, Ming Q. Ye, Swan N. Thung, Sukru Emre, Thomas A. Fishbein, Patricia M. Sheiner, Charles M. Miller, Myron E. Schwartz – 30 December 2003 – Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) is a rare tumor with an unpredictable course and prognosis. The aim of this study is to describe our experience with liver resection, as well as transplantation, in the treatment of this tumor. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features, pathological findings, and postoperative results in a series of 11 patients presenting between 1990 and 1998.

Santiago Mera, Julio Santoyo, Miguel Angel Suárez, José Antonio Bondía, Antonio Jes Cabello, Manuel Jiménez, Marta Ribeiro, José Luis Fernández‐Aguilar, José Antonio Pérez‐Daga, Agustín de la Fuente – 30 December 2003 – Transplantation of a small liver into a large patient may cause problems with correct reperfusion of the graft because of torsion of the hepatic pedicle, leading to malfunction of the transplanted organ. We describe the case of a 60‐year‐old man with alcoholic cirrhosis and hepatitis B virus who received a small‐sized liver graft.