M J Mphahlele, A G Shattock, W Boner, J Quinn, P A McCormick, W F Carman – 30 December 2003 – The pre‐core variant, A1896, which switches off hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) production, is common in hepatitis B e antigen antibody (anti‐HBe)‐positive chronic hepatitis patients. It has been observed in occasional case reports of acute hepatitis. However, transmission in the absence of HBeAg‐producing strains, leading to acute nonfulminant hepatitis and clearance in adults, has not been reported.

A J Czaja, S A Morshed, S Parveen, M Nishioka – 30 December 2003 – To determine the significance of antibodies to single‐stranded (anti‐ssDNA) and double‐stranded DNA (anti‐dsDNA) in antinuclear antibody (ANA)‐positive type 1 autoimmune hepatitis, sera from 53 patients were tested by enzyme immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence using the Crithidia luciliae substrate. Anti‐dsDNA were detected in 18 patients (34%) by ELISA and 12 patients (23%) by the Crithidia‐based assay.

M Y El‐Mir, M J Monte, A I Morales, M Arevalo, M A Serrano, J J Marin – 30 December 2003 – Partial and reversible impairment of bile formation has been reported to occur in the offspring of rats undergoing common bile duct ligation during the last third of pregnancy. This situation was defined as latent cholestasis of the neonate and was suggested to be related to the multilamellar bodies partially occupying the canalicular lumen. The current study was undertaken to investigate the presence of alterations in the secretion of biliary lipids in these infant rats.

30 December 2003

A E Sirica – 30 December 2003

F von Weizsäcker, S Wieland, J Köck, W Offensperger, S Offensperger, D Moradpour, H E Blum – 30 December 2003

J W Marsh, I Dvorchik, M Subotin, V Balan, J Rakela, E P Popechitelev, V Subbotin, A Casavilla, B I Carr, J J Fung, S Iwatsuki – 30 December 2003 – Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) in the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been complicated by high recurrence rates. The ability to determine the risk and timing of HCC recurrence on an individual basis would greatly aid in the candidate selection process resulting in a more efficient use of donated organs and allow the individualization and better evaluation of adjuvant chemotherapy.

M Forestier, M Solioz, F Isbeki, C Talos, J Reichen, S Krahenbuhl – 30 December 2003 – It is well known that the hepatic mitochondrial protein content is increased in rats 4 weeks after bile duct ligation. In the present study, we measured the time course of this increase and assessed the levels of selected mitochondrial messenger RNA (mRNA) species and the rate of mitochondrial protein synthesis by isolated mitochondria.

Y Kitamura, T Tanigawa, T Katsumoto, K Tomita, H Wang, K Hirai, K Ichihara, T Terada – 30 December 2003 – A novel mouse Ito (fat‐storing) cell line (A640‐IS) was established by transformation with a temperature‐sensitive mutant of simian virus 40 (SV40) and the relationships between the expression of SV40 large T antigen and the growth, differentiation, and functions of A640‐IS cells were investigated. A640‐IS cells expressed large T antigen when cultured at 33 degrees C. At this temperature, the cells grew actively, assumed a fibroblastic shape, and showed few Ito cell characteristics.

A Preaux, A Mallat, J Rosenbaum, E Zafrani, P Mavier – 30 December 2003 – During the course of liver fibrogenesis, myofibroblast‐like cells (MFLC), mostly derived from hepatic stellate cells, proliferate and synthesize excessive amounts of extracellular matrix components. Pentoxifylline (PTX) elicits antiproliferative and antifibrogenic effects in human dermal fibroblasts. The aim of this study was to test the effects of PTX on the proliferation and the synthesis of collagen and gelatinase A in cultured human hepatic MFLC. MFLC were obtained by outgrowth from human liver explants.