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Management of Liver Diseases 2012
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Current Issue February 2012, Vol. 56, No. 2
Issue Highlights
HIF-1a induction suppresses excessive lipid accumulation in alcoholic fatty liver in miceAlcohol consumption increases hepatic oxygen consumption, resulting in central venous hypoxia. The hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) family of heterodimeric transcription factors regulates tissue adaptation to hypoxia and can contribute to the histological changes of alcoholic liver disease. In this study, hepatocyte-specific HIF-1a-null mice developed severe hypertriglyceridemia along with severe hepatic steatosis after an alcohol-rich diet. The progression of steatosis was associated with a higher expression level of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c). A HIF-1a-induced transcriptional regulator repressor DECI resulted important for maintaining a lower level of SREBP-1c in wild-type mice, thus providing evidence for protective roles of HIF-1 induction in the development of ethanol-induced fatty liver.
The SOD2 C47T polymorphism influences NAFLD fibrosis severity: evidence from case-control and intra-familial allele association studiesMitochondria-derived oxidative stress is important in the pathogenesis of NASH. Manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), encoded by the SOD2 gene, plays an important role in protecting cells from oxidative stress. This study examines the association between a non-synonymous mutation in the SOD2 gene and NASH severity in a large European cohort by using both case-control and intra-familial association methodologies. The results indicate that mutations in the SOD2 gene (T allele) segregate more frequently in both family trios and in the case control study and show a consistent association with fibrosis severity in NAFLD.
Special Sections
Snapshot
Chimeric mouse model of hepatitis B virus infection
Progresses in HBV research and development of more efficient treatments are hindered by the narrow species tropism of HBV. While mouse hepatocytes do not support HBV infection, human-chimeric mice can be efficiently infected by injecting infectious serum derived from either patients or chimeric mice. Chimeric mice can also be super-infected or simultaneously infected with different human hepatotropic viruses to investigate mechanisms of virus interference and response to antiviral treatment in the setting of co-infection. This snapshot focuses on recent advances and applications of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) transgenic mice model, the most used and best characterized chimeric model currently available for HBV infection studies and preclinical drug evaluation.
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TACE treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma: what should we do now?27 January 2012
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Genetic testing for hepatocellular carcinoma: an ambitious goal still to achieve27 January 2012
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Liver transplantation for severe alcoholic hepatitis saves lives27 January 2012
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At the cancer steering wheel: Defining key genomic drivers of liver cancer with next generation sequencing27 January 2012
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Post-liver transplantantion graft biopsies should not be used to assess the IL28B donor genotype in HCV recipients27 January 2012
About EASL
In the forty plus years since EASL was founded, it has grown from a small organization that played host to 70 participants at its first meeting, to becoming the leading liver association in Europe. EASL attracts the foremost hepatology experts as members and has an impressive track record in promoting research in liver disease, supporting wider education and promoting changes in european liver policy.
For more information about EASL (http://www.easl.eu)
