Journal of Hepatology

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease, infecting approximately 71 million people worldwide. Assembly of infectious HCV particles involves host lipoproteins, giving rise to unique lipo-viro-particles (LVPs), but proteome studies suggest that additional cellular proteins are associated with HCV virions or other particles containing the viral envelope glycoprotein E2. Many of these host cell proteins are common markers of exosomes, most notably the intracellular adaptor protein syntenin required exosome biogenesis...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A causal link has recently been established between epigenetic alterations and hepatocarcinogenesis, indicating that epigenetic inhibition may have therapeutic potential. We aimed to identify and target epigenetic modifiers that show molecular alterations in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We studied the molecular-clinical correlations of epigenetic modifiers including bromodomains, histone acetyltransferases, lysine methyltransferases and lysine demethylases in HCC using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data of 365 HCC...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: In vitro, several data indicate that cell function can be regulated by the mechanical properties of cells and of the microenvironment. Cells measure these features by developing forces via their actomyosin cytoskeleton, and respond accordingly by transducing forces into biochemical signals that instruct cell behavior. Among these, the transcriptional coactivators YAP/TAZ recently emerged as key factors mediating multiple responses to actomyosin contractility. However, whether mechanical cues regulate adult liver tissue homeostasis, and whether this occurs through YAP/TAZ, remains largely unaddressed...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Unlike other hepatitis viruses that have infected primates for millions of years, hepatitis A virus (HAV) likely entered human populations only 10-12 thousand years ago after jumping from a rodent host. The phylogeny of modern hepatoviruses infecting rodents and bats suggest multiple similar host shifts have occurred in the past. The factors determining such shifts are unknown, but the capacity to overcome innate antiviral responses in a foreign species is likely key...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) monotherapy has displayed non-inferior efficacy compared with TDF plus entecavir (ETV) combination therapy in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) resistant to ETV and/or adefovir (ADV). Nonetheless, the virologic response rate was suboptimal up to 144 weeks of TDF monotherapy with uncertain long-term safety. METHODS: One trial enrolled patients with ETV resistance without ADV resistance (n=90), and another trial included patients with ADV resistance (n=102)...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Microvascular invasion (MVI) impairs surgical outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. As a single highly reliable factor to preoperatively predict MVI is lacking, we developed a computational approach integrating large-scale clinical and imaging modalities, especially radiomic features from contrast-enhanced CT, to predict MVI and clinical outcomes in HCC patients. METHODS: In total, 495 surgically resected patients were retrospectively included...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Native liver survival (NLS) for Biliary Atresia (BA) into adulthood, has been reported as 14-44% worldwide. Complications related to portal hypertension (PHT) and cholangitis are common in adulthood. For those requiring liver transplantation (LT), the timing can be challenging. The aim of the study, was to identify potential predictor variables, for young people (YP) with BA, requiring LT after 16 years of age. METHODS: Single-centre retrospective analysis of 397 patients, who underwent Kasai Portoenterostomy (KP) between 1980-96, at our centre...

BACKGROUND: The impact of hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) positive liver grafts on survival and risk of de novo hepatitis B (HBV) infection after liver transplantation (LT) remains controversial. METHODS: This was a retrospective study that included all adult LT recipients from 2000 to 2015. Data was retrieved from a prospectively collected database. Antiviral monotherapy prophylaxis was given for anti-HBc positive group. RESULTS: There were 964 LT during study period, which included 416(43...

Liver diseases affect millions of people worldwide. In most developed countries, the incidence of viral hepatitis is waning as a result of modern advances in disease prevention, diagnosis, and therapies. Expanded programs for systematic immunization against hepatitis B virus (HBV) have also significantly brought down the number of new cases in many countries, including China. In contrast, with the improvement of living standards, prevalence of metabolic liver diseases, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is set to rise, which ultimately leads to more cases of end-stage liver diseases (liver failure, cirrhosis, and liver cancer)...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Before antiviral therapy, kidney transplant recipients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) had poor outcomes. Since the 90s, nucleos(t)ide analogues have been widely used in HBV-infected patients, while interferon-based therapy was rarely used in HCV-infected patients. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of HBV and HCV on patient and graft survival, according to viral replication status. METHODS: Data from January 1993 to December 2010 were extracted from the French national database CRISTAL...

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BACKGROUND & AIMS: Persons who have ever injected drugs (PWID) on opiate agonist therapy (OAT) might have lower adherence to direct antiviral agents against HCV (DAA) and, therefore, lower rates of sustained viral response (SVR). Because of this, we compared the SVR rates to interferon-free DAA combinations among individuals with and without OAT in real-world. METHODS: The HEPAVIR-DAA cohort, recruiting HIV/HCV-coinfected patients (NCT02057003), and the GEHEP-MONO cohort (NCT02333292), including HCV-monoinfected individuals, are ongoing prospective multicenter cohorts of patients receiving DAA in clinical practice...

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BACKGROUND & AIMS: Current antiviral therapies lack the potential to eliminate persistent HBV infection. HBV-specific T cells are crucial for HBV control and have recently been shown to be protective in patients following discontinuation of antiviral therapy. Thus, T cell-based approaches may greatly improve the therapeutic landscape of HBV-infection. We aimed to augment HBV-specific CD4 T cells from chronically infected patients by targeting different immunological pathways. METHODS: Expression of various co-stimulatory and inhibitory receptors on HBV- and Influenza-specific CD4 T cells was analyzed directly ex vivo by MHC class II-tetramers...