Liver Cirrhosis and Its DevelopmentJ.L. Boyer Liver cirrhosis is a major clinical problem worldwide and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality from its complications, such as liver cell insufficiency with coagulopathy and hepatic encephalopathy, portal hypertension with ascites and gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatorenal syndrome, HCC development and others. This volume, the proceedings of Falk Symposium 115 held in Basel, Switzerland, October 22-24, 1999 (Part II of the Basel Liver Week 1999; XI International Congress of Liver Diseases) covers our present knowledge of the aetiologies and early stages of liver cirrhosis development. Based on this information, strategies are discussed that are aimed at the prevention, early diagnosis and therapy of chronic liver diseases, thus preventing their progression to cirrhosis and its complications, including HCC development. The main topics mentioned above are complemented by three state-of-the-art chapters on modern aspects of medicine in general and hepatology in particular as well as their perspectives beyond the year 2000: `Molecular Medicine', `New Hepatitis Viruses' and `Genetic Liver Diseases: Diagnosis and Therapy'. Introductory chapters focusing on the more basic aspects of the biology of live cells as well as on the mechanisms underlying fibrogenesis, cholestasis and inflammation will be followed by a detailed discussion of the clinically most important causes of liver cirrhosis worldwide: hepatitis viruses B, C and D; toxins (alcohol, drugs and others) as well as metabolic liver diseases (haemochromatosis, Wilson disease, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, porphyria cutanea tarda and protoporphyria). This book, therefore, will interest clinically oriented basic scientists as well as those in clinical practice, givng an update on many aspects of modern hepatology and its perspectives in the next millennium. |
Contents
Molecular mechanisms of liver regeneration and hepatocyte apoptosis | 3 |
Mechanisms of inflammation | 13 |
Mechanisms of hepatic fibrogenesis | 30 |
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of cholestasis | 40 |
Hepatitis B and D virology and diagnosis | 71 |
Liver damage and control of HBV infection role of the cellmediated immune response | 77 |
Natural history of hepatitis B infection | 83 |
Chronic hepatitis B new therapies | 92 |
The effect of ursodeoxycholic acid on fibrosis markers in alcoholic liver disease | 229 |
Drugs and toxins drug handling | 236 |
Drugand toxininduced liver injury diagnosis natural course and therapy | 242 |
Liverdirected gene therapy 2000 and beyond | 253 |
Haemochromatosis pathogenesis and diagnosis | 263 |
Haemochromatosis natural course and therapy | 272 |
Wilson disease pathogenesis and diagnosis | 278 |
Wilson disease natural course and therapeutic strategies | 287 |
Virology and diagnosis of hepatitis C | 98 |
Hepatitis C immunopathogenesis | 113 |
Natural history of hepatitis C virus infection risk factors for disease progression | 124 |
Hepatitis C therapeutic challenges | 148 |
Hepatitis C evolving therapeutic strategies | 156 |
Pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease | 163 |
Alcoholic liver disease natural course mechanisms and therapeutic strategies | 174 |
Common terms and phrases
Acad Sci USA activity acute hepatic adhesion alcoholic hepatitis alcoholic liver disease antigen antiviral apoptosis associated bile duct bile salt biliary Biochem canalicular cellular chemokines cholangiocytes cholestasis cholestatic chronic hepatitis cirrhosis clinical collagen copper cytochrome cytokines decreased deficiency detection diagnosis drug effect enzyme ethanol excretion expression factors fibrosis function Gastroenterology gene genetic genome genotype haem HCV infection HCV RNA hemochromatosis hepatic porphyrias hepatic stellate cells hepatitis C virus hepatocellular carcinoma hepatocytes Hepatol Hepatology HFE protein human immune response increased induced inflammation inhibition interferon intrahepatic iron levels Lieber lipid liver biopsy liver injury lymphocytes mechanisms membrane metabolism mice molecular molecules mutations Natl Acad Sci necrosis normal oxidation pathogenesis patients with chronic Proc Natl Acad protein rat liver receptor replication retinol ribavirin role serum stellate cells studies syndrome therapy tissue toxic transport treatment viral Virol virus infection vitamin vivo Wilson disease