Research that has been completed using patients with conditions o

Research that has been completed using patients with conditions other than haemophilia may or may not have a direct application with the bleeding disorders

population, but the programme design based on principles of tissue healing in addition to disease specific knowledge should be encouraged. The threats to musculoskeletal health for people with haemophilia encompass every element of joint and muscle function. To more safely decide what type of activity to undertake to minimize joint and muscle bleeding, and to rehabilitate the structure and function of both the bony and soft tissue elements, expert physiotherapy care by a professional trained in the management of inherited bleeding disorders is required. In as much as detailed assessment of each patient with haemophilia is necessary to achieve tailored haemostatic management, so must an in-depth evaluation of the musculoskeletal status selleck screening library of every individual be carried out on a regular basis. Thorough assessment must follow any acute injury to ensure that comprehensive and complete rehabilitation is being pursued, and plays a key role in the ongoing evaluation and tracking of chronic sequellae http://www.selleckchem.com/products/MK-1775.html from the previous injuries. A high premium must be placed on the assessment of joint and muscle function, as it will guide

the therapeutic process in terms of what components of exercise will be implemented, and the manner in which they will be combined to bring about a successful outcome. To treat a musculoskeletal injury, the cause of the injury must be known, and the potential impact on the involved structures as well as their role in overall function must be recognized. Failure to complete this crucial component of care may lead not only to less than full recovery from the injury, but potentially provoke repetitive or new episodes of bleeding and therefore further damage. It cannot be overstated that this cause and effect relationship O-methylated flavonoid must be identified and then respected by the treating clinician. Determination of how the

injury was sustained, and the extent of the damage to the body tissues represents a critical juncture in the rehabilitation process. In as much as therapeutic exercise has the potential for positive effects on tissue health, the wrong exercise, at the wrong time, in the wrong dosage, can either delay the healing process or, taken to the extreme, lead to permanent damage. There is no substitute for thorough musculoskeletal examination and application of the science of tissue healing when determining how the rehabilitation process will begin. One should determine the cause of injury, eliminate or minimize it, and then begin the physical rehabilitation process. The benefits of therapeutic exercise will be most profound when the same therapist, one with specialized training in haemophilia care, designs, monitors and progresses the programme from its onset until its conclusion [1].

Cellular miRNAs are key regulators in posttranscriptional regulat

Cellular miRNAs are key regulators in posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. They can also directly participate in virus replication or act indirectly

by determining the expression level of replication cofactors. To analyze whether the commonly used Huh7 cell lines differ in their miRNA expression patterns, we screened 883 human miRNAs using the Geniom Biochip miRNA Homo sapiens (febit holding gmbh, Heidelberg, Germany). PHHs isolated from human liver resections of two check details different patients were used as reference. Figure 1 and Supporting Table 1 show the profound differences not only between PHHs and hepatoma cell lines but also between the cell lines. Remarkably, the liver-specific miRNA122 that directly influences HCV replication both in cell culture and in infected chimpanzees2-4 was one of the most differentially expressed miRNAs. Furthermore, predictions of the gene targets of the miRNAs from Fig. 1A by the Genetrail program (freely accessible at http://genetrail.bioinf.uni-sb.de) identified a number of host proteins whose differential expression is known or expected to influence HCV replication (see Supporting Table 2 for the complete target list). Because studies on host factor requirements for virus replication nowadays involve small interfering RNA–mediated

down-regulation of candidate proteins, and the level of knockdown is influenced by protein abundance and turnover and thus miRNA composition, one would expect that the respective experimental results would be influenced by the host cells used. The recent observations of nonoverlapping screening R788 cell line results for HCV host factors5 may well be related to corresponding

miRNA differences in the host cells. Michael Ehrhardt*, Petra Leidinger Ph.D.†, Andreas Keller Ph.D.†, Thomas F. Baumert Megestrol Acetate Ph.D.‡ §, Juana Díez Ph.D.¶, Eckart Meese Ph.D.†, Andreas Meyerhans Ph.D.* **, * Departments of Virology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany, † Human Genetics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany, ‡ Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 748, § Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France, ¶ Molecular Virology Group, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain, ** ICREA Infection Biology Group, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online version of this article. “
“Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a variable, dynamic disease and accounts for significant morbidity and mortality. Long-term disease outcome data in infancy-acquired patients stratified according to HBV genotype, HBeAg status, HBV DNA and HBsAg levels are limited. Plasma levels of chemokine IP10 predict HBeAg/HBsAg seroconversion in CHB adults.

As a control, polyclonal antibody to actin (Santa Cruz Biotechnol

As a control, polyclonal antibody to actin (Santa Cruz Biotechnology) was used. After washing with TBS-T, the membranes were respectively incubated with secondary antibody of goat antimouse (for HCV core or NS3),

goat antirat (for hA3G or HA), or goat antirabbit (for actin) (ZSGB-BIO, China) at room temperature for 1 hour. Protein signal was detected using Immobilon Western Chemiluminescent HRP Substrate (Millipore) with Alpha Innotech Focus and Image Acquisition (Alpha Innotech). Density scanning was done for semiquantification. The Huh7.5 cells at a density of 3 × 104 cells/cm2 were seeded into 24-well plates with a 13-mm diameter coverslip. After 6 hours incubation, cells were infected with HCV viral stock (45 IU per cell) and simultaneously treated with

RN-5 or IMB-26. The Sirolimus cells were incubated for another 96 hours JQ1 cost and then washed twice with ice-cold phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), fixed in paraformaldehyde for 10 minutes, and permeabilized with PBS containing 0.25% Triton X-100 for 5 minutes. Cells were next blocked in TBS containing 5% bovine serum albumin (BSA)/0.1% Tween-20, followed by an overnight treatment with anti-hA3G and anti-HCV core antibodies at 4°C. After 3 washes in TBS with 0.1% Tween-20, cells were probed with goat antirat Cy3 (Beyotime) and goat antimouse Dylight488 (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, West Grove, PA) at room temperature for 1 hour. Then the slides were washed 3 times. Cell nuclei were counterstained with Hoechst 33342 (Beyotime) for

5 minutes at room temperature. Slides were mounted with antifade mounting medium and visualized using a Leica TCS SP2 laser scanning spectral confocal microscope. CEM-SS cells that are null of endogenous expression of hA3G was used as negative control. Male and female Kunming mice (4 weeks, weight 18 ± 1.0 g) were purchased from the Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Beijing, China). They were fed with regular rodent chow and housed in an air-conditioned room. The mice were randomly divided into five groups with 10 mice each (five male plus five female). RN-5 was given once intraperitoneally (0, 62.5, 125, 250, or 500 mg/kg) or orally (0, 125, 250, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg). Body weight as well as survival was monitored. Blood samples were taken for liver and kidney function click here examination after 7 days treatment. The 0.3% carboxymethylcellulose sodium was used as solvent for oral administration and 0.9% saline with 3% Tween-80 was for intraperitoneal injection. We first examined whether addition of external hA3G would reduce HCV replication in the Huh7.5 cells. To introduce hA3G, HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells were transfected with hA3G expression vectors fusing HA tag at the C-terminus.16 As shown in Fig. 1A, with a dose-dependent increase of the expression of external hA3G-HA or total intracellular hA3G in the HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells, the intracellular HCV replication decreased.

As a control, polyclonal antibody to actin (Santa Cruz Biotechnol

As a control, polyclonal antibody to actin (Santa Cruz Biotechnology) was used. After washing with TBS-T, the membranes were respectively incubated with secondary antibody of goat antimouse (for HCV core or NS3),

goat antirat (for hA3G or HA), or goat antirabbit (for actin) (ZSGB-BIO, China) at room temperature for 1 hour. Protein signal was detected using Immobilon Western Chemiluminescent HRP Substrate (Millipore) with Alpha Innotech Focus and Image Acquisition (Alpha Innotech). Density scanning was done for semiquantification. The Huh7.5 cells at a density of 3 × 104 cells/cm2 were seeded into 24-well plates with a 13-mm diameter coverslip. After 6 hours incubation, cells were infected with HCV viral stock (45 IU per cell) and simultaneously treated with

RN-5 or IMB-26. The Vismodegib order cells were incubated for another 96 hours XL184 in vivo and then washed twice with ice-cold phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), fixed in paraformaldehyde for 10 minutes, and permeabilized with PBS containing 0.25% Triton X-100 for 5 minutes. Cells were next blocked in TBS containing 5% bovine serum albumin (BSA)/0.1% Tween-20, followed by an overnight treatment with anti-hA3G and anti-HCV core antibodies at 4°C. After 3 washes in TBS with 0.1% Tween-20, cells were probed with goat antirat Cy3 (Beyotime) and goat antimouse Dylight488 (Jackson ImmunoResearch Laboratories, West Grove, PA) at room temperature for 1 hour. Then the slides were washed 3 times. Cell nuclei were counterstained with Hoechst 33342 (Beyotime) for

5 minutes at room temperature. Slides were mounted with antifade mounting medium and visualized using a Leica TCS SP2 laser scanning spectral confocal microscope. CEM-SS cells that are null of endogenous expression of hA3G was used as negative control. Male and female Kunming mice (4 weeks, weight 18 ± 1.0 g) were purchased from the Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Beijing, China). They were fed with regular rodent chow and housed in an air-conditioned room. The mice were randomly divided into five groups with 10 mice each (five male plus five female). RN-5 was given once intraperitoneally (0, 62.5, 125, 250, or 500 mg/kg) or orally (0, 125, 250, 500, or 1,000 mg/kg). Body weight as well as survival was monitored. Blood samples were taken for liver and kidney function LY294002 examination after 7 days treatment. The 0.3% carboxymethylcellulose sodium was used as solvent for oral administration and 0.9% saline with 3% Tween-80 was for intraperitoneal injection. We first examined whether addition of external hA3G would reduce HCV replication in the Huh7.5 cells. To introduce hA3G, HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells were transfected with hA3G expression vectors fusing HA tag at the C-terminus.16 As shown in Fig. 1A, with a dose-dependent increase of the expression of external hA3G-HA or total intracellular hA3G in the HCV-infected Huh7.5 cells, the intracellular HCV replication decreased.

17 Total RNA was extracted from 106 HepaRG cells with the SV tota

17 Total RNA was extracted from 106 HepaRG cells with the SV total RNA isolation system (Promega, Madison, WI). Reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed using an SYBR Green mix.10 Primer sequences are listed in Table 1. Experimental conditions are given in the Supporting Materials and Methods as described.18 Total cellular protein extracts were obtained by way of cell lysis. Fifty micrograms of protein underwent electrophoresis, and immunoblotting was performed with anti-ADFP (Abcam,

learn more Cambridge), anti-PPARG (Dharmacon), anti-CYP3A4 (Millipore), anti-CYP2E1 (Oxford Biomedical Research), and anti-HSC70 (Tebu-bio) antibodies. Results are expressed as the mean ± SD of three independent experiments. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied to compare data between drug-treated and corresponding control cultures. Data were considered

significantly different at P < 0.05. Preliminary experiments were performed to compare toxic effects of tetracycline and amiodarone after acute and repeat treatments to select several nontoxic and subtoxic concentrations of each drug for further studies (Supporting Results and Supporting Fig. 2). Thus, HepaRG cells were exposed to 50 μM tetracycline, CDK inhibitor 20 μM amiodarone, and 500 μM oleic acid (a positive in vitro steatosis inducer19, 20) for 24 hours or 14 days and stained with Oil Red O to detect intracytoplasmic lipid droplets. Oleic acid induced formation of droplets in hepatocyte-like cells after both acute and repeat incubation, with the vesicles being enlarged after 14 days (Fig. 1c,d). Similarly, lipid vesicles were also observed

in hepatocyte-like cells treated with tetracycline (Fig. 1e,f), but staining was more important after 14 days than 24 hours. Amiodarone also caused accumulation of Oil Red O–stained vesicles in hepatocyte-like cells, but only after 14 days (Fig. 1h). In addition, Thymidine kinase numerous small unstained vesicles were observed in both HepaRG cell types after either 24-hour or 14-day amiodarone treatment, suggesting phospholipid accumulation (Fig. 1g,h). Electron microscopic detection of intracytoplasmic lamellar bodies is thought to be the most reliable method for the identification of phospholipidosis. Exposure of HepaRG cells to 20 μM amiodarone for either 24 hours or 14 days led to the formation of typical concentric lamellar structures corresponding to excessive intracellular accumulation of phospholipids in lysosomes of both hepatocyte-like and biliary-like cells. These lamellar bodies appeared larger after 14-day repeat treatments and mixed with clear vesicles typical of lipid droplets (Fig. 2c,d). As expected, no lamellar bodies were found in tetracycline-treated HepaRG cells (Fig. 2b). Only lipid droplets were observed; they were already detected after 24 hours and were enlarged after 14 days (Fig.

This was a single-center, two-part, open-label study The study w

This was a single-center, two-part, open-label study. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of Good Clinical Practice and was approved by the appropriate

institutional review boards and regulatory agencies. All subjects provided written informed consent prior to participation in study-related procedures. Healthy adult male and female subjects aged 18-55 years with an inclusive body mass index (BMI) of 18-32 kg/m2 were enrolled. All subjects were required to be free of any clinically significant disease and have clinical laboratory tests (including complete

blood counts, blood chemistries, Selleckchem Sotrastaurin Autophagy activator urinalysis, electrocardiogram, and vital signs) within normal limits or clinically acceptable to the investigator. Premenopausal women and men were required to use a medically accepted method of contraception. All subjects were required to provide written informed consent and to adhere to dose and visit schedules. No information on CYP3A4/5 polymorphisms in the study subjects was available prior to dosing. Subjects who were pregnant, breastfeeding, or who (in the opinion of the investigator) were unable to participate optimally in new the study

were excluded. Additional exclusion criteria were: a surgical or medical condition that might significantly alter the absorption, distribution, metabolism, or excretion of any drug; a recent history of any infectious disease; and infection with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Subjects with a history of alcohol or drug abuse in the past 2 years, who smoked >10 cigarettes or had equivalent tobacco use per day, or who had elevated liver function tests also were excluded. This study consisted of two parts, each with a fixed-sequence design. Part 1 was designed to assess the effect of cyclosporine on boceprevir PK and the effect of boceprevir on cyclosporine PK (Fig. 1A). In part 2, the effect of boceprevir on tacrolimus PK and the effect of tacrolimus on boceprevir PK were assessed (Fig. 1B). In both parts of the study, boceprevir was administered orally as 4 × 200-mg capsules swallowed (not crushed or chewed) with a glass of water. A meal or light snack preceded boceprevir.

Five commercial implant-abutment assemblies were assessed in this

Five commercial implant-abutment assemblies were assessed in this investigation: (C) Conexão®, (E) Emfils®, (I) INP®, (S) SIN®, and (T) Titanium Fix®. The implants were embedded in an acrylic resin and then placed in a holding device. The abutments were first connected to the implants and torqued to 20 Ncm using a handheld torque meter. Trametinib clinical trial The detorque values of the abutments were evaluated after

10 minutes. After applying a second torque of 20 Ncm, implant-abutment assemblies were withdrawn every 3 hours for 12 hours in a fluoridated solution over a period of 90 days. After that period, detorque of the abutments was examined. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) associated to energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was applied to inspect the surfaces of abutments. Detorque values of systems C, E,

and I immersed in the fluoridated solution were significantly higher than those of the initial detorque. ANOVA demonstrated no significant differences in detorque values between designs S and T. Signs of localized corrosion could not be detected by SEM although chemical Vemurafenib datasheet analysis by EDS showed the presence of elements involved in corrosive processes. An increase of detorque values recorded on abutments after immersion in fluoridated artificial saliva solutions was noticed in this study. Regarding chemical analysis, such an increase of detorque can result from a corrosion layer formed between metallic surfaces at static contact in the implant-abutment joint during Avelestat (AZD9668) immersion in the fluoridated solutions. “
“Purpose: This in vitro study investigated the null hypothesis that metal-free crowns induce fracture loads and mechanical behavior similar to metal ceramic systems and to study the fracture pattern of ceramic crowns under compressive loads using finite element and fractography analyses. Materials and Methods: Six groups (n = 8) with crowns from different systems were compared: conventional metal ceramic (Noritake) (CMC); modified metal ceramic (Noritake) (MMC); lithium disilicate-reinforced ceramic (IPS Empress II) (EMP); leucite-reinforced ceramic (Cergogold) (CERG); leucite fluoride-apatite

reinforced ceramic (IPS d.Sign) (SIGN); and polymer crowns (Targis) (TARG). Standardized crown preparations were performed on bovine roots containing NiCr metal dowels and resin cores. Crowns were fabricated using the ceramics listed, cemented with dual-cure resin cement, and submitted to compressive loads in a mechanical testing machine at a 0.5-mm/min crosshead speed. Data were submitted to one-way ANOVA and Tukey tests, and fractured specimens were visually inspected under a stereomicroscope (20×) to determine the type of fracture. Maximum principal stress (MPS) distributions were calculated using finite element analysis, and fracture origin and the correlation with the fracture type were determined using fractography.

The program will focus on initiatives in the areas of clinical an

The program will focus on initiatives in the areas of clinical and translational investigation. As patients, we also play an important role in this research framework. Without our collaboration and participation, research will not advance. An additional purpose of the WFH Research Program will be to develop a research training and education curriculum focused on enhancing patient KU-57788 manufacturer and HTC participation within research studies worldwide in an ethical manner, including the benefits, roles, responsibilities and importance of research to advance care. When recruiting patients globally, investigators must be ever mindful that the patient

population is a precious resource that must be treated with respect and care. Thoughtful attention must be given to a

number of interrelated issues, including ethical considerations in patient recruitment, informed consent, and the geographical variables of global clinical trials. The global inequalities in healthcare mean that the ethics of international medical research, especially when it includes countries where people do not usually receive quality care, become much more complicated. learn more Researchers should not present, and patients should never confuse, research as a substitute for proper treatment. Properly developed informed consent should be a foundation of any research initiative [54]. Over the past 50 years, we have seen enormous advances in treatment and therapies for bleeding disorders. Although access and availability continue to vary widely around the world, our understanding of coagulation mechanisms, prevention and treatment of bleeding disorders is far different than in 1963. It is now well established that, with proper

treatment, men and women with haemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders can live perfectly healthy lives. Even though the reality of the past remains the reality of the present for many, the future for all is indeed bright. The WFH has played a critical role in bringing Racecadotril access and treatment to many parts of the world and we are well positioned to continue our quest to achieve Treatment for All in the years ahead. Working together as a global family, each day, we will move one step closer to closing the gap in care and achieving Treatment for All. The WFH would like to thank the National Member Organizations, WFH volunteers and staff, governments committed to building national care programmes, and WFH partners and donors for their commitment to achieving Treatment for All. The author reports no actual or perceived conflicts of interest. “
“Summary.  Discrepancies between the one-stage clotting assay and the chromogenic method, and also among different variations of each method, have been a significant challenge for one B-domain deleted FVIII product.

By linear regression, levels of deoxycholic acid (DCA) and glycin

By linear regression, levels of deoxycholic acid (DCA) and glycine conjugated DCA paralleled the increase in adiponectin (DCA: r = 0.51, P < 0.01, G-DCA: r = 0.49, P < 0.01), but not cholic acid (CA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), or ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). In a final experiment, to test the role of bile acids on adiponectin expression we treated learn more differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes with fexaramine

(FXR agonist) or taurolithocholic acid (TGR-5 agonist) and examined the cell culture supernatant for adiponectin protein. We found that both fexaramine and taurolithocholic acid increased adiponectin protein secretion greater than 10-fold (Fig. 3). These data suggest that bile acids act directly to regulate adiponectin synthesis in adipocytes. One of the most intriguing and unanswered questions in clinical hepatology concerns the observation that liver fat loss often accompanies advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, something that delayed the linkage of NASH to cryptogenic cirrhosis for many years. In this study we show for the first time that alterations in serum adiponectin may provide an explanation for this phenomenon and suggest a novel mechanism by which this might occur (Fig. 4). In well-characterized patients with biopsy

proven NASH, we show that (1) circulating adiponectin levels have an inverse correlation with hepatic fat content in those with advanced disease; (2) as hepatic fat declines with advanced fibrosis, adiponectin levels progressively rise, independent of its usual metabolic associations, viz. insulin resistance, leptin, ROCK inhibitor BMI, and WHR; (3) elevated serum adiponectin is significantly and independently associated with almost complete hepatic fat loss, so-called “burnt-out” NASH, even when controlled for patient age and markers of liver synthetic dysfunction; (4) circulating adiponectin in advanced NASH is associated with activation of its downstream signaling in the liver; (5) bile acids in late-stage NASH that are ligands for the bile acid receptors FXR and TGR527 are elevated in patients; and finally (6) that

this elevation in circulating bile acids may be responsible for the secretion of adiponectin by adipocytes in advanced liver disease (Fig 4). Adiponectin is a key player in the pathogenesis of NASH-related Urease steatosis, with an intimate association between hypoadiponectinemia, increasing steatosis grade, and the transformation from simple steatosis to NASH.16, 28 Acting predominantly by way of the hepatic adiponectin receptor 2 (AdipoR2), elevated levels of adiponectin are profoundly antisteatotic, an effect mediated by stimulation of PPAR-α with an increase in fatty acid β-oxidation, and inhibition of fatty acid synthesis by way of SREBP-1c.13 It is now well established that adiponectin is elevated in advanced liver disease and cirrhosis of any cause, although most evidence exists for viral, autoimmune, cholestatic, and alcohol-related disease.

Of particular importance have been studies showing that EpCAM is

Of particular importance have been studies showing that EpCAM is a marker of the hepatobiliary stem cell niche and that when such cells develop into hepatocytes in culture, the new hepatocytes as well as the cells with intermediate features between stem/progenitor cells and hepatocytes also display membranous EpCAM.2, 16 These findings led us to hypothesize that EpCAM(+) hepatocytes are derived relatively recently from the stem cell niche learn more rather

than from other, preexisting hepatocytes. The goal of the present study was to investigate this possibility within intact tissue specimens from livers of patients with hepatitis B and C through several means. The first is by determining whether EpCAM(+) hepatocytes develop only in the context of ductular reactions, stage by stage, and exploring the topological relationships check details of

these cells (Fig. 1 and Table 3). Four important points support our primary hypothesis: (1) EpCAM(+) hepatocytes, like ductular reactions, increase in frequency and extent with increasing stage of disease; (2) although ductular reactions sometimes do not have associated EpCAM(+) hepatocytes, EpCAM(+) hepatocytes, when present, are always associated with ductular reactions; (3) EpCAM(+) hepatocytes always appear as aggregates surrounding a core of ductular reaction cells; and (4) cells of intermediate morphology between the smallest progenitor cells of the ductular reaction and mature appearing, EpCAM(+) hepatocytes are always also EpCAM(+). Thus, morphologically, topographically, and immunophenotypically, EpCAM(+) hepatocytes Vasopressin Receptor appear to derive from cells of the ductular reaction. Such data, although compelling, are incomplete. We thus hypothesized that if EpCAM(+) hepatocytes were stem cell–derived, they would have telomere lengths that were longer than those of the EpCAM(−) hepatocytes. This hypothesis is based on prior

data indicating that ductular reactions have increased telomerase activation22-25 and that senescent hepatocytes, after years of increased cell turnover, would have shortened telomeres.26-29 We would also expect that EpCAM(−) hepatocytes in cirrhosis would have telomeres that would be shorter than those in EpCAM(+) hepatocytes, and that telomere length of EpCAM(+) hepatocytes would be shorter than that in ductular reactions. These predictions were confirmed in a statistically meaningful way for hepatocytes in CHB cirrhosis. We also sought to explore issues of proliferation and senescence as previous studies had done,13-15, 20 but discriminating between hepatocytes that were EpCAM(+) and those that were EpCAM(−). However, there was no significant difference of PCNA and p21 labeling indices between EpCAM(+) hepatocytes and EpCAM(−) hepatocytes.