Main description:

This book contains the proceedings of Falk Symposium 167 entitled 'Liver under Constant Attack - From Fat to Viruses', which was held in Mainz, Germany, on 20-21 September 2008. It merges up-to-date viral liver immunology with relevant topics in clinical practice. Sections cover viral hepatitis, immunosuppressive approaches in liver patients, malignant liver diseases, inflammatory liver diseases and complications of liver cirrhosis. Interdisciplinary discussion of new concepts in the treatment of liver diseases makes this book valuable for scientists and clinicians alike.

Contents:

Viral liver disease.- State-of-the-Art Lecture: Immune responses and viral escape mechanisms in hepatitis C virus infection.- Hepatitis C virus immunology.- Hepatitis C therapy.- The hepatitis B virus - virology.- Hepatitis B virus - therapy.- Fat and viral liver disease.- Interdisciplinary hepatology.- Molecular pathogenesis of liver cancer: early lesions.- Targeted therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma.- Cholangiocellular carcinoma: medical and interventional endoscopic strategies, new options.- Cholangiocarcinoma - role of surgery.- Gut attack: Liver in LPS crossfire.- Lymphocyte recruitment to the liver; the role of chemokines.- Lipopolysaccharide in liver disease.- Alcoholic hepatitis.- Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis - therapeutic interventions.- Fibrosis, cirrhosis and protal hypertension.- State-of-the-Art Lecture: Mechanisms of liver fibrosis - targets for therapy.- Non-invasive serum markers of liver fibrosis.- Assessment of liver fibrosis: gold standard biopsy?.- Variceal bleeding.- Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).