The total number of attendees exceeded 300 over the 2-day period. We take pride in having supported the symposium, which aimed to advance global collaboration for basic and clinical studies on ALPD and Cirrhosis. As metabolic diseases are becoming global epidemic, this symposium attracted much interest from investigators in Japan and from around the world. We witnessed active discussions and collaborations facilitated by the event, as it provided a perfect platform for

cross-interactions among leading and young investigators. We are particularly touched by an overwhelming support for the Japan Recovery Funds rendered by many of international invitees and participants. Nearly US$4000 was raised and donated to the Japan Red Cross via the symposium organizers. We Dabrafenib order wish to thank all co-sponsors, including National Institute

on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis, for their financial and logistic support, without which this symposium would not have been possible. Thank you all for having made the extra efforts to attend and support this symposium, and for having contributed articles to its proceedings in Journal of Hepatology and Gastroenterology. “
“A 25 year-old woman with a 15 year history of refractory ulcerative colitis on maintenance azathioprine, and mesalazine, presented beta-catenin signaling with several months of increasing colicky abdominal pain and distension, bloody diarrhea and malaise. Symptoms failed to respond to repeated courses of steroids and were worse around her period. On physical exam, her abdomen was mildly distended with tenderness to deep palpation in the left lower quadrant with normal bowel sounds. Colonoscopy

revealed florid changes of ulcerative colitis in the rectum with mucosal hemorrhage and colonic stricturing at the recto-sigmoid junction preventing full colonoscopy (Figure 1). Histology of biopsy specimens taken from the area of stricture showed areas of ulceration with underlying inflamed granulation tissue consistent with ulcerative colitis. There were no granulomata, dysplasia or malignancy. Laboratory analysis revealed mild neutrophilia and mild elevation of inflammatory markers. As her abdominal pain, medchemexpress distension and bleeding became increasingly severe, she was referred to a colorectal surgeon who performed laparoscopy which revealed extensive pelvic endometriosis that had obliterated the Pouch of Douglas and fused the rectum to the back of the uterus. A laparoscopic-assisted proctocolectomy and W pouch with ileostomy and radical excision of pelvic endometriosis including Pouch of Douglas was performed. Histology of the resection specimen showed severe chronic ulcerative proctocolitis involving the rectum and sigmoid colon with moderate stricture formation with proximal colon dilatation, negative for malignancy.