G S Baroni, L D'Ambrosio, P Curto, A Casini, R Mancini, A M Jezequel, A Benedetti – 1 May 1996 – Interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) inhibits in vitro the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), the primary extracellular matrix‐producing cells in liver fibrosis. This study was undertaken to determine in vivo the effect of IFN‐γ in the rat model of liver fibrosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN), where HSC activation represents an early response to cell injury. Rats were killed after 1 or 3 weeks of treatment with DMN, IFN‐γ, DMN + IFN‐γ, or saline.

K Kurokohchi, M Carrington, D L Mann, T B Simonis, M A Alexander‐Miller, S M Feinstone, T Akatsuka, J A Berzofsky – 1 May 1996 – The expression of the HLA class I molecules on the cell surface was investigated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines using complement‐mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) and flow cytometric analysis. Although HLA‐A antigens were detected by CMC in all cell lines tested, HLA‐B and ‐C antigens were not detectable in six of seven HCC cell lines. These results were also confirmed by flow cytometric analysis focusing on HLA‐Bw4 and Bw6 public antigens.

M Barone, A Francavilla, L Polimeno, E Ierardi, D Romanelli, P Berloco, A Di Leo, C Panella – 1 May 1996 – In this study, the stimulatory effect of bile salts (BS) was evaluated both In vitro, using hepatocyte primary cultures, and In vivo, in normal and 40% partially hepatectomized rats previously fed on BS‐ enriched diets for 4 weeks.

R Mohamed, P R Forsey, M K Davies, J M Neuberger – 1 May 1996 – Both a prolonged QT interval and disturbance of autonomic nervous system function are markers of poor prognosis in patients with diabetes mellitus and alcoholic liver disease (ALD). We studied the prevalence of abnormal QT interval and autonomic nervous system dysfunction in 53 consecutive patients with end‐stage liver disease before and after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The maximum QT interval in any lead (QTmax) was assessed by two independent observers.

Y Bacq, O Zarka, J Brechot, N Mariotte, S Vol, J Tichet, J Weill – 1 May 1996 – Except for increased serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) levels, the changes in liver function test (LFT) values during normal pregnancy have not been clearly established, mainly because most studies do not include matched controls. We therefore measured the serum values of routine liver tests including 5′‐nucleotidase and total bile acids in 103 healthy pregnant women (first trimester, n = 34; second trimester, n = 36; third trimester, n = 33) and in 103 age‐matched controls not receiving oral contraception.

P J Scheuer – 1 May 1996

Hugo R. Rosen, Paul Martin, Gary J. Schiller, Mary Territo, David N. Lewin, Christopher R. Shackleton, Ronald W. Busuttil – 1 May 1996 – Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a highly successful and curative therapy for many primary hematologic malignancies. However, hepatic dysfunction and failure are important causes of morbidity and mortality in this patient group after BMT. Hepatic failure can occur as a result of involvement by graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) or as a result of veno‐occlusive disease (VOD).

Arthur Zimmermann, Hans‐Ulrich Baer – 1 May 1996 – Based on the clinical observation that large tumors located in the liver may be resected or enucleated with relative ease, the present retrospective study aimed at the detailed assessment of the tumor/liver interface in large hepatic neoplasms. For this purpose, a systematic light microscopic and immunohistochemical study on resection specimens of 10 giant hemangiomas, 10 hepatocellular carcinomas, and 9 liver metastases was performed.

J M Pawlotsky, F Roudot‐Thoraval, A Bastie, C Pellet, J Duval, D Dhumeaux – 1 May 1996

D M Quirk, W R Brugge – 1 May 1996