Ansgar Wilhelm Lohse, Matthias Kögel, Karl‐Hermann Mermer Zum Büschenfelde – 1 August 1995 – Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) runs a variable clinical course. Slow disease progression or even spontaneous remissions can be observed and suggest that the autoimmune process can, at least to a certain extent, be controlled by regulatory elements of the patient's own immune system. In experimental autoimmune hepatitis (EAH) spontaneous recovery is regularly observed and associated with antigen‐specific and antigen‐nonspecific suppression.

Hiroshi Nakano, Karim Boudjema, Eliane Alexandre, Pierre Imbs, Marie Pierre Chenard, Philippe Wolf, Jacques Cinqualbre, Daniel Jaeck – 1 August 1995 – We investigated whether intraportal injection of 150 mg/kg N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) into rats reduced hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion injury after 48 hours of cold storage and 2 hours of reperfusion. The organ was isolated and perfused to evaluate liver function. The control group received an intraportal injection of 5% dextrose. NAC increased L‐cysteine concentrations 15 minutes after injection (1.29 ± 0.11 μmol/g vs.

Yukihiro Shimizu, Masami Minemura, Takashi Tsukishiro, Yoshirou Kashii, Megumi Miyamoto, Hiroshi Nishimori, Kiyohiro Higuchi, Akiharu Watanabe – 1 August 1995 – Serum levels of soluble forms of intercellular adhesion molecule–1 (sICAM‐1) and lymphocyte function‐associated antigen‐3 (sLFA‐3) in 122 patients with chronic liver disease including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. Serum levels of sICAM‐1 in patients with HCC were significantly higher than those of chronic hepatitis (CH) and cirrhosis.

Martín Prieto, Vicente Olaso, Clara Verdú, Juan Córdoba, Concepción Gisbert, Miguel Rayón, Domingo Carrasco, Marina Berenguer, María Dolores Higón, Joaquín Berenguer – 1 August 1995 – To determine whether the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia correlates with the severity of liver disease in anti‐HCV‐positive apparently healthy blood donors, we studied 98 blood donors found positive for anti‐HCV using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Ferruccio Bonino, Maurizia Rossana Brunetto – 1 August 1995 – Patients with chronic hepatitis D often have liver‐kidney microsomal antibodies type 3 (LKM‐3). These antibodies react with several microsomal antigens that have a molecular weight of 55 HDa and an isoelectric point of about 8. We studied the molecular nature of the antigen and, by immunoscreening a human liver cDNA expression library with KM‐3 sera, found that uridine diphosphate glucuronosyl transferase (UGT) appeared as candidate antigens.

Lilia M. Maglova, Angela M. Jackson, Xue‐Jun Meng, Michael W. Carruth, Claudio D. Schteingart, Huong‐Thu Ton‐Nu, Alan F. Hofmann, Steven A. Weinman – 1 August 1995 – The transport properties of three different synthetically prepared fluorescent conjugated bile acid analogs (FBA), all with the fluorophore on the side chain, were determined using isolated rat hepatocytes and hepatocyte couplets. The compounds studied were cholylglycylamidofluorescein (CGamF), cholyl‐(Nϵ‐nitrobenzoxadiazolyl [NBD])‐lysine (C‐NBD‐L), and chenodeoxycholyl‐(Nϵ‐NBD)‐lysine (CDC‐NBD‐L).

Kofi N. W. Oppong, Kim Bartlett, Christopher O. Record, Hanan Al Mardini – 1 August 1995 – Dysfunction of excitatory glutamatergic neurotransmission has been implicated in the cause of hepatic encephalopathy. Brain microdialysis studies in various animal models of portal systemic encephalopathy (PSE) and encephalopathy associated with acute liver failure, have established that an increase in extracellular glutamate occurs but the mechanisms of this are unclear.

Søren Møller, Lars Søndergaard, Jens Møgelvang, Ole Henriksen, Jens H. Henriksen – 1 August 1995 – Whether the central blood volume is reduced or expanded in cirrhosis is still under debate. Accordingly, the current study was undertaken to assess the volume of the heart cavities. Ten cirrhotic patients and matched controls had their right and left ventricular end‐diastolic volumes (RVDV and LVDV), and end‐systolic volumes (RVSV and LVSV) determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RVDV (122 vs. control 166 mL, P < .02), RVSV (41 vs. 80 mL, P < .02) and right atrial volume (47 vs.

John B. Watkins – 1 August 1995

Thuy‐Anh Tran‐Thi, Karl Decker, Patrick A. Baeuerle – 1 August 1995 – Liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) respond to many stimulations with the production of bioactive substances including cytokines, eicosanoids, and inorganic radicals. In this study the activation of transcription factors by substances inducing cytokine gene expression or superoxide formation in rat Kupffer cells was examined.