H Tashiro, Y Fukuda, A Kimura, S Hoshino, H Ito, K Dohi – 1 April 1996 – Mixed chimerism has been demonstrated in organ transplant recipients surviving over a long period. However, little is known about the fate and movements of donor cells following liver transplantation. In this study, using rat male‐to‐female liver transplantation, we assessed microchimerism by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A PCR specific for the Y‐chromosome (sex‐determining region Y [Sry]) allowed the distinction of small amounts of male cells in a large excess of female cells.

M Peters – 1 April 1996

X Xiol, J Ariza – 1 April 1996

K E Sherman, C Andreatta, J O'Brien, A Gutierrez, R Harris – 1 April 1996 – Patients coinfected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were studied with regard to nucleotide sequence variability in the E2/NS1 first hypervariable region of the HCV genome. The nucleotide variability within individual patients was compared to patients infected only with HCV. The proportion of predicted synonymous and nonsynonymous amino acid changes, and the relationship to putative high‐antigenicity sites, were evaluated in the hypervariable envelope domain.

I Sakaida, Y Matsumura, M Kubota, K Kayano, K Takenaka, K Okita – 1 April 1996 – No effective therapy has yet developed for liver fibrosis by directory inhibiting the accumulation of extracellular matrix. The effect of a newly synthesized prolyl4‐hydroxylase (PH) inhibitor, HOE 077 (pyridine‐ 2, 4‐di‐carboxylic‐di(2‐methoxyethyl)amide), was examined using the model of choline‐deficient L‐amino acid (CDAA) defined diet‐induced liver fibrosis in 16‐week‐old male Wistar rats.

S Langouet, F Morel, D J Meyer, O Fardel, L Corcos, B Ketterer, A Guillouzo – 1 April 1996 – Recently, we used human hepatocytes in primary culture to study the effects of inducers of glutathione‐S‐transferases (GSTs) in the expectation that information obtained can be used to predict the value of particular inducers for use in the chemoprevention of cancer and other toxicities. However, in vitro human studies cannot readily be confirmed by studies in vivo. This problem does not arise in experimental animals.

H P Friedman, J D Goldberg – 1 April 1996

S Mondro – 1 April 1996

T Körner, J Kropf, R Hackler, A Brenzel, A M Gressner – 1 March 1996 – In a preliminary study, we demonstrated a strong association between the concentration of the glycoprotein fibronectin (FN) in human bile fluid and the presence of malignant biliary diseases. We now present the results of measurements of total FN (tFN) and cellular FN (cFN) within a larger group of 71 patients. Bile fluid was collected during routine endoscopic retrograde cholangiography or by transhepatic puncture, respectively, from patients admitted for examination/treatment of biliary obstruction.

P Pellinen, F Stenback, A Kojo, P Honkakoski, H V Gelboin, M Pasanen – 1 March 1996 – The effects of daily cocaine administration for up to 14 days were studied in terms of hepatic morphology and the expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in the mouse liver. Daily intraperitoneal doses of 60 mg/kg of cocaine for 3 days induced severe hepatocellular necrosis in the pericentral zone and decreased activities of CYP1A2, CYP2A4/5, and CYP2Cx.