Mei‐Hwei Chang, Hong‐Yuan Hsu, Hey‐Chi Hsu, Yen‐Hsuan Ni, Juei‐San Chen, Ding‐Shinn Chen – 1 November 1995 – To investigate the significance of spontaneous hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion during childhood, 415 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carrier children (ages 0 to 15 years) were prospectively followed for 7.1 ± 2.9 years. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers and liver function profiles of each child were tested at least once every 6 months. Among them, 50 were initially anti‐HBe positive and 140 seroconverted from HBeAg to anti‐HBe during follow‐up.

Michael Wilschanski, Peter Chait, Judy A. Wade, Lori Davis, Mary Corey, Patrick St. Louis, Anne M. Griffiths, Laurence M. Blendis, Stanley P. Moroz, Linda Scully, Eve A. Roberts – 1 November 1995 – The clinical presentation and outcome of 32 children with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are reviewed, the largest North American series. The majority of patients were diagnosed in their second decade (median age: 13 years). Four children presented before the age of 2 years, but none in the neonatal period.

Ruth Adler, Esther Hurwitz, Jack R. Wands, Michael Sela, Daniel Shouval – 1 November 1995 – Doxorubicin (adriamycin), once considered the treatment of choice for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is known to cause cardiotoxicity and myelotoxicity. To reduce the systemic toxicity of adriamycin by direct delivery of the drug to the tumor site, we established a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to hepatoma associated antigens that were conjugated to adriamycin by a dextran bridge.

Antonio Benedetti, Antonio di Sario, Gianluca Svegliati Baroni, Anne Marie Jezequel – 1 November 1995 – Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) is involved in promoting cell death by apoptosis in the liver, whereas the activation of Na+/H+ exchanger has been related to cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to gain information on the effects of TGFβ1 on intracellular pH and Na+H+ exchange activity in isolated periportal (PP) and perivenular (PV) rat hepatocytes using the pH‐sensitive dye BCECF in a perfused subconfluent hepatocyte monolayer.

Marijke van Oosten, Erika van de Bilt, Helga E. de Vries, Theo J. C. van Berkel, Johan Kuiper – 1 November 1995 – During sepsis the infiltration of leukocytes plays a pivotal role in tissue damage. Induction of septic shock results in an early accumulation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the liver (after 3 hours), which is followed by an infiltration of mononuclear phagocytes (after 30 hours). Expression of adhesion molecules may contribute to the migration of leukocytes to the site of inflammation.

Gotaro Yamada, Masahiro Takatani, Fumitoshi Kishi, Michiko Takahashi, Toshihiko Doi, Takao Tsuji, Sadahito Shin, Masashi Tanno, Mickey S. Urdea, Janice A. Kolberg – 1 November 1995 – To clarify the viral factors that may predict the therapeutic effect of interferon (IFN) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients, we investigated the quantitative serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA level, genotype, and liver biopsy histological features in 60 patients who were treated with 360 × 106 U of natural IFN‐α for 36 to 48 weeks and for more than 12 months after therapy.

Yun‐Fan Liaw, Ching‐Song Lee, Sun‐Lung Tsai, Bo‐Wen Liaw, Tse‐Ching Chen, I‐Shyan Sheen, Chia‐Ming Chu – 1 November 1995 – Virus‐specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) have been suggested to be responsible for the liver injuries in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, there has been no report of direct evidence to substantiate this hypothesis. In this study, we performed in vitro autologous hepatocytotoxicity assay in 45 patients to examine a possible role of CTLs to HCV‐in‐fected liver cells.

Bernard Campillo, Pierre‐Etienne Chabrier, Gabriel Pelle, Said Sediame, Guy Atlan, Paul Fouet, Serge Adnot – 1 November 1995 – Increased vascular production of nitric oxide (NO) may contribute to the peripheral vasodilation and hyperdynamic state complicating advanced liver cirrhosis.

Daniela Simon, Brian I. Carr – 1 November 1995 – We have studied the genetic profile of the host genome and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in HBV‐associated primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Comparative analyses of HCC cell line Hep 40 and the original biopsy specimens showed the episomal and replicating form of HBV only in the biopsy specimen from nontumor (NT) cirrhotic liver tissue, where a molecular change in the 1p36 region was detected (NT tissue showed a normal 46XY karyotype). In contrast, only integrated HBV was detected in HCC tumor (T) tissue and Hep 40 cells.

You‐Chen Chao, Tong‐Ho Young, Wei‐Kuo Chang, Hung‐Shang Tang, Chung‐Te Hsu – 1 November 1995 – The human cytochrome P4502E1 gene (P4502E1), coding for an ethanol‐inducible nitrosamine‐metabolizing P‐450, is involved in the metabolism of ethanol and many known carcinogens. Recently, restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLps) within the P4502E1 have been suggested as genetic markers of susceptibility to alcohol‐induced liver disease but the previous studies disagree whether alcoholics with c1 or c2 allele are more susceptible to alcohol‐induced liver disease.