R G Gish, J Y Lau, L Brooks, J W S Fang, S L Steady, J C Imperial, R Garcia‐Kennedy, C O Esquivel, E B Keeffe – 1 January 1996 – To determine the safety and efficacy of ganciclovir treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection after liver transplantation, nine patients (seven males, two females; mean age, 38 years) with posttransplant HBV infection were treated with ganciclovir for 3 to 10 months. Ganciclovir was administered intravenously at an initial dose of 5 mg/kg/d and then increased to 10 mg/kg/d. Immunosuppressive drug therapy was maintained at low levels.

G Leroux‐Roels, C A Esquivel, R DeLeys, L Stuyver, A Elewaut, J Philippé, I Desombere, J Paradijs, G Maertens – 1 January 1996 – The quality of the hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐specific T‐cell response may greatly determine the course of an HCV infection. An adequate T‐cell response may contribute to a successful clearance of the virus and a rapid recovery from the disease. An inadequate response may lead to viral persistence and may eventually contribute to the pathogenesis of hepatocellular damage in chronic disease.

A J Sanyal, A M Freedman, P P Purdum, M L Shiffman, V A Luketic – 1 January 1996 – Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) are a recent innovation in the management of portal hypertension. In 1992, we had previously described an instance of severe hemolysis associated with this procedure. This study was undertaken to define and quantify the true incidence of TIPS‐associated hemolysis and its clinical spectrum, as well as to test the hypothesis that portal decompression by TIPS would ameliorate hypersplenism in patients with portal hypertension.

E M Alonso, J B Piper, G Echols, J R Thistlethwaite, P F Whitington – 1 January 1996 – The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence and severity of rejection episodes in a group of children receiving living related orthotopic liver transplants (LRLT) versus children receiving cadaveric liver transplants (CLT). Thirty‐eight patients received primary LRLT and 54 patients received CLT during a 3‐year period ending June 1993. Baseline immunosuppression consisted of cyclosporin, azathioprine, and corticosteroids.

R T Mathie, V Ralevic, K P Moore, G Burnstock – 1 January 1996 – The contribution of nitric oxide to mesenteric arterial vasodilator responses was investigated in the isolated perfused mesenteric arterial bed of cirrhotic rats (carbon tetrachloride/phenobarbitone; n = 6). Age‐ matched (n = 9) and phenobarbitone‐treated rats (n = 9) served as controls.

E Albano, P Clot, M Morimoto, A Tomasi, M Ingelman‐Sundberg, S W French – 1 January 1996 – We have previously shown that the treatment with diallyl sulfide (DAS) and phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PIC) of rats receiving ethanol in the alcohol tube‐feeding model effectively suppressed the induction of cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) by ethanol. Here we report that rat treatment with DAS and PIC significantly decreased the trapping of hydroxyethyl free radicals in liver microsomes incubated in vitro with ethanol.

G R Locke, T M Therneau, J Ludwig, E R Dickson, K D Lindor – 1 January 1996 – Histological staging is used for stratification and assessment of treatment efficacy in therapeutic trials for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Knowledge of the rate of progression of the histological changes would be helpful in the design (duration) and conduct of clinical trials. The histological stages were recorded for liver biopsies performed annually on 222 patients during a randomized, placebo‐ controlled clinical trial in which therapy with D‐penicillamine (DPCA) was shown to be ineffective.

P Nagy, H C Bisgaard, E Santoni‐Rugiu, S S Thorgeirsson – 1 January 1996 – Expression of several growth factors is elevated in rat liver, after induction of oval cell proliferation by chemical carcinogens. However, the exact roles played by individual factors are not defined. We infused and examined the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on the proliferation of ductal and periductal cells after their activation with 2‐acetylaminofluorene (2‐ AAF).

S H Uchman, R Cesar – 1 January 1996

W. Kenneth Washburn, Lynt B. Johnson, W. David Lewis, Roger L. Jenkins – 1 January 1996 – Patients with adult polycystic liver disease and massive cystic replacement of the liver may present with severe debilitation and impairment of functional performance or, rarely, with signs of portal hypertension or hepatic dysfunction. In those patients incapacitated by severe hepatomegaly secondary to massive cystic replacement with predominantly small cysts (2 cm) without areas of parenchymal sparing, liver transplantation is a therapeutic option.