Sarah Shefer, Gerald Salen, John Bullock, Lien B. Nguyen, Gene C. Ness, Zhihong Vhao, Peter F. Belamarich, Indu Chowdhary, Susan Lerner, Ashok K. Batta, G. Stephen Tint – 1 July 1994 – We investigated hepatic cholesterol homeostasis in four homozygous sitosterolemic subjects from two unrelated families who showed enhanced absorption, diminished removal and increased tissue and plasma concentrations of sitosterol (24‐ethyl cholesterol).

Jean Michel Heard – 1 July 1994 – The liver represents a model organ for gene therapy. A method has been developed for hepatic gene transfer in vivo by the direct infusion of recombinant retroviral vectors into the portal vasculature, which results in the persistent expression of exogenous genes. To determine if these technologies are applicable for the treatment of hemophilia B patients, preclinical efficacy studies were done in a hemophilia B dog model.

Vladimir Bogin, Thomas Shaw‐Stiffel – 1 July 1994

1 July 1994

Li‐Jun Mi, Jaygonda Patil, William E. Hornbuckle, Paul J. Cote, John L. Gerin, Bud C. Tennant, Fiorenzo Paronetto – 1 July 1994 – We analyzed the DNA ploidy and the nuclear size of hepatocytes within hepatocellular carcinoma, putative preneoplastic (clear cell and basophilic foci) and adjacent non‐neoplastic liver in 30 woodchucks neonatally infected with the woodchuck hepatitis virus. In livers from control woodchucks, in clear cell foci and in most chronic portal hepatitis, the hepatocytes were diploid, with less than 10% tetraploid cells.

Kenji Ikeda, Satoshi Saitoh, Isao Koida, Akihito Tsubota, Yasuji Arase, Kazuaki Chayama, Hiromitsu Kumada – 1 July 1994 – To elucidate the detectability of small hepatocellular carcinoma by various imaging modalities, we performed digital subtraction angiography, computed tomographic arterioportography and carbon dioxide‐enhanced ultrasonography. Of 76 patients with a small hepatocellular carcinoma of 2 cm or less in maximum diameter, 61 underwent digital subtraction angiography, computed tomographic arterioportography and enhanced ultrasonography at the same time.

Haruhiko Kobashi, Kazuhide Yamamoto, Toshifumi Yoshioka, Minoru Tomita, Takao Tsuji – 1 June 1994 – Neonatally thymectomized mice are unique in that they are prone to organ‐specific autoimmune diseases. We investigated whether autoimmune cholangitis could be induced in these mice when they were immunized with biliary antigens. Neonatally thymectomized A/J mice were immunized with porcine intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells (group 1), porcine gallbladder epithelial cells (group 2), porcine splenocytes (group 3) or Freund's adjuvant (group 4).

Raymond S. Koff – 1 June 1994

1 June 1994

Gary L. Davis, Johnson Y.‐N. Lau, Mickie S. Urdea, Paul D. Neuwald, Judith C. Wilber, Karen Lindsay, Robert P. Perrillo, Janice Albrecht – 1 June 1994 – To determine the optimal conditions for preparation of serum specimens for quantitative hepatitis C virus RNA determination, patient samples were processed such that differences in time from clot formation to centrifugation, centrifugation to separation of serum and collection of serum until freezing could be independently assessed. The effects of multiple cycles of freezing and thawing were also determined.