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.

E Mawet, Y Shiratori, Y Hikiba, H Takada, H Yoshida, K Okano, Y Komatsu, M Matsumura, Y Niwa, M Omata – 1 February 1996 – To clarify the role of intercellular communication in the liver during accumulation of neutrophils, the release of cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC) (interleukin‐8 [IL‐8] related protein in rodents) by hepatocytes was investigated in the presence of Kupffer cell‐conditioned medium in vitro.

M Sasaki, T Morita, M Hoso, Y Nakanuma, H Tanimura – 1 February 1996 – We investigated whether carbohydrate antigens on biliary glycoproteins and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) are related to hepatolithiasis.

D A Brenner – 1 February 1996

M Guido, S N Thung – 1 February 1996

K Ogasawara, J Uchino, Y Une, Y Fujioka – 1 February 1996 – Portal vein embolization has been used recently to decrease the amount of the liver to be resected and to enhance the function of the remaining hypertrophied lobes. We have observed a strong contact destructivity of absolute ethanol and used it for portal vein embolization. The present study was performed to produce hepatic hypertrophy and to show histopathologic changes that follow ethanol embolization of rat liver.

T E Miettinen, Y A Kesaniemi, H Gylling, H Jarvinen, E Silvennoinen, T A Miettinen – 1 February 1996 – Human bile and cholesterol gallstones contain sterols including methylated (lanosterol and other dimethyl and monomethyl sterols), and demethylated cholesterol precursor sterols (Δ 8‐lathosterol, lathosterol, and desmosterol), plant sterols (campesterol and sitosterol), and cholestanol.

P Angeli, G Albino, P Carraro, M D Pria, C Merkel, L Caregaro, E De Bei, A Bortoluzzi, M Plebani, A Gatta – 1 February 1996 – The aim of the study was to define the features, prevalence, and pathophysiology of therapy for muscle cramps in cirrhotic patients. The first protocol study included 294 cirrhotic patients and 194 age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Controls were defined as inpatients or outpatients without any clinical and laboratory evidence of liver disease. Features and prevalence of muscle cramps were defined on the basis of a standard questionnaire.

F Tanaka, Y Shiratori, O Yokosuka, F Imazeki, Y Tsukada, M Omata – 1 February 1996 – In an attempt to clarify the genetic factors in alcoholism among the Japanese, polymorphism of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) genes has been investigated.

E Larrea, N Garcia, C Qian, M P Civeira, J Prieto – 1 February 1996 – Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) is a cytokine with pleiotropic properties that is induced in a variety of pathological situations including viral infections. In this work, we analyzed the expression of TNF‐α gene in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Serum TNF‐α levels were found to be elevated in all chronic hepatitis C patients including those cases presenting sustained biochemical remission of the disease after interferon therapy.