To ligate or sclerose: Beginning of a new era in the management of esophageal varices?

S. K. Sarin, V. Bhatia – 1 April 1993 – Background. Endoscopic sclerotherapy is an accepted treatment for bleeding esophageal varices, but it is associated with substantial local and systemic complications. Endoscopic ligation, a new form of endoscopic treatment for bleeding varices, may be safer. We compared the effectiveness and safety of the two techniques.

Hepatitis C virus antibodies and liver disease in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda

Mar Decastro, Javier Sánchez, Jesús F. Herrera, Asunción Cháves, Rafael Durán, Luisa García ‐Buey, Carmelo García‐Monzón, Julia Sequí, Ricardo Moreno‐Otero – 1 April 1993 – The recent identification of the hepatitis C virus and development of assays to detect antibodies to hepatitis C virus has allowed assessment of the prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in patients with a variety of liver and other diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies and severity of liver injury in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda.

Quantitation of hepatitis C virus RNA in serum of asymptomatic blood donors and patients with type C chronic liver disease

Hideki Hagiwara, Norio Hayashi, Eiji Mita, Masafumi Naito, Akinori Kasahara, Hideyuki Fusamoto, Takenobu Kamada – 1 April 1993 – We describe a method for quantifying hepatitis C virus RNA in serum. This competitive assay combines reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction and is based on coamplification of the target RNA with known amounts of synthetic mutated RNA.

The intraportal lymphoid nodule and its environment in chronic active hepatitis C: An immunohistochemical study

Jean‐François Mosnier, Claude Degott, Patrick Marcellin, Dominique Hénin, Serge Erlincer, Jean‐Pierre Benhamou – 1 March 1993 – Intraportal lymphoid nodules have been observed in liver biopsy specimens from patients with autoimmune liver disease and chronic active hepatitis C. They are characterized by a nodular lymphocyte aggregate with a germinal center. The purpose of this in situ immunophenotyping study was to determine immunohistochemically the phenotype of immunocompetent cells in and around intraportal lymphoid nodules in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Pentoxifylline prevents fibrosis in an animal model and inhibits platelet‐derived growth factor–driven proliferation of fibroblasts

Theresa C. Peterson – 1 March 1993 – Liver fibrosis is a complex process characterized by two major events: fibroproliferation and increased collagen synthesis. The exact role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis remains to be established, but platelet‐derived growth factor clearly stimulates proliferation of fibroblasts and increases collagen synthesis. In in vitro studies, pentoxifylline, a methylxanthine, significantly reduced platelet‐derived growth factor–driven proliferation of fibroblasts.

Formation of 7α‐ and 7β‐hydroxylated bile acid precursors from 27‐hydroxycholesterol in human liver microsomes and mitochondria

Junichi Shoda, Anders Toll, Magnus Axelson, Fritz Pieper, Kjell Wikvall, Jan Sjövall – 1 March 1993 – In a search for enzymes involved in the formation of bile acids from 27‐hydroxycholesterol in humans, the metabolism of this and other side‐chain oxygenated steroids was studied in human liver microsomes and mitochondria. The microsomal fraction contained enzyme(s) catalyzing 7α‐hydroxylation of 27‐hydroxycholesterol and 3β‐hydroxy‐5‐cholestenoic acid, whereas the 7α‐hydroxylation of cholesterol and 3β‐hydroxy‐5‐cholenoic acid was low.

Variability in the expression of a β2‐microglobulin epitope on hepatocytes in chronic type C hepatitis on treatment with interferon

Luisa García‐Buey, Miguel López‐Botet, Asunción García‐Sánchez, María A. Balboa, José Aramburu, Carmelo García‐Monzón, Agustín Acevedo, Ricardo Moreno‐Otero – 1 March 1993 – Cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes recognize viral antigens in the context of human leukocyte antigen class I molecule coexpression by target cells. Analysis of β2‐microglobulin reactivity is useful in evaluating changes in human leukocyte antigen class I antigen distribution.

Zonal changes of hepatobiliary taurocholate transport in intrahepatic cholestasis induced by 17α‐ethinyl estradiol: A histoautoradiographic study in rats

Hans‐Peter Buscher, Inge Meder, Sabine Macnelly, Wolfgang Gerok – 1 March 1993 – The liver has a great reserve capacity for hepatobiliary bile salt transport. This study was performed to elucidate the significance of this capacity in ethinyl estradiol–induced cholestasis by direct visualization of the zonal involvement in taurocholate transport. The acinar distribution of [3H]taurocholate was determined by histoautoradiographical study of cryopreserved liver slices in normal rats and rats treated with ethinyl estradiol for 5 days.

Subscribe to