James Underhill, Peter Donaldson, Gary Bray, Derek Doherty, Bernard Portmann, Roger Williams – 1 December 1992 – In studies to date seeking associations between human leukocyte antigens (HLA) and primary biliary cirrhosis, no class I association but several different class II associations have been described. The aims of this study were to reassess the DR associations in primary biliary cirrhosis and to examine for the first time the role of DQB.

Akeshi Hirano, Neil Kaplowitz, Hidekazu Tsukamoto, Seiichiro Kamimura, Jose C. Fernandez‐Checa – 1 December 1992 – Long‐term ethanol feeding has been shown to selectively reduce hepatic mitochondrial glutathione content by impairing mitochondrial uptake of this thiol. In this study, we assessed the role of this defect in evolution of alcoholic liver disease by examining the mitochondrial glutathione pool and lipid peroxidation during progression of experimental alcoholic liver disease to centrilobular liver necrosis and fibrosis.

Shiv K. Sarin, Deepak Lahoti, Sanjay P. Saxena, Nandguri S. Murthy, Uday K. Makwana – 1 December 1992 – To determine the prevalence and natural history of gastric varices, we prospectively studied 568 patients (393 bleeders and 175 nonbleeders) with portal hypertension (cirrhosis in 301 patients, noncirrhotic portal fibrosis in 115 patients, extrahepatic portal vein obstruction in 117 patients and hepatic venous outflow obstruction in 35 patients).

Jaime Kulisevsky, Jesús Pujol, Joaquín Balanzó, Carme Junqué, Joan Deus, Antoni Capdevilla, Cándido Villanueva – 1 December 1992 – Patients with cirrhosis show increased signal intensity in the globus pallidus on T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. This abnormal appearance of the basal ganglia has been related to the severity of liver failure and to the presence of portalsystemic shunting, although its cause and clinical significance remain unknown.

Silvia Fargion, Alberto Piperno, Maria Domenica Cappellini, Maurizio Sampietro, Anna Ludovica Fracanzani, Riccardo Romano, Rita Caldarelli, Rosaria Marcelli, Luisa Vecchi, Gemino Fiorelli – 1 December 1992 – Porphyria cutanea tarda in human beings is believed to be due to reduced hepatic uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase activity. However, extrinsic factors such as alcohol abuse and drug intake are required for clinical manifestation of the disease. In addition to typical cutaneous lesions, patients with porphyria cutanea tarda usually have chronic liver disease and moderate iron overload.

Per Brøbech Mortensen – 1 December 1992 – The influence of lactulose on organic acid fermentation, nitrogen metabolism and excretion in the colonassociated with its mechanism of action on hepatic encephalopathy was investigated. Orally administered lactulose in increasing amounts (0 to 20 to 40 to 80 to 160 gm/day) to 12 healthy volunteers decreased ammonia production in 16.6% fecal homogenates incubated 6 hr and 24 hr at 37° C (mean ± S.E.M.:from 7 ± 1 to 0 ± 0 and from 13 ± 2 to 0 ± 0 mmol/L, respectively).

Paolo Angeli, Lorenza Caregaro, Francesca Menon, David Sacerdoti, Renzo de Toni, Carlo Merkel, Angelo Gatta – 1 December 1992 – Ascitic cirrhotic patients are a heterogenous population with respect to factors that may affect plasma human atrial natriuretic peptide levels (such as degree of plasma volume and plasma levels of angiotensin II, vasopressin and norepinephrine). Thus the proven variability of plasma human atrial natriuretic peptide values in ascitic cirrhotic patients may be due also to the selection of patients, not only to the study conditions.

Janusz Cianciara, Tomasz Laskus – 1 December 1992

Michael F. Kestell, John Sekijima, Sum P. Lee, Han Z. Park, Michelle Long, Eric W. Kaler – 1 December 1992 – Calcium salts are often present in the center of all types of gallstones. Matrix proteins are known to be essential for biomineralization and may therefore also be important in the formation and growth of gallstones. Other researchers have described an anionic peptide fraction of a biliary lipoprotein complex in bile and a low—molecular weight acidic glycoprotein present in gallstones.

Chu Chieh Hsia, Ritva P. Evarts, Harushige Nakatsukasa, Elizabeth R. Marsden, Snorri S. Thorgeirsson – 1 December 1992 – Proliferation of a new population of epithelial cells with distinct structure, as well as cytokeratin and α‐fetoprotein expression, was observed in nonneoplastic liver tissues from 14 cases (13 hepatitis B virus—positive) of human hepatocellular carcinoma. These cells were characterized by oval nuclei; scant, pale cytoplasm; small cell size; and cross‐reaction with a monoclonal antibody against rat oval cells.