Mercedes Ruiz‐Moreno, Maria José Rua, Inmaculada Castillo, Maria Dolores García‐Novo, Maravillas Santos, Sonia Navas, Vicente Carreño – 1 October 1992 – Twelve children with chronic non‐A, non‐B hepatitis were entered in a pilot trial of recombinant interferon‐α. Although all the children had hepatitis C virus RNA in serum, only five had antibodies against this virus. Children received 3 MU/m2 body surface area interferon‐α 3 times/wk for 6 mo; they were followed for 24 mo, including the therapy period.

Frieder Berr, Joseph Holl, Dieter Jüngst, Sven Fischer, Werner O. Richter, Bernd Seifferth, Gustav Paumgartner – 1 October 1992 – Because fatty acid composition of biliary phospholipids influences cholesterol secretion into bile, we investigated whether replacement of n‐1 monounsaturated or n‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids with n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in biliary phosphatidylcholines reduces supersaturation with cholesterol and prevents precipitation of cholesterol crystals in bile of gallstone patients.

Jean‐François Dufour, Peter Gehr, Jürg Reichen – 1 October 1992 – To investigate the potential role of lysosomes in cirrhosis, we analyzed the activity of lysosomal enzymes in rats exposed long‐term to phenobarbital and carbon tetrachloride. The activity of lysosomal enzymes was markedly increased in the homogenate of cirrhotic livers (e.g., arylsulfatase 9 ± S.D.2 vs. 16 ± 6 nmoles · min−1 · mg−1 in control rats and cirrhotic rats, respectively; p < 0.001). The corresponding plasma levels were also increased (7 ± 1 vs.

José Eduardo de Salles Roselino, Orlando de Castro‐e‐silva, Reginaldo Ceneviva – 1 October 1992 – Previous studies indicated a role for ischemia in the metabolic changes induced by cholestasis. Liver pyruvate kinase is a key enzyme for the concurrent control of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. In this experiment the control of pyruvate kinase activity was investigated in cholestatic rats. Pyruvate kinase kinetics changed from a sigmoidal type in sham‐operated rats to a hyperbolic type in obstructed rats.

Brendan J. R. Whittle, Salvador Moncada – 1 October 1992

1 October 1992

Massimo Puoti, Antonella Zonaro, Antonella Ravaggi, Maria Grazia Marin, Filippo Castelnuovo, Elisabetta Cariani – 1 October 1992 – Hepatitis C virus RNA, anti—hepatitis C virus immune response and biochemical markers of liver injury were investigated in 17 patients with acute non‐A, non‐B hepatitis. At the first observation, 1 to 3 wk from the clinical onset, all patients had hepatitis C virus RNA in their serum, and most (15 of 17) were positive for second‐generation anti—hepatitis C virus enzyme immunoassay. Follow‐up serum samples were available for 10 patients.

Stephen H. Caldwell, Patrick S. C. Leung, James R. Spivey, Thomas Prindiville, Maria de Medina, Theparat Saicheur, Merrill Rowley, K. Rajender Reddy, Ross Coppel, Lennox J. Jeffers, Ian R. MacKay, Eugene R. Schiff, M. Eric Gershwin – 1 October 1992 – The 2‐oxo‐acid dehydrogenase family of enzymes have been identified as the major mitochondrial autoantigens of primary biliary cirrhosis.

Margaret S. Swain, Marcelle Bergeron, Robert Audet, Andres T. Bleiz, Roger F. Butterworth – 1 October 1992 – Alterations of brain and cerebrospinal fluid amino acids have consistently been described in human and experimental fulminant liver failure.

Paul D. Berk – 1 October 1992