Peter W. J. Kowalski‐Saunders, Paul J. Winwood, Michael J. P. Arthur, Ralph Wright – 1 September 1992 – Decreased albumin synthesis by hepatocytes in liver injury is thought to occur in response to Kupffer cell–derived acute‐phase cytokines. In this study we used hepatocytes maintained in a differentiated phenotype, by culture on a laminin‐rich gel substratum (Engelbreth‐Holm‐Swarm matrix), to investigate the effects of Kupffer cell–conditioned medium and purified cytokines (interleukin‐1, interleukin‐6 and tumor necrosis factor–a) on albumin synthesis.

Yvon Calmus, Jerome Guechot, Philippe Podevin, Marie‐Therese Bonnefis, Jacqueline Giboudeau, Raoul Poupon – 1 September 1992 – Cell‐mediated immunity and macrophage activity, especially that of Kupffer cells, are impaired during cholestasis. Some evidence exists that bile acids play a role in these immune defects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of individual bile acids on immunity and to determine whether monocytes could be a target.

Steven M. Strasberg, Pierre‐Alain Clavien – 1 September 1992

Patrick N. Gilles, Deborah L. Guerrette, Richard J. Ulevitch, Robert D. Schreiber, Francis V. Chisari – 1 September 1992 – The role that inflammatory cytokines may play in the life cycle of the hepatitis B virus and in the pathogenesis of its associated liver disease has not been carefully delineated.

Francloise Lunel, Nisen Abuaf, Lionel Frangeul, Patrick Grippon, Michèle Perrin, Yann Le Coz, Dominique Valla, Eric Borotto, Anne‐Marie Yamamoto, Jean‐Marie Huraux, Pierre Opolon, Jean‐Claude Homberg – 1 September 1992 – Recent studies have shown that hepatitis C virus antibodies are present in a large proportion of patients with autoimmune hepatitis type 2. We have studied 83 patients with liver/kidney microsome antibody‐positive type 1 hepatitis.

Timothy R. Morgan, Charles L. Mendenhall – 1 September 1992 – This prospective study compared the effects of tube‐fed nutrition with those of a regular diet in alcoholic liver disease. The high prevalence of malnutrition in patients with alcoholic liver disease requires clarification of the benefits of aggressive nutritional support. Patients were randomly assigned a regular diet without or with tube‐fed supplementation, delivering 1.5 g/kg protein and 167 kJ/kg daily.

Alexander L. Gerbes, Rochus Witthaut, Veit Gülberg, Gaétan Thibault, Manfred Bilzer, Dieter Jüngst – 1 September 1992 – Mesenteric, hepatic and splanchnic extraction of C‐terminal and N‐terminal atrial natriuretic factor was investigated in male Sprague‐Dawley rats. Plasma concentrations (mean ± S.E.M.) of C‐terminal atrial natriuretic factor were 55.0 ± 6.1 fmol/ml, 31.2 ± 4.0 fmol/ml and 23.5 ± 3.3 fmol/ml (n = 12) in the abdominal aorta, the portal vein and the hepatic vein, respectively.

Colin N. A. Palmer, Philip J. Coates, Susan E. Davies, Elizabeth A. Shephard, Ian R. Phillips – 1 September 1992 – The localization of the expression of several cytochrome P‐450 genes in normal and diseased human liver was investigated by in situ hybridization of formalin‐fixed, paraffin wax–embedded archival tissue samples with 35S‐labeled antisense RNA probes.

José Antonio Girón, Melchor Alvarez‐Mon, José Luis Menéndez‐Caro, Luis Abreu, Agustín Albillos, Luis Manzano, Alberto Durántez – 1 September 1992 – Immunoglobulin secretion by B lymphocytes is a complex process in which lymphokines secreted by T lymphocytes play an important regulatory role. Increased serum levels of IgA and IgG have been characteristically detected in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. We have studied the functional alterations of T and B lymphocytes implicated in the physiopathology of this common immunoglobulin abnormality.

Josep Llach, Antoni Rimola, Miquel Navasa, Pere Ginès, Joan M. Salmerón, Angels Ginès, Vicente Arroyo, Joan Rodés – 1 September 1992 – To investigate the long‐term probability of the appearance of the first episode of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in cirrhosis with ascites and to identify predictors of this complication, we closely followed throughout their illness 127 patients consecutively admitted to our unit for the treatment of an episode of ascites without prior spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (follow‐up period: 21 ± 22 mo).