Frederic Oberti, Philippe Sogni, Stephane Cailmail, Richard Moreau, Bernard Pipy, Didier Lebrec – 1 September 1993 – Although prostaglandins are thought to be involved in the hyperdynamic circulation of portal hypertension, the role of this substance has not been elucidated. Dose‐response curves, the hemodynamic effects of prostacyclin (20 μg/kg) and its inhibitor indomethacin and measurements of plasma and urinary levels of 6‐keto‐prostaglandin F1α were compared in three groups of six rats each: normal, with portal vein stenosis and with secondary biliary cirrhosis.

Toshitaka Akatsuka, Mickhail Donets, Luca Scaglione, Wei‐Mei Ching, J. Wai‐Kuo Shih, Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, Stephen M. Feinstone – 1 September 1993 – Four monospecific antibodies against the hepatitis C virus nucleocapsid protein, which was expressed by recombinant baculovirus, were obtained by Epstein‐Barr virus transformation of B cells from three patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. One of these antibodies was IgG and the other three were IgM.

Florence Wong, Sheldon Tobe, Louis Legault, Alexander G. Logan, Karl Skorecki, Laurence M. Blendis – 1 September 1993 – Cirrhotic patients with ascites refractory to diuretics also have blunted response to marked elevations of plasma atrial natriuretic factor levels alone or to moderate intravascular volume expansion by head‐out water immersion. However, these patients usually undergo natriuresis after peritoneovenous shunting.

Jens H. Henriksen, Helmer Ring‐Larsen – 1 September 1993

Raymond S. Koff, Franklin M. Klion – 1 September 1993

Sanjeev Arora – 1 September 1993

Steven C. Simon – 1 September 1993

Kang Jong‐Hon, Yuji Togashi, Hiroshi Kasai, Masuo Hosokawa, Noritoshi Takeichi – 1 September 1993 – Acute hepatitis spontaneously develops in the Long‐Evans Cinnamon rat at the age of 4 mo, and eventually hepatocellular carcinoma develops after the chronic hepatitis that persists for over a year. Previously, abnormal copper accumulation was found in the livers of Long‐Evans Cinnamon rats from birth, and it was reported that short‐term administration of D‐penicillamine, a copper‐chelating agent, prevented acute hepatitis in Long‐Evans Cinnamon rats.

Robert K. Ockner, Raja M. Kaikaus, Nathan M. Bass – 1 September 1993 – Despite increasing understanding of the genetic control of cell growth and the identification of several involved chemical and infectious factors, the pathogenesis of clinical and experimental hepatocellular carcinoma remains unknown. Available evidence is consistent with the possibility that selected changes in the hepatocellular metabolism of long‐chain fatty acids may contribute significantly to this process.

Alfred L. Baker – 1 September 1993 – Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia is frequently associated with chronic hepatitis. This report presents four cases of cryoglobulinemia with vasculitis associated with chronic hepatitis related to hepatitis C virus infection. Hepatitis C virus infection was ascertained in the four patients by both the presence in the serum of anti‐HCV antibodies detected by the fourantigen recombinant immunoblot assay and of HCV RNA detected by polymerase chain reaction.