Raymond S. Koff, John K. Zawacki – 1 December 1991

Andrea Crosignani, Mauro Podda, Pier Maria Battezzati, Emanuela Bertolini, Massimo Zuin, David Watson, Kenneth D. R. Setchell – 1 December 1991 – We describe a detailed study of the effects of ursodeoxycholic acid administration on bile acid composition of the serum and bile of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Theo P. J. Mulder, A. Roelof Janssens, Hein W. Verspaget, Cornelis B. H. W. Lamers – 1 December 1991 – The plasma metallothionein concentration was evaluated in healthy subjects and in patients with several types of liver disorders. Plasma metallothionein concentrations in controls varied between 2.4 and 4.8 ng/ml.

Juan Cabrera, Luis Inglada, Enrique Quintero, Wladymiro Jimenez, Antonio Losada, Juan Mayor, Cayetano Guerra – 1 December 1991 – Fourteen cirrhotic patients with tense ascites were treated with total paracentesis and intravenous isotonic saline infusion. Standard liver and kidney function tests, plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentration were measured before, at 48 hrs and at 7 days after total paracentesis. The volume of ascites removed was 7.7 ± 5.6 1 (mean ± S.E.M.).

Richard Moreau, Antoine Hadengue, Eric Pussard, Olivier Soubrane, Philippe Sogni, Christophe Gaudin, Didier Lebrec – 1 December 1991 – We studied the relationships in 29 patients with cirrhosis between pulmonary arterial atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations and the following: systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics, the hematocrit, arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation, oxygen tension and the severity of cirrhosis. Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations ranged from 21 to 208 pg/ml and averaged 78 ± 8 pg/ml (mean ± S.E.M.).

Yannick Bacq, Jean‐Marc Besnier, Thanh‐Hai Duong, Guy Pavie, Etienne‐Henri Metman, Patrick Choutet – 1 December 1991 – Fascioliasis is the parasitic infestation of the liver and biliary tract related to Fasciola hepatica. Bithionol is proposed as the treatment of choice for human fascioliasis without major side effects. However, the efficacy of bithionol has been evaluated in chronic but not in acute fascioliasis. In this study we report on the success of treatment with bithionol in 10 patients with fascioliasis, 8 having acute fascioliasis.

Giris Jacob, Bashara Bishara, Samuel S. Lee, Nir Hilzenart, Arieh Bomzon – 1 December 1991 – Recent evidence suggests that serotonergic mechanisms within the cardiovascular system are activated and may be important in the development of the hyperkinetic circulation and the maintenance of portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients.

Adrian M. di Bisceglie, Zachary D. Goodman, Kamal G. Ishak, Jay H. Hoofnagle, Jacqueline J. Melpolder, Harvey J. Alter – 1 December 1991 – We have evaluated the clinical and histopathological outcomes of patients who contracted chronic non A, non B hepatitis as a result of transfusions administered during heart surgery at the National Institutes of Health. Posttransfusion hepatitis developed in 65 of 1,070 (6.1%) patients and became chronic in 45 (69%) of those cases. Antibody to hepatitis C virus was detectable in 53 patients (82%) with posttransfusion non A, non B hepatitis.

Michael Oellerich, Martin Burdelski, Hans‐Ulrich Lautz, Lutz Binder, Rudolf Pichlmayr – 1 December 1991 – The aim of this prospective study was to examine the usefulness of flow‐dependent dynamic liver function tests and conventional methods of evaluating liver function as predictors of pretransplant survival in patients with advanced cirrhosis. Patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation within the follow‐up period of 365 days were excluded. One hundred one patients with histologically confirmed cirrhosis were studied.

Steven I. Shedlofsky, Niel C. Hoglen, Larry E. Rodman, Ron Honchel, Farrel R. Robinson, Alice T. Swim, Craig J. McClain, Larry W. Robertson – 1 December 1991 – To determine whether the cytokine tumor necrosis factor/cachectin might be a mediator of hepatotoxicity seen after exposure to polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, rats treated with a single dose of 3,3′,4,4′‐tetrabromobiphenyl (150 μmol/kg intraperitoneally) or corn oil vehicle were studied. The 3,3′,4,4′‐tetrabromobiphenyl caused the expected anorexia, alterations in organ weights and changes in cytochromes P‐450 over 21 days.