Alain Braillon, Christophe Gaudin, Jorge L. Poo, Richard Moreau, Bertrand Debaene, Didier Lebrec – 1 January 1992 – In patients with cirrhosis, the significance of elevated plasma catecholamine concentrations is unclear. Thus we investigated the relationship between plasma catecholamine concentrations and the hemodynamic effect of pindolol (an index of sympathetic vascular tone) in 10 patients with cirrhosis.

Samuel S. Lee, Kaj Johansen, Didier Lebrec – 1 January 1992 – We studied the hemodynamics in four groups of rats with combinations of mesenteric hypertension and portal diversion. Operations created three groups with mesenteric hypertension and different degrees of portal venous diversion: mesenteric vein stenosis, portal vein stenosis and end‐to‐side portacaval anastomosis with mesenteric vein stenosis, the fourth group had only portacaval anastomosis. A control group had sham operations.

M. Sawkat Anwer, James M. Atkinson – 1 January 1992 – The effect of Ca+ + mobilizing agonists arginine vasopressin and phenylephrine on Na+/H+ exchange was studied in freshly isolated hepatocytes and isolated perfused rat livers. The activity of Na+/H+ exchange was determined from the rate of H+ efflux, 22Na uptake and pHi recovery. Arginine vasopressin and phenylephrine stimulated H+ efflux and 22Na uptake in isolated rat hepatocytes and increased the rate of pHi recovery from acid‐loaded hepatocytes. These effects were inhibited by amiloride.

Tomoaki Tomiya, Sumiko Nagoshi, Kenji Fujiwara – 1 January 1992 – Serum human hepatocyte growth factor levels were measured using a newly developed enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit in patients with liver diseases. Serum human hepatocyte growth factor levels were increased in correlation with derangements of prothrombin time, total bilirubin and other parameters reflecting hepatocellular dysfunction in 112 patients with chronic liver disease. The levels were positively correlated with serum AST and ALT levels in 59 of these patients whose prothrombin times were within the normal range.

Agata Budkowska, Pascal Dubreuil, Thierry Poynard, Patrick Marcellin, Marie‐Anne Loriot, Patrick Maillard, Jacques Pillot – 1 January 1992 – Serial sera were collected prospectively during the clinical course of 13 HBsAg carriers with chronic liver disease and analyzed for ALT levels, pre‐S1 and pre‐S2 antigens and corresponding antibodies and other serological hepatitis B virus markers.

Ian G. McFarlane, Kanchan Chaggar, Susan E. Davies, Heather M. Smith, Graeme J. M. Alexander, Roger Williams – 1 December 1991 – Sera from 31 patients with chronic hepatitis delta virus infection and 18 patients with acute hepatitis delta virus infection were examined for IgA class antibodies to this virus using a newly developed enzyme immunoassay. IgA antibody to hepatitis D virus was detected in 21 (67.7%) of 31 patients with chronic delta viral hepatitis, but in only 1 (5.6%) of the 18 patients with acute infection (p < 0.0005).

Mark E. Bubak, Michael K. Porayko, Ruud A. F. Krom, Russell H. Wiesner – 1 December 1991 – We investigated the incidence and types of liver biopsy complications in our first 160 consecutive liver transplantations. A significant complication was identified by the need for therapeutic intervention (for example, hospitalization, transfusion, intravenous fluids, chest tube, surgery or antibiotic therapy). A total of 950 percutaneous hepatic allograft biopsies were performed in 136 patients (mean = 6.9 biopsies/graft; range = 1 to 29).

Tadashi Terada, Yasuni Nakanuma – 1 December 1991 – Epithelia of intrahepatic bile ducts and peribiliary glands were immunohistochemically examined for pancreatic α‐amylase and trypsin in 54 normal autopsied livers. α‐Amylase was evaluated with a polyclonal antibody, and trypsin was assayed with both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. α‐Amylase was observed in large ducts, septal ducts and peribiliary glands in most livers and was seen in interlobular ducts in seven (13%) livers.

Denis J. Morgan, Allan J. McLean – 1 December 1991

Philip J. Johnson, Roger Williams – 1 December 1991 – Twenty of 320 patients with Wilson's disease initially presented with chemical and laboratory features of chronic active hepatitis, confirmed histologically in 17. When first seen, cirrhosis was present in all 20 and was complicated by ascites and/orjaundice in 11. Within 1 week to 8 years of the onset of overt liver disease the diagnosis of Wilson's disease was established, and treatment with D‐penicillamine was promptly initiated in 19 patients. One man refused treatment and died 4 months later.