T. Jake Liang, Yaacov Baruch, Edna Ben‐Porath, Rafael Enat, Lucyna Bassan, Nancy V. Brown, Nurit Rimon, Hubert E. Blum, Jack R. Wands – 1 June 1991 – We studied 67 HBsAg‐negative Israeli patients (36 negative for all HBV serological markers as group 1 and 31 positive for antibodies to HBs and HBc as group 2) with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis of unknown origin using a rapid, sensitive and specific assay for the detection of low levels of hepatitis B virus in serum.

Andrea Crosigani, Mauro Podda, Emanuela Bertolini, Pier Maria Battezzati, Massimo Zuin, Kenneth D. R. Setchell – 1 June 1991 – Ursodeoxycholic acid was administered to a patient with benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis to prevent cholestatic episodes. A detailed study of bile acid metabolism in this patient was carried out in the anicteric and icteric phases before and after ursodeoxycholic acid (750 mg/day) administration. Urinary, biliary and serum bile acids were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and by highperformance liquid chromatography techniques.

Jose Ribalta, Humberto Reyes, Manuel C. Gonzalez, Joaquin Iglesias, Marco Arrese, Jaime Poniachik, Claudina Molina, Nelly Segovia – 1 June 1991 – S‐Adenosyl‐L‐methionine has been reported to induce beneficial effects in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Because cholestasis of pregnancy has a high prevalence in Chile and a deleterious effect on fetal prognosis, we decided to verify the efficacy of S‐adenosyl‐L‐methionine in this disease.

Kimberly A. Brown, Michael R. Lucey – 1 June 1991 – The effect of successful liver transplantation on menstrual function was assessed by questionnaire in 44 women transplanted for various types of end stage liver disease, acute liver failure or malignant disease. Significant amenorrhoea (>one year) was present in 48% of women with chronic liver disease before transplantation, and was reversed within 10 months of surgery in all but one of the pre‐menopausal patients who had primary amenorrhoea and hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism.

Jens H. Henriksen, Flemming Bendtsen, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Carsten Stadeager, Helmer Ring‐Larsen – 1 June 1991

1 June 1991

Takuro Hayata, Yoshiyuki Nakano, Kaname Yoshizawa, Takeshi Sodeyama, Kendo Kiyosawa – 1 June 1991 – We investigated the effects of interferon therapy on hepatocyte human leukocyte antigen class I and class II antigen expression and intrahepatic lymphocyte subsets in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B (n = 11) and C (n = 10). Interferon‐α was administered intramuscularly in doses ranging from 3 to 18 million international units daily for 4 wk.

Miguel Yebra, Felix Lacoma, María Paz Queipo de Llano, María E. Moreno – 1 June 1991

Pauline de la M. Hall, John L. Plummer, Anthony H. Ilsley, Michael J. Cousins – 1 May 1991 – Rats were exposed to carbon tetrachloride vapor, 5 days/wk, 6 hr/day, for periods of 5 or 10 wk at a concentration that by itself caused only fatty change with minimal liver cell necrosis and no fibrosis. The same carbon tetrachloride exposure when given in association with chronic alcohol feeding resulted in extensive hepatic fibrosis at 5 wk and established micronodular cirrhosis at 10 wk.

Daniel P. O'Leary, Francis E. Murray, Bradley S. Turner, J. Thomas Lamont – 1 May 1991 – Alterations in the composition of bile during cholesterol gallstone formation appear to be responsible for increased release of gallbladder mucin, a potent cholesterol nucleating agent. We investigated the effects of bile salts on release of radiolabeled glycoproteins by explants of guinea pig gallbladder in organ culture.