Rebecca W. van Dyke – 1 July 1991 – We have used retrovirus‐mediated gene transfer to demonstrate complementation of the cystic fibrosis (CF) defect in vitro. Amphotropic retroviruses were used to transduce a functional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) cDNA into CFPAC‐1, a pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line derived from a patient with CF that stably expresses the chloride transport abnormalities characteristic of CF.

Harold O. Conn – 1 July 1991 – Nine thousand two hundred twelve liver biopsies were performed according to a defined protocol, and data were prospectively recorded to identify risk factors for major bleeding. There were 10 fatal and 22 nonfatal hemorrhages (0.11% and 0.24%, respectively). By comparison with a control group that did not hemorrhage, malignancy, age, sex, and the number of passes were the only predictable risk factors. The risk of fatal hemorrhage in patients with malignancy is estimated to be 0.4%; for nonfatal hemorrhage, 0.57%.

Gilles Pelletier, Gilles Lesur, Olivier Ink, Hervé Hagege, Pierre Attali, Catherine Buffet, Jean‐Pierre Etienne – 1 July 1991 – Asymptomatic bacterascites is defined as the presence of bacteria in ascitic fluid without clinical features of peritonitis or increased ascitic fluid polymorphonuclear cells. Asymptomatic bacterascites is a controversial entity, and little information is available regarding its spontaneous evolution.

Sanjeev Gupta, Emma Aragona, Ravikumar P. Vemuru, Kuldeep K. Bhargava, Robert D. Burk, Jayanta Roy Chowdhury – 1 July 1991 – To examine the distribution of intrasplenically transplanted hepatocytes, we used HBsAg‐producing G7 HBV transgenic hepatocytes or cells labeled with 111In. Most hepatocytes translocated to the liver (55% ± 7%; mean ± S.D.); the spleen retained a smaller fraction (15% ± 3%); and some transplanted cells localized in lungs (3%) or pancreas (1%). Transplanted hepatocytes were rapidly assimilated into the liver lobule.

Raymond S. Koff – 1 July 1991

Rosendo Jardi, Maria Buti, Francisco Rodriguez‐Frias, Ana Garcia‐Lafuente, Maria H. Sjogren, Rafael Esteban, Jaime Guardia – 1 July 1991 – Separation of 7–8 S and 19 S forms of serum IgM antibodies to the hepatitis delta virus by rate‐zonal centrifugation was carried out on serum from 24 patients with hepatitis delta virus infection: 4 patients with acute, self‐limited hepatitis; 5 patients with hepatitis delta virus superinfection progressing to chronicity; and 15 patients with chronic hepatitis delta virus.

Wenliang Wang, W. Thomas London, Laura Lega, Mark A. Feitelson – 1 July 1991 – Formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded specimens from 110 cases of chronic hepatitis and 108 cases of cirrhosis were stained for HBxAg by the avidin‐biotin complex technique using specific antisera made against full‐length HBxAg polypeptide or derived synthetic peptides. These tissues were also stained for the HBsAg and HBcAg by the peroxidase—anti‐peroxidase method. Among patients with chronic hepatitis, 86% were HBsAg positive in liver cells, 60% were surface antigen positive and 32% were core antigen positive.

Tse‐Ling Fong, Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, Jeanne G. Waggoner, Steven M. Banks, Jay H. Hoofnagle – 1 July 1991 – We assessed the prevalence and clinical significance of antibodies to hepatitis C virus among a cohort of 148 patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Sixteen patients (11%) had anti‐hepatitis C virus detectable by enzyme‐linked immunoassay. The results from eight of these patients were positive by recombinant immunoblot assay.

Xiuming Li, Lennox J. Jeffers, K. Rajender Reddy, Maria de Medina, Marcelo Silva, Steven Villanueva, Nancy G. Klimas, Violet Esquenazi, Eugene R. Schiff – 1 July 1991 – Immunological factors are important in the pathogenesis of a spectrum of hepatobiliary diseases. To characterize the nature of specific immunological responses in liver disease, we determined lymphocyte changes in liver tissue and in blood using flow cytometry.

Karen Cristiano, Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, Jay H. Hoofnagle, Stephen M. Feinstone – 1 July 1991 – The recently introduced antibody test for hepatitis C virus infection has already proved to be valuable in many situations such as screening blood donors and diagnosing chronically infected patients, but this antibody assay has certain limitations. Hepatitis C virus itself is usually present in clinical specimens at very low titers; therefore a useful assay for the virus must have very high sensitivity.