Agata Budkowska, Pascal Dubreuil, Patrick Maillard, Thierry Poynard, Jacques Pillot – 1 December 1990 – The clinical relevance of the immune response to the translation products of the pre‐S1 and pre‐S2 regions of hepatitis B virus was examined by testing sequential serum samples from 17 patients with acute self‐limited hepatitis B and from two patients in whom chronic liver disease developed. Anti‐pre‐S antibodies were determined by enzyme immunoassays based on the inhibition of binding of monoclonal antibodies to epitopes in the pre‐S1 and pre‐S2 sequence.

Tsuneo Kitamura, Zenaida Gatmaitan, Irwin M. Arias – 1 December 1990 – To characterize the poorly understood mechanisms of intracellular transport of bile acids, fluorescein isothiocyanate—glycocholate was synthesized and its ring‐OH—linked structure established by fast atom bombardment, mass spectroscopy and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance.

Ruben Kier – 1 December 1990 – The diagnostic efficacy of magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) for detection and quantification of hepatic iron was assessed in a series of patients under investigation for clinical or biochemical evidence of hepatic iron overload. Thirty patients underwent MR imaging (SE 30,60/1000 or SE 30,60/2000) at 0.5 Tesla with calculation of hepatic T2 and liver to paraspinous muscles signal intensity ratios. Twenty‐nine patients also had measurement of hepatic attenuation on noncontrast CT images.

Philippe Mavier, Jean Rosenbaum, Anne‐Marie Preaux, Ariane Mallat, Daniel Dhumeaux – 1 December 1990 – We have recently demonstrated that polymorphonuclear neutrophils were toxic to hepatocytes through a protease‐mediated mechanism. Since synthesis of antiproteases is markedly increased during acute inflammatory reaction, the aim of this work was to investigate the toxicity of neutrophils against normal vs. inflammatory rat hepatocytes. Acute inflammatory reaction was induced by subcutaneous injection of turpentine 24 hr before the experiments.

De Feng Wu, Liviu Clejan, Barry Potter, Arthur I. Cederbaum – 1 December 1990 – Studies were conducted to evaluate the possible induction or the maintenance of cytochrome P‐450IIE1 in primary hepatocyte cultures by the inducing agent 4‐methylpyrazole. Hepatocytes were isolated from control (noninduced) rats and from rats treated in vivo with either pyrazole or 4‐methylpyrazole to induce P‐450IIE1. The content of P‐450IIE1 was determined by Western blots with antipyrazole P‐450 IgG, and catalytic activity was assessed by assays of dimethyl‐nitrosamine demethylase activity.

Toni Andreani, Reneé E. Poupon, Beverley J. Balkau, Jean‐Claude Trinchet, Jean‐Didier Grange, Nicolas Peigney, Michel Beaugrand, Raoul Poupon – 1 December 1990 – Propranolol and endoscopic sclerosis of esophageal varices are the two approaches currently used in prophylaxis of the first gastrointestinal hemorrhage in the cirrhotic patient. One hundred twenty‐six cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices and no histories of bleeding were included in the trial regardless of the gravity of the cirrhosis or the size of the esophageal varices.

Peter A. Ward – 1 December 1990

1 November 1990

Kai O. Lindros, Yuan Cai, Kai E. Penttilä – 1 November 1990 – The ethanol‐inducible form of cytochrome P‐450 (IIE1) is expressed and induced by ethanol, predominantly in the centrilobular region. Because this isoenzyme has a particularly high capacity to convert carbon tetrachloride and several other hepatotoxins into reactive intermediates, its role in producing damage was studied by comparing the effect of carbon tetrachloride exposure on hepatocytes isolated from either the periportal or the perivenous region by digitonin‐collagenase perfusion.

Linda J. Scully, David Brown, Chris Lloyd, Ruvan Shein, Howard C. Thomas – 1 November 1990 – Lymphoblastoid interferon is effective therapy in some but not all patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. To assess whether immunological parameters were predictive of response to interferon therapy, we determined the human leukocyte antigen type, CD4/CD8 ratio, natural killer cell activity, IgM anti‐HBc antibody levels and concanavalin A—induced lymphocyte proliferative response in 30 patients before treatment.