Stanislas Pol, Frédéric Dubois, Philippe Roingeard, Linda Zignego, Chantal Housset, Christian Brechot, Alain Goudeau, Pierre Berthelot – 1 September 1989 – The prevalence and serological features of hepatitis delta virus infections were studied in a French population of chronic, non‐drug addict, hepatitis B surface antigen carriers: 42 male homosexual patients were compared to 30 nonhomosexuals (20 who evidently had not been exposed to any of the usual hepatitis B virus‐hepatitis delta virus risk factors and 10 hemodialyzed patients or kidney allograft recipients).

1 September 1989

J. Michael Tredger, Roger Williams – 1 September 1989 – In patients with liver disease, the synthesis of drug‐binding proteins may be impaired. After liver transplantation, levels of drug‐binding proteins are unknown. Consequently, concentrations of albumin and α‐acid glycoprotein (AAG) were measured in stable patients after liver transplantation. Albumin levels were decreased from normal (4.5 ± 3 gm per dl) in patients with liver disease before (3.4 ± 0.7) and after transplantation (3.4 ± 0.8).

J. Michael Henderson, William J. Millikan, Michael Hooks, Beverly Noe, Michael H. Kutner, W. Dean Warren – 1 September 1989 – This study measured the liver blood flow‐dependent index of galactose clearance in patients after liver transplantation, to test the hypothesis that liver blood flow is increased in the denervated liver. Eight normal subjects and 16 patients 1 to 8 months after liver transplant were studied. All patients were stable with no evidence of severe rejection at the time of study.

Luis A. Balart – 1 September 1989

Ian R. Mackay, Merrill J. Rowley, John McD. Armstrong – 1 September 1989 – Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)‐specific antigens were purified from beef heart mitochondria by immunoaffinity chromatography. Three major polypeptides (75, 60, and 40 kDa) were detected in the purified antigen fraction both by Coomassie blue staining and by western blot analysis.

Graham R. Flannery, Andrew K. Burroughs, Patrice Butler, Jeyananthan Chelliah, Jeremy Hamilton‐Miller, William Brumfitt, Harold Baum – 1 September 1989 – Sera from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis exhibit variable autoantibody reactivity against mitochondria, the commonest antigen (designated M2) including three structures of approximate M.W. 70, 50 and 40 kD. The nature of these antigens has only recently been established; the 70 and 50 kD are the transacetylase E2 and component X, respectively, of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and are distinct polypeptides.

Martin S. Litwin – 1 September 1989

Charles L. H. van Berlo, Anton E. J. M. van de Bogaard, Marion A. H. van der Heijden, Hans M. H. van Eijk, Mieke A. Janssen, May C. F. Bost, Peter B. Soeters – 1 September 1989 – A variable protein‐induced toxicity has been reported in liver disease. The aim of this study was to establish the cause of increased ammonia liberation in the gut after intraluminal bleeding. Therefore, blood was sampled from catheterized piglets [20 ± 0.8 kg (means ± S.E.); n = 10] to determine ammonia, urea and amino acid levels before and 1, 2, 3 and 6 hr after a standard pig meal (750 gm, 12% protein).

Tsunehisa Kawasaki, Frederick J. Carmichael, Gwynne Giles, Victor Saldivia, Yedy Israel, Hector Orrego – 1 September 1989 – The treatment of alcoholic liver disease with propylthiouracil is based on its effect of suppressing the ethanol‐induced increase in hepatic oxygen consumption. It has been postulated that liver necrosis ensues when the increase in oxygen demand by the liver exceeds oxygen delivery to this organ. Data are now presented which show that propylthiouracil also increases portal blood flow in awake, unrestrained rats.