David E. Ong, Olivier Amédée‐Manesme – 1 March 1987 – We have examined whether the amount of cellular retinol‐binding protein in human liver is related to the amount of vitamin A stored in the liver. Levels of vitamin A, as retinol and retinol esters, and of cellular retinol‐binding protein have been determined in liver samples from 6 normal adults and 11 children with biliary atresia, with and without vitamin A treatment. The level of cellular retinol‐binding protein in the liver was not related to the liver vitamin A concentration examined over a 300‐fold range of vitamin A levels.

Michael Huber, Albrecht Guhlmann, Peter L. M. Jansen, Dietrich Keppler – 1 March 1987 – Hepatobiliary and renal elimination of cysteinyl leu‐kotrienes were investigated in a mutant rat strain with a hereditary defect in the hepatobiliary excretion of conjugated bilirubin, dibromosulfophthalein and oua‐bain. After intravenous injection of [3H]leukotriene C4, the initial half‐life of radioactivity circulating in blood was 79 ± 15 sec (S.D.) in transport mutant rats as compared to 31 ± 6 sec (S.D.) in normal Wistar rats.

Harold O. Conn – 1 March 1987 – Standardization of a therapeutic approach for ascites due to chronic liver disease was prospectively tried in 100 patients. The four progressive steps were: I—relative bed rest associated to with‐drawal of toxic agents, and restriction of salt (40 mEq) and water (1.000ml per day) for 5 to 7 days. In twenty two patients a good diuretic response was observed. Step II, initiated only for patients who did not respond to step I, corresponded to the introduction of espironolactone, 150 mg/day, for at least 6 days.

Lee R. Brettman – 1 March 1987 – Abnormal liver chemistries, unexplained fevers, or hepatomegaly prompted 36 liver biopsies on 34 patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syn‐drome. The most common finding was the presence of hepatic granulomas, seen in 13 of the biopsy specimens. Eight of these granulomas were illdefined, and 5 were more clearly associated with mycobacterial disesse.

José V. Castell, M. A. José Gómez‐Lechón, Miguel A. Miranda, Isabel M. Morera – 1 March 1987 – The photodegradation of chlorpromazine, a drug frequently used in psychotherapy, was examined under different sets of experimental conditions. A primary culture of rat hepatocytes was used to evaluate the possible hepatotoxicity of the chlorpromazine photoproducts, keeping in mind the following criteria: leakage of cytosolic enzymes; attachment index to culture plates, and albumin synthesis.

Wolfgang Base, Carl Barsigian, Alisa Schaeffer, Ellen Shaw, Jose Martinez, Willis C. Maddrey – 1 March 1987 – We investigated the effects of the branched‐chain amino acids—valine, leucine and isoleucine—or their keto analogs, the branched‐chain keto acids—α‐ketoisovaleric acid, α‐ketoisocaproic acid and α‐keto‐β‐methylvaleric acid—on protein synthesis and secretion by monolayers of rabbit hepatocytes incubated with [35S] methionine in pulse‐chase and steady‐state experiments.

Andrew K. Burroughs – 1 March 1987 – The density and affinity of beta‐2‐adrenoceptors on mononuclear cells from peripheral blood were studied in fifteen patients with cirrhosis of different severity and in thirteen controls. There was no significant difference between cirrhotic patients and controls in density or affinity of beta‐2 binding sites. Within the cirrhotic group, however, the number of binding sites per cell was significantly lower in patients with severe ascites than in patients with mild to moderate or no ascites.

Diane L. Tribble, Tak Yee Aw, Dean P. Jones – 1 March 1987

Brigitte Dragosics, Peter Ferenci, Eva Hitchman, Helmut Denk – 1 March 1987 – Two hundred forty‐two voluntary blood donors, referred after detection of HBsAg positivity, underwent clinical evaluation and liver biopsy and were prospectively followed for an average of 3.5 years. At initial testing, 65% of HBsAg carriers had normal laboratory findings; during follow‐up, 26% of these carriers developed abnormal test results, at least transiently. Liver histology was normal in 31.4%, revealed nonaggressive liver disease in 63.6% and chronic active hepatitis or cirrhosis in 5%, only.

1 March 1987