Swan N. Thung, Michael A. Gerber, Efthimios J. Kasambalides, Bal K. Gilja, William Keh, Wolfram H. Gerlich – 1 November 1986 – The large (pre‐S1), middle (pre‐S2) and major (P24) polypeptides of HBsAg have been defined in detail, but their role in hepatitis B virus infection is not known. Therefore, we studied the expression of pre‐S1, pre‐S2 and P24 in the liver of 15 patients with acute or chronic hepatitis B virus infection using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies in a double staining immunofluorescence method.

Colin E. Atterbury – 1 November 1986

1 November 1986

William R. Treem, Camillus A. Witzleben, David A. Piccoli, Charles A. Stanley, Daniel E. Hale, Paul M. Coates, John B. Watkins – 1 November 1986 – The clinical and pathologic findings in 12 patients with medium‐chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency and three patients with long‐chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase deficiency are summarized. Although these inborn errors of intramitochondrial β‐oxidation of fatty acids present with similar findings to Reye's syndrome, there are clinical, laboratory and hepatic histologic differences.

Sien‐Sing Yang, Nai‐Shin Chu, Yun‐Fan Liaw – 1 November 1986 – Brainstem auditory evoked potentials were obtained from 30 patients primarily with viral hepatitis to determine the functional status of the brainstem in hepatic encephalopathy. The patients were divided into four groups: Group 1 with compensated hepatic diseases; Group 2 with hepatic failure but no hepatic encephalopathy; Group 3 with Grade 1 or 2 hepatic encephalopathy, and Group 4 with Grade 3 or 4 hepatic encephalopathy.

Marcus A. Rothschild, Murray Oratz, Sidney S. Schreiber, Joseph Mongelli – 1 November 1986 – Sucrose and ethanol inhibit albumin synthesis; sucrose via an osmotic mechanism and ethanol during its metabolism. The present study was undertaken to compare the effects of both of these agents on albumin synthesis and secretion, and to see if ethanol inhibition could be related to an osmotic effect.

Esteban Mezey, James J. Potter, Deborah L. Rhodes – 1 November 1986 – The effect of growth hormone on the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase was determined in hepatocyte culture from normal and hypophysectomized male rats. Alcohol dehydrogenase activity was highest in hepatocytes harvested from hypophysectomized rats. The enzyme activity remained stable in hepatocytes harvested from normal rats during 2 to 6 days of culture but declined steadily in hepatocytes cultured from hypophysectomized rats.

R. Thomas Holzbach – 1 November 1986

Laurence F. McMahon – 1 November 1986 – The costs and benefits of liver transplantation in adult patients at the University of Pittsburgh were reviewed for the period from 1981 through 1984. Indirect costs such as those to support the surgical and hepatology programs, the operating rooms and the clinical pathology department were ignored, and only those costs generated by the liver transplant program were considered in this analysis. Benefits to the patients are survival itself.

Marco Zoli, Giulio Marchesini, Alessandra Brunori, Maria Rita Cordiani, Emilio Pisi – 1 November 1986 – The drugs currently under investigation in the prevention of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding in cirrhosis are likely to decrease the portal pressure by means of a primary reduction of portal blood flow. The hemodynamic effects of β‐blocking agents and vasodilatory drugs were noninvasively measured in eight patients with cirrhosis by means of pulsed echo‐doppler equipment.