Robert C. Harvey, Dale Taylor, Connie N. Petrunka, Andrew D. Murray, Steven M. Strasberg – 1 January 1985 – The concentration of 25 major, minor and trace elements in human bile was determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Gallbladder bile was obtained during surgery from patients with cholesterol gallstones, pigment stones and with no biliary tract abnormalities (controls). Comparison of the concentration of elements (microgram per gram of solids) did not reveal any significant differences among the three patient groups.

Marc E. De Broe, Frank Roels, Etienne J. Nouwen, Lutgarde Claeys, Roger J. Wieme – 1 January 1985 – This study presents biochemical, histochemical, morphological and immunological evidence that part of the high molecular weight alkaline phosphatase observed in the serum of patients with liver disease and particularly in cases of intrahepatic cholestasis or focal‐, extrahepatic obstruction originates from the liver plasma membrane.

John Freiman, Robert Eckstein, Geoffrey McCaughan, Carolyn Parsons, J. Stuart Davies, Peter Diegutis, Leslie Burnett, Neil Gallagher – 1 January 1985 – The correlation between serum and hepatic markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been studied in 70 subjects with chronic active hepatitis of whom 18 were HBsAg+ and 52 were HBsAg−. In HBsAg+ subjects, sera were tested for HBeAg/anti‐HBe status and for HBV DNA sequences using a DNA dot hybridization technique. Anti‐HBs and anti‐HBc were measured in serum in the HBsAg− group.

Ulrik Tage‐Jensen, Jan Aldershvile, Poul Schlichting, The Copenhagen Study Group Liver Disease – 1 January 1985 – In a randomized clinical trial in 148 patients of azathioprine vs. prednisone treatment of chronic aggressive hepatitis and/or nonalcoholic cirrhosis, 20 were HBsAg positive on entry. In this subgroup sequential serum samples were investigated for HBs and HBe markers by radioimmunoassay. At the time of evaluation, 13 patients were still alive; their median age was 53 years (25 to 72) and median follow‐up time was 46 months (23 to 82).

Edward G. Fey, Sheldon Penman – 1 January 1985

Ronald G. Thurman, Frederick C. Kauffman – 1 January 1985 – New techniques have been developed employing microlight guides and miniature O2 electrodes which permit metabolic events to be studied noninvasively in periportal and pericentral zones of the liver lobule. These events include O2 uptake, fat and carbohydrate metabolism, monooxygen‐ation and glucuronidation.

Murray M. Fisher, Eve A. Roberts, Irvine E. Rosen, Theodore F. Shapero, Lloyd R. Sutherland, Robert S. Davies, Raymond Bacchus, S. Victor Lee – 1 January 1985 – The Sunnybrook Gallstone Study was a randomized, double‐blind, controlled trial of chenodeoxycholic acid treatment over 2 years in 160 patients with radiolucent gallstones. Sixty‐four patients received 750 mg daily, 53 received 375 mg daily and 43 received placebo. Total dissolution of gallstones occurred in 10.9% of patients on 750 mg daily, 13.2% of those on 375 mg daily and in no patient on placebo. The drug was tolerated well.

Jose M. Bengoa, Stephen B. Hanauer, Michael D. Sitrin, Alfred L. Baker, Irwin H. Rosenberg – 1 January 1985 – The pattern of liver function test abnormalities was examined during total parenteral nutrition (TPN), using both dextrose and fat emulsions as caloric sources, in 92 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Seventy‐two patients had completely normal tests before TPN while 20 had one or more abnormal liver function tests before TPN was started. Serum bilirubin levels were normal in all patients before TPN; within 2 weeks on TPN, 25% of patients had elevated bilirubin levels.

Chung‐Yong Kim, Soon‐Kee Bae, Hie‐Won L. Hann, W. Thomas London, Baruch S. Blumberg – 1 January 1985 – The prevalence of HBeAg was studied in Korean patients with chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma. There is an independent association of HBeAg prevalence with age and diagnosis. These findings are discussed in terms of a developmental model for primary hepatocellular carcinoma which could explain the lower frequency of HBeAg in the cancer cases.

Douglas M. Jefferson, Lola M. Reid, Marie‐Adele Giambrone, David A. Shafritz, Mark A. Zern – 1 January 1985 – To further our studies on collagen gene expression, we have evaluated the molecular basis for the finding that steroids decrease collagen synthesis in cultured hepatocytes. We studied the effects of dexamethasone on primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes grown on tissue culture plastic in either serum‐supplemented medium or a serum‐free hormonally defined medium.