Joseph T. Ferrucci – 1 July 1984

Jürgen SchÖLmerich, Marlene Deluca, Mario Chojkier – 1 July 1984 – We evaluated the usefulness of recently developed bioluminescence assays for serum bile acids (BA) in the detection and follow‐up of experimental liver injury. Liver damage was induced in rats by either D‐galactosamine or CC14, and BA were compared to SGPT and aminopyrine breath test (ABT). In severe liver injury, following D‐galactosamine administration, all three methods revealed a significant difference from control values. The degree of abnormality was, however, far greater with SGPT and BA than with ABT.

S. L. Grainger, R. P. H. Thompson, Roberto J. Groszmann, Arthur J. Mccullough, Albert J. Czaja, John E. Hegarty, Roger Williams – 1 July 1984

Rudolf A. Heijtink, Pieter De Jong, Solko W. Schalm, Nic Masurel – 1 July 1984 – The immune response after vaccination with H‐B‐VAX (20 μg, Months 0, 1 and 6) was investigated in 23 Down's syndrome patients and compared to that in 30 other mentally retarded patients and 32 staff members. About 90% of Down's syndrome and other mentally retarded patients and 100% of staff members had anti‐HBs at Month 9, but anti‐HBs less than 10IU per liter were found in 6/23 (26.1%) of Down's syndrome, 7/30 (23.3%) of other mentally retarded patients, in contrast to 2/32 (6.2%) of staff members.

Seishiro Watanabe, K. Rajender Reddy, Lennox Jeffers, Gordon M. Dickinson, Mark O'Connell, Eugene R. Schiff – 1 July 1984 – Characteristic pathological alterations of the liver in chimpanzees inoculated with non‐A, non‐B hepatitis sera have been described, but no corresponding findings have been reported in humans.

Giovanni L. Ricci, Roger Michiels, Johan Fevery, Jan De Groote – 1 July 1984 – The effect of secretin (0.4 C.U. per hr per 100 gm body weight) on bile flow and the apparent maximal hepatic transport of bilirubin (Tm) was investigated in the rat. When secretin was administered during an already established bilirubin‐Tm condition, it increased bile flow and bilirubin‐Tm by 15 to 20% over a 30‐ to 50‐min period. Enhancement of bilirubin output correlated with augmented flow and was sustained by an increased rate of excretion of monoglucuronides.

Lawrence R. Rubel, Lionel Rabin, Leonard B. Seeff, Harvey Licht, Brenda A. Cuccherini – 1 July 1984 – Primary biliary cirrhosis is infrequently diagnosed in men, so that the clinical, biochemical and histopathological spectrum of this disease in men has not been evaluated. Therefore, we studied 30 men who had a histological diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis and had positive tests for antimitochondrial antibodies. Five patients had no hepatobiliary symptoms, and two of these patients had neither biochemical nor histological evidence of cholestasis.

Vincent J. Kidd, Savio L. C. Woo – 1 July 1984

Peter Schauder, Karsten SchrÖDer, Lothar Herbertz, Klaus Langer, Ulrich Langenbeck – 1 July 1984 – Valine (62.5 mg per kg), leucine (70 mg per kg) and equal amounts of the calcium salts of the corresponding keto acids, i.e., α1‐ketoisovaleric acid (KIVA) and α1‐ketoisocaproic acid (KICA) were orally administered to patients with cirrhosis and to control subjects.Valine or leucine ingestion increased serum valine and leucine levels and the corresponding keto acids, KIVA and KICA, in cirrhotics and controls.

Geoffrey Farrell, Judith Baird‐Lambert, Mara Cvejic, Neil Buchanan – 1 July 1984 – A pharmacokinetic study of metronidazole disposition was performed in 10 patients with severe liver disease, the majority of whom also had impaired renal function. Following a single intravenous dose, systemic clearance of metronidazole was decreased by 66% in patients compared with healthy controls (p < 0.001). The apparent volume of distribution for metronidazole was also decreased in patients (by 21%), but the greater effect on clearance resulted in the elimination half‐life being prolonged 152%.