Hyman J. Zimmerman, Kamal G. Ishak – 1 September 1982 – Analyses of 23 fatal instances of hepatic injury in patients taking valproic acid reveals that all but three were less than 20 years old, and all but four had been taking the drugs for more than 1 month. Convulsions, facial edema, lassitude, and vomiting were prominent clinical features. Hypoglycemia was recorded in six patients. Rash and eosinophilia were not seen. Values for transaminases were modestly elevated in most patients. Most levels of SGOT were below 500 IU, and SGPT levels were below 200 IU.

Irwin H. Rosenberg – 1 September 1982

Richard J. Grand – 1 September 1982

Luis Montan̄to, Guido C. Miescher, Alison H. Goodall, Karl H. Wiedmann, George Janossy, Howard C. Thomas – 1 September 1982 – An analysis of the expression of the histocompatibility antigens in the livers of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection and normal subjects has demonstrated an increased expression of HLA‐A,B,C antigens on the hepatocytes of patients with a low level of viral replication (HBe antibody positive) as compared with patients who exhibit a high level of viral replication (HBe antigen positive) and controls.

Irwin H. Rosenberg – 1 September 1982

C. S. Davidson – 1 September 1982

M. Sawkat ANWER, Dietmar Hegner – 1 September 1982 – Ion substitution studies were carried out in the isolated perfused rat liver to define the importance of solvent drag and diffusion in bile acid‐dependent bile formation. Two different methods, namely single injection (20 μmoles) and continuous infusions at 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, and 1.6 μmoles per min taurocholate (TC), were used to determine the bile acid‐dependent bile flow (BADF). Both methods gave essentially the same results. Replacement of Na+ (146 mM) by 120 or 146 mM Li+ and Cl− (127 mM) by 120 mM NO3− increased BADF significantly.

Humberto Reyes, María E. Wegmann, Nelly Segovia, Miguel Cuchacovich, Enrique Jadresic, Mónica Contador, Cecilia Fuentes, Mireya Melendez – 1 July 1982 – A possible association between intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and human‐leukocyte histocompatibility (HLA) antigens–used as genetic markers–was studied in 100 women with ICP compared to 100 multiparous women without a past history of the disease. Because we previously found a higher frequency of ICP in women with an overt Araucanian Indian descent than in Chilean Caucasoids, women from both ethnic groups were studied.

1 July 1982

Zachary D. Goodman, Kamal G. Ishak – 1 July 1982 – To investigate the possibility of an association between oral contraceptive steroids (CS) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we reviewed 128 cases of HCC in women collected between 1953 and 1980. There were 48 cases under the age of 40, and 13 of these (27%) had used CS. However, 62% of HCC associated with CS and 58% of HCC in women under 40 not using CS were classified histologically as “fibrolamellar” carcinoma. This subtype of HCC occurs predominantly in young people, both male and female.