E Shmueli, J P Miell, M Stewart, K G Alberti, C O Record – 1 July 1996 – Hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps were performed on six patients with compensated alcoholic cirrhosis and on six normal comparison subjects. As in previous studies, glucose uptake in the cirrhotic patients was only 21% of the comparison value. The cirrhotic patients had high growth hormone (GH) and low insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) levels, with low insulin‐like growth factor‐binding protein (IGFBP)‐3 levels, but surprisingly high IGFBP‐I levels (26.8 ± 8.4 microgH vs. 3.2 ± 0.2 microm/L, P < .001).

L Racine‐Samson, J Scoazec, A D'Errico, M Fiorentino, L Christa, A Moreau, C Roda, W F Grigioni, G Feldmann – 1 July 1996 – Little is known about the alterations of metabolic organization of the human liver tissue in chronic liver diseases.

T V Cacciarelli, O M Martinez, R G Gish, J C Villanueva, S M Krams – 1 July 1996 – T lymphocytes and immunoregulatory cytokines may be important in the host response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. T‐helper type 1 (Th1) cytokines (interleukin [IL]‐2, interferon gamma [IFN‐gamma]) are required for host antiviral immune responses, including cytotoxic T‐cell generation and natural killer cell activation, while T‐helper type 2 (Th2) cytokines (IL‐4,IL‐10) can inhibit the development of these effector mechanisms.

1 July 1996

Kynan C. Trail, Timothy M. McCashland, Jennifer L. Larsen, Thomas G. Heffron, Robert J. Stratta, Alan N. Langnas, Ira J. Fox, Rowen K. Zetterman, Jeremiah P. Donovan, Michael F. Sorrell, Todd J. Pillen, Elizabeth I. Ruby, Byers W. Shaw – 1 July 1996 – It is not well understood whether posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) alters postoperative morbidity. This study was designed to evaluate this question.

J P Iredale, R C Benyon, M J Arthur, W F Ferris, R Alcolado, P J Winwood, N Clark, G Murphy – 1 July 1996 – Liver fibrosis results from a relative imbalance between synthesis and degradation of matrix proteins. We have previously described release of the protein collagenase inhibitor, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐1 (TIMP‐1), by culture‐activated human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In this study, we have investigated the relative expression of TIMP‐1 and interstitial collagenase in culture‐activated rat HSCs and rat models of liver injury and fibrosis.

I D Roman, G D Johnson, R Coleman – 1 July 1996 – Isolated rat hepatocyte couplets were used to study the effect of S‐adenosyl‐L methionine (SAMe) treatment on disruption of canalicular function caused by cyclosporin A (CyA). Canalicular function was assessed by counting the percentage of couplets that were able to accumulate the fluorescent cholephile choly‐lysyl‐fluorescein (CLF) into the canalicular vacuole between the two cells, i.e., canalicular vacuole accumulation (CVA).

M Yokoyama, H Shijo, K Ota, K Kubara, H Kokawa, T Kim, N Akiyoshi, M Okumura, K Inoue – 1 July 1996 – The effects of endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) on systemic hemodynamics are unknown. This study was conducted to determine whether the obliteration of portal‐systemic collaterals by EVL affects systemic hemodynamics and serum nitrate concentrations in patients with compensated cirrhosis. We measured systemic and hepatic hemodynamics, azygos vein blood flow (AzBF), and serum nitrate concentrations before and immediately following EVL.

M L Shiffman, C M Hofmann, V A Luketic, A J Sanyal, M J Contos, A S Mills – 1 July 1996 – Interferon (IFN) treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with a high rate of relapse. IFN is thought to exert its effect against HCV via direct viral inhibition and immune stimulation. We have hypothesized that relapse following termination of therapy results from the sudden withdrawal of this immune modulatory effect and that gradual reduction in the IFN dose may decrease the incidence of relapse.

H Yotsuyanagi, K Koike, K Yasuda, K Moriya, Y Shintani, H Fujie, K Kurokawa, S Iino – 1 July 1996 – In hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, fecal excretion of the virus has been reported to cease shortly after symptoms occur. Although there have been several reports on detection of HAV in feces using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the duration of fecal HAV shedding in human adult hepatitis A has not been well described. In the present study, we applied the reverse‐transcription (RT)‐PCR system to the detection of fecal HAV RNA in 10 patients with sporadic hepatitis A.