R Mohamed, P R Forsey, M K Davies, J M Neuberger – 1 May 1996 – Both a prolonged QT interval and disturbance of autonomic nervous system function are markers of poor prognosis in patients with diabetes mellitus and alcoholic liver disease (ALD). We studied the prevalence of abnormal QT interval and autonomic nervous system dysfunction in 53 consecutive patients with end‐stage liver disease before and after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The maximum QT interval in any lead (QTmax) was assessed by two independent observers.

Y Bacq, O Zarka, J Brechot, N Mariotte, S Vol, J Tichet, J Weill – 1 May 1996 – Except for increased serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) levels, the changes in liver function test (LFT) values during normal pregnancy have not been clearly established, mainly because most studies do not include matched controls. We therefore measured the serum values of routine liver tests including 5′‐nucleotidase and total bile acids in 103 healthy pregnant women (first trimester, n = 34; second trimester, n = 36; third trimester, n = 33) and in 103 age‐matched controls not receiving oral contraception.

P J Scheuer – 1 May 1996

Hugo R. Rosen, Paul Martin, Gary J. Schiller, Mary Territo, David N. Lewin, Christopher R. Shackleton, Ronald W. Busuttil – 1 May 1996 – Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is a highly successful and curative therapy for many primary hematologic malignancies. However, hepatic dysfunction and failure are important causes of morbidity and mortality in this patient group after BMT. Hepatic failure can occur as a result of involvement by graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) or as a result of veno‐occlusive disease (VOD).

Arthur Zimmermann, Hans‐Ulrich Baer – 1 May 1996 – Based on the clinical observation that large tumors located in the liver may be resected or enucleated with relative ease, the present retrospective study aimed at the detailed assessment of the tumor/liver interface in large hepatic neoplasms. For this purpose, a systematic light microscopic and immunohistochemical study on resection specimens of 10 giant hemangiomas, 10 hepatocellular carcinomas, and 9 liver metastases was performed.

J M Pawlotsky, F Roudot‐Thoraval, A Bastie, C Pellet, J Duval, D Dhumeaux – 1 May 1996

D M Quirk, W R Brugge – 1 May 1996

L G Bayon, M A Izquierdo, I Sirovich, N van rooijen, R H Beelen, S Meijer – 1 May 1996 – Metastasis to the liver is a common event in clinical oncology. Blood‐borne tumor cells (TCs) arriving to the liver sinusoids run into a special vascular bed. The lining of liver sinusoids is shared by Kupffer cells (KCs) and endothelial cells. KCs, liver‐fixed macrophages, are responsible for detection and removal of “non‐self” particles.

T Chang, K Young, Y Yang, H Lei, H Wu – 1 May 1996 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can infect peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with chronic HCV infection. No data are available on PBMC testing for HCV RNA in acute hepatitis C. This study investigated the presence of HCV RNA in PBMC of patients with acute posttransfusion hepatitis C, compared with those with chronic HCV infection.

K Ohnishi, F Nomura, S Ito, K Fujiwara – 1 May 1996 – To assess the efficacy of ultrasound (US)‐guided percutaneous acetic acid (in concentrations of 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) injection for small hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) for long‐term prognosis, percutaneous acetic acid injection using 15% to 50% acetic acid was performed in 91 patients with one to four HCCs smaller than 3 cm during the past 6.5 years. During the series of treatment sessions for each patient, the same concentration of acetic acid was used.