Francisco Rodriguez‐Frias, Maria Buti, Rosendo Jardi, Montserrat Cotrina, Luis Viladomiu, Rafael Esteban, Jaime Guardia – 1 December 1995 – The precore‐core gene of hepatitis B virus (HBV) was directly sequenced from serum samples of 42 patients with chronic B hepatitis (19 hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg]+ and 23 anti‐HBe+). Viral genotypes were determined by comparison with 11 reference sequences and by restriction analysis. Genotype A was identified in 16 cases, genotype D in 24 cases, and other genotypes in 2 cases.

Shigeki Kuriyama, Toshiya Nakatani, Kazuhiro Masui, Takemi Sakamoto, Kentarou Tominaga, Masahide Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Fukui, Kazuhiro Ikenaka, Tadasu Tsujii – 1 December 1995 – In the field of gene therapy using retroviral vectors, it appears impossible to introduce a foreign gene into all target cells. Therefore adjacent cell killing, the socalled bystander effect, caused by genetically modified cells provides therapeutic advantages for gene therapy against cancers.

Patrick Arbuthnot, Marie‐Pierre Bralet, Helene Thomassin, Jean‐Louis Danan, Christian Bréchot, Nicolas Ferry – 1 December 1995 – To target gene expression to malignant hepatic cells, we have constructed recombinant retroviral vectors containing a reporter gene encoding nuclear β‐galactosidase (nls‐LacZ) under transcriptional control of regulatory sequences from the rat α‐fetoprotein (AFP) or human insulinlike growth factor II (IGFII) genes. The AFP and IGFII P3 promoters activate transcription during fetal development and are often reactivated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Paul C. Adams, Ann E. Kertesz, Leslie S. Valberg – 1 December 1995 – Although hereditary hemochromatosis is an autosomal recessive disease, most homozygotes are concerned with the genetic implications for their children. The optimal age for testing children and the cost implications of screening their children have not been clearly established.

Giacomo Laffi, Marco Foschi, Emanuela Masini, Antonella Simoni, Laura Mugnai, Giorgio la Villa, Giuseppe Barletta, Pier Francesco Mannaioni, Paolo Gentilini – 1 December 1995 – An increased release of nitric oxide (NO), a powerful vasodilating agent, has been proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of vasodilation and hyperdynamic circulation associated with advanced cirrhosis.

Raymond S. Koff – 1 December 1995

Andre L. Weigert, Pierre‐Yves Martin, Michel Niederberger, Elisa M. S. Higa, Ivan F. McMurtry, Pere Gines, Robert W. Schrier – 1 December 1995 – The present experiments were designed to test if induction of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) plays a role in the systemic vasodilation observed in hepatic cirrhosis. Because endotoxin levels are elevated in cirrhosis, and endotoxin stimulates inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in several cell lines, aortas of carbon tetrachloride‐induced cirrhotic rats with ascites were evaluated for iNOS expression.

Ignazio Roberto Marino, Howard R. Doyle, Luca Aldrighetti, Cataldo Doria, John McMichael, Timothy Gayowski, John J. Fung, Andreas G. Tzakis, Thomas E. Starzl – 1 December 1995 – We correlated donor and recipient factors with graft outcome in 436 adult patients who underwent 462 liver transplants. Donor variables analyzed were age, gender, ABO blood group, cause of death, length of stay in the intensive care unit, use of pressors or pitressin, need for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, terminal serum transaminases, and ischemia time.

Peter Karayiannis, Alexandra Alexopoulou, Stephanos Hadziyannis, Mark Thursz, Richard Watts, Seiji Seito, Howard C. Thomas – 1 December 1995 – The precore stop‐codon variant of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been implicated in fulminant hepatitis. The precore/core regions of such variants from two sets of patients with interpartner transmission resulting in fulminant hepatitis in the contact, were sequenced to establish whether further sequence variations in the core region are specifically associated with the fulminant disease.

Andres T. Blei – 1 December 1995