Role of heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor–like growth factor as a hepatotrophic factor in rat liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy

Shinichi Kiso, Sumio Kawata, Shinji Tamura, Shigeki Higashiyama, Nobuyuki Ito, Hirofumi Tsushima, Naoyuki Taniguchi, Yuji Matsuzawa – 1 November 1995 – Several growth factors including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) have been implicated in the regulation of liver regeneration. Recently, we reported that heparinbinding epidermal growth factor (EGF)‐like growth factor (HB‐EGF) has hepatotrophic effects in vitro. We investigated the role of HB‐EGF as a hepatotrophic factor in regenerating rat liver after 70% partial hepatectomy.

Failure of liver transplantation to diminish cardiac deposits of amylopectin and leukocyte inclusions in type iv glycogen storage disease

Philip Rosenthal, Luis Podesta, Robert Grier, Jonathan W. Said, Linda Sher, Jose Cocjin, Frederick Watanabe, Eric Vasiliauskas, Robert Van De Velde, Leonard Makowka – 1 November 1995 – Orthotopic liver transplantation has been used to treat glycogen storage disease type IV. Most long‐term surviving patients who have undergone liver transplantation have been free of neuromuscular and cardiac morbidity, and regression of cardiac amylopectin infiltration has been reported after liver transplantation. Leukocyte inclusions in glycogen storage disease type IV have also been reported.

Endothelin and vascular reactivity in cirrhosis

Cornel C. Sieber – 1 November 1995 – Background/Aims: Because the vasodilator nitric oxide is overproduced in cirrhosis, this substance may decrease pressor responses to the vasoconstrictor endothelin 1. This study aimed to examine the effects of a NO synthesis inhibitor (NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester; L‐NAME) on vascular responsiveness to endothelin 1 in normal and cirrhotic rats. Methods: Pressor dose‐response curves to endothelin 1 (0.5, 1, 3, 6, and 10 μg/kg intravenously) were obtained in animals with or without pretreatment with L‐NAME.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy after orthotopic liver transplantation

David J. Bronster, Mika W. Lidov, David Wolfe, Myron E. Schwartz, Charles M. Miller – 1 November 1995 – Six weeks after liver transplantation, a 51‐year‐old man developed a slowly progressive hemiparesis with deteriorating mental status and seizures. Successive computed tomography (CT) scans of the brain revealed unilateral nonenhancing white matter lucencies that gradually coalesced and progressed to both hemispheres. Brain biopsy results were consistent with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

Specific targeting of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells by immunoliposomes in vitro

Darius Moradpour, Béatrice Compagnon, Byron E. Wilson, Claude Nicolau, Jack R. Wands – 1 November 1995 – The monoclonal antibody AF‐20 was raised against the human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line FOCUS and binds with high affinity to a rapidly internalized 180‐kd homodimeric glycoprotein that is abundantly expressed on the surface of human HCC and other human cancer cell lines. Immunoliposomes were produced by covalently coupling AF‐20 to liposomes containing carboxyfluorescein.

The influence of a maternal chronic hepatitis B virus infection on the repertoire of transcribed T‐cell receptor beta chain variable region genes in human cord blood

William G. H. Abbott, Arie Geursen, John D. Fraser, John Marbrook, Margot A. Skinner, Paul L. J. Tan – 1 October 1995 – We used an anchor polymerase chain reaction method to compare the repertoires of transcribed T‐cell receptor β chain variable region (Vβ) genes in cord blood T cells from neonates of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive (n = 40) and HBsAg negative (n = 40) women. Fifteen of the HBsAg positive women were hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive, and 25 were HBeAg negative.

Interferon gamma production by peripheral blood lymphocytes to hepatitis C virus core protein in chronic hepatitis C infection

Kazuo Iwata, Takaji Wakita, Akihiko Okumura, Kentaro Yoshioka, Masahiro Takayanagi, Jack R. Wands, Shinichi Kakumu – 1 October 1995 – Evidence suggests that cellular immunity to hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein may be important in the pathogenesis of viral infection. Therefore, interferon gamma (IFN‐γ) production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) derived from patients with chronic HCV infection (genotype 1b) was examined. The cellular immune response was evaluated with a recombinant HCV core fusion protein derived from a patient with genotype 1b.

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