Liliana Chemello, Paola Bonetti, Luisa Cavalletto, Fabiola Talato, Valter Donadon, Pietro Casarin, Fabio Belussi, Mario Frezza, Franco Noventa, Patrizia Pontisso, Luisa Benvegnù, Carla Casarin, Alfredo Alberti, The TriVeneto Viral Hepatitis Group – 1 September 1995 – Alpha‐interferon (IFN‐α) is an effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C, but only 20% to 30% of patients are apparently cured with the currently recommended schedule of 3 MU given three times a week for 6 months.

James Neuberger, Lorraine Wallace, Ruth Joplin, Stefan Hubscher – 1 September 1995 – We have examined the distribution of the E2 component of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in the liver of patients with native primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and after transplantation, using affinity‐purified anti‐E2 antibodies. In the posttransplantation group, we studied biopsy specimens from patients grafted for conditions other than PBC (n = 6) and those grafted for PBC with (n = 6) and without (n = 5) histological features suggestive of PBC recurrence.

Carlo Merkel, Angelo Gatta, Carlo Donada, Edda Enzo, Renato Marin, Piero Amodio, Pierluigi Torboli, Paolo Angeli, Giorgio Cavallarin, Giuliana Sebastianelli, Sara Susanna, Cesare Mazzaro, Pietro Beltrame, The GTIP – 1 September 1995 – The association beta‐blockers plus nitrates has been reported to impair renal function and renal sodium handling, leading to increased risk of development of ascites, or worsening of a preexisting ascites, or increase in the requirements of diuretic agents.

Peter R. Flanagan, Attila Hajdu, Paul C. Adams – 1 September 1995 – Iron‐responsive element‐binding protein (IRE‐BP) activity was studied in liver and intestinal samples of hemochromatosis and control patients using a short 32P‐IRE‐RNA probe on “retardation” nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels. IRE‐BP activity was assessed in liver biopsy specimens in 36 patients—16 hemochromatosis homozygotes, 4 hemochromatosis heterozygotes, 6 patients with secondary iron overload, and 10 control patients with normal hepatic iron concentrations.

Dora Ninova, Ruud A. F. Krom, Russell H. Wiesner – 1 September 1995 – Intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) is an adhesion molecule from the immunoglobulin super family that is recognized to be an important factor in the multistep process of cell transendothelial migration and lymphocyte adhesion during antigen recognition and effector cytolysis, mechanisms known to be involved in the pathogenesis of hepatic allograft rejection. A soluble form of ICAM‐1 (sICAM‐1) can be shed into the circulation.

Katherine M. Detre, Manuel Lombardero, Steven Belle, Kimberly Beringer, Timothy Breen, O. Patrick Daily, Nancy L. Ascher – 1 September 1995 – The waiting list for liver transplantation has more than doubled between 1988 and 1992, yet the number of liver transplantations during the same period increased by only 79%. This discrepancy is due to the limited availability of donors. The modest increase in donor pool is caused entirely by donors ≥ 40 years of age, a trend likely to continue.

Maria Antonietta Freni, Domenica Artuso, Guido Gerken, Cesarina Spanti, Teresa Marafioti, Nunziata Alessi, Aldo Spadaro, Antonino Ajello, Oscar Ferrau – 1 August 1995 – Intrahepatic lymphocytic aggregates are observed in chronic hepatitis C as well as in autoimmune chronic hepatitis. Autoantibodies and autoimmune manifestations may occur in hepatitis C. It has been suggested that the lymphocytic aggregates play a role in the liver injury of chronic hepatitis C by an immune‐mediated mechanism.

Joan Saló, Angels Ginès, Luis Anibarro, Wladimiro Jiménez, Ramón Bataller, Joan Clària, Pere Ginès, Francisca Rirvera, Vicente Arroyo, Juan Rodés – 1 August 1995 – It is well known that sodium retention occurs in a significant proportion of patients with cirrhosis despite normal supine plasma levels of renin, aldosterone (ALDO), and norepinephrine (NE). The current study was performed to assess whether this subset of patients also present normal activity of the renin‐aldosterone and sympathetic nervous systems during upright posture in sitting position and moderate physical exercise.

Marc Espeel, Hanna Mandel, Florence Poggi, Jan A. M. Smeitink, Ronald J. A. Wanders, Ingrid Kerckaert, Rudolf B. H. Schutgens, Jean‐Marie Saudubray, Bwee‐Tien Poll‐The, Frank Roels – 1 August 1995 – Peroxisomal deficiency disorders, which are genetically transmitted, are assumed to be expressed in all cells, and the use of cultured skin fibroblasts for diagnosis and research is based on this assumption. We describe three patients with clinical, biochemical, and microscopic evidence of a peroxisomal disorder.

Thuy‐Anh Tran‐Thi, Karl Decker, Patrick A. Baeuerle – 1 August 1995 – Liver macrophages (Kupffer cells) respond to many stimulations with the production of bioactive substances including cytokines, eicosanoids, and inorganic radicals. In this study the activation of transcription factors by substances inducing cytokine gene expression or superoxide formation in rat Kupffer cells was examined.