Jörg C. Gerlach, Norbert Schnoy, Jens Encke, Mark D. Smith, Christian Müller, Peter Neuhaus – 1 August 1995 – Primary pig hepatocytes form a tissuelike structure in an in vitro culture model that has provision for threedimensional cell orientation, cell aggregation, decentralized cell perfusion with low metabolite gradients, integral oxygenation, and nonparenchymal cell coculture. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has shown that hepatocytes spontaneously form aggregates in a three‐dimensional structure between and on the surface of artificial capillaries.

James V. Sitzmann, Yuping Wu, Greti Acuilera, Paul A. Cahill, R. Cartland Burns – 1 August 1995 – Decreased splanchnic vascular response to exogenous angiotensin‐II (A‐II) infusion in portal hypertension has recently been documented. A‐II receptor density and binding affinity in the mesenteric artery, portal vein, and adrenal gland of normal and portal hypertensive rabbits were studied. Portal hypertension was induced by partial portal vein ligation 3 weeks before study.

Michiko Shindo, Ken Arai, Yoshihiro Sokawa, Tadao Okuno – 1 August 1995 – We investigated anti‐hepatitis C virus (HCV) titers, HCV RNA levels in liver and serum, genetic variability in the hypervariable region of the genome, the form of the virus in the circulation, and liver histology in 21 anti‐HCV‐positive subjects with sustained normal liver biochemical values. Titer of anti‐HCV was determined by second generation anti‐HCV‐passive hemagglutination assay, and HCV RNA levels were semiquantitated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Takeaki Suou, Keiko Hosho, Yukihiro Kishimoto, Yasushi Horie, Hironaka Kawasaki – 1 August 1995 – To evaluate the effect of interferon alfa (IFN‐α) on the hepatic extracellular matrix, we investigated the changes in serum N‐terminal propeptide of type III procollagen during and after 4 months of INF‐α treatment in 178 treated and 45 nontreated patients with chronic hepatitis C. Serum pretreatment levels in nonresponders were significantly higher than those in long‐term and short‐term responders, but those levels were not different in the latter two groups.

Antonio González, Juan I. Esteban, Pedro Madoz, Luis Viladomiu, Juan Genesca, Eduardo Muñiz, Jaime Enríquez, Xavier Torras, José M. Hernández, Josep Quer, Xavier Vidal, Harvey J. Alter, James W. Shih, Rafael Esteban, Jaime Guardia – 1 August 1995 – Routine screening of blood donors for anti‐hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been implemented in most developed countries. However, the independent efficacy of such screening has not been established in a controlled, prospective study.

Stephan Krähenbühl, Christine Talos, Bernhard H. Lauterburg, Jürg Reichen – 1 August 1995 – Lipid peroxidation and antioxidative mechanisms were investigated in liver mitochondria from bile duct ligated rats (BDL rats) and correlated with the activity of enzyme complexes of the electron transport chain. In comparison to pair‐fed control rats, BDL rats had increased concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) per gram of liver and per milligram of mitochondrial protein 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after surgery.

Jane M. Geders, Salima Haque, Raymond J. Tesi, Michael A. Gerber, Anna S. F. Lok – 1 August 1995

1 August 1995

Tomas Sveger, Sten Eriksson – 1 August 1995 – Of 200,000 Swedish infants screened for α1‐antitrypsin deficiency (α1ATD), 184 (127 PiZ, 2 PiZ–, 54 PiSZ, and 1 PiS–) children have been followed prospectively, of whom 1 PiSZ and 5 PiZ children died in early childhood. We now report clinical and biochemical signs of liver disease in adolescence and the prognosis of neonatal liver disease up to the age of 18 years. The α1ATD subjects were offered a clinical checkup and liver tests at 16 and 18 years of age, 150 of 178 α1ATD subjects undergoing checkups at age 16 and 166 at age 18.

Ramon Estruch, Joaquim Fernández‐Solá, Emilio Sacanella, Carles Paré, Emanuel Rubin, Alvaro Urbano‐Márquez – 1 August 1995 – Based on anecdotal impressions, there is a common clinical perception that alcoholics with liver disease do not develop cardiomyopathy and that those with alcohol‐induced cardiac disease are spared cirrhosis.