John M. Levey, Paul L. Romain, Herbert L. Bonkovsky – 1 February 1995 – Background. Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia is frequently associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. A beneficial effect of interferon alfa therapy has been reported, but we do not know whether the antiviral activity of the drug affects the clinical and biochemical manifestations of disease. Methods. In a prospective randomized, controlled trial, we studied 53 patients with HCV‐associated type II cryoglobulinemia.

Kevin D. Mullen, Roger F. Butterworth, John Wells, Gilles Pomier‐Layrargues – 1 February 1995

1 February 1995

Sonia Navas, Orencio Bosch, Inmaculada Castillo, Eduardo Marriott, Vicente Carreño – 1 February 1995 – Based on the knowledge that patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) usually have chronic liver disease, several authors studied a possible relationship to hepatotropic virus infections. However, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in serum of these patients, as well as the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐RNA in paired liver, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and serum samples in these patients has not been reported.

Carmine Panella, Francesco William Guglielmi, Tecla Mastronuzzi, Antonio Francavilla – 1 February 1995 – The aim of this study was to examine and compare whole‐body and segmental impedance measurements in control subjects and patients with progression of liver disease and to investigate whole‐body and segmental bioelectrical changes occurring during dehydration therapy or paracentesis. Males have lower resistance (R) and reactance (Xc) values than females in measurements both of the whole body and of the arm, leg, and trunk. This is not true in patients.

Hester N. van Wassenaer‐Van Hall, Jeroen van der Grond, Jan van Hattum, Carole Kooijman, Tjaard U. Hoogenraad, Willem P. Th. M. Mali – 1 February 1995 – The goal of this study was to analyze the possibilities of 31P MR spectroscopy to detect abnormal hepatic histological changes in patients with diffuse liver disease. 31P MR spectroscopy was performed, on a 1.5 T whole‐body spectrometer using an image guided localization technique (ISIS), on 38 patients with various diffuse liver diseases, who all underwent histological and serum analysis, and 22 healthy volunteers.

Zuxing Kan, Krassnodar Ivancev, Anders Lunderquist, Patricia A. McCuskey, Robert S. McCuskey, Sidney Wallace – 1 February 1995 – In vivo microscopy was used in the study of the biological behavior of tumor cells and of the activity of Kupffer cells in hepatic tumors in situ. Three tumor models, Friend erythroleukemia inoculated into Dilute Brown Aguti (DBA)/2 mice, murine colon adenocarcinoma (CT)‐26 in Bagg Albino inbred albino (BALB)/c mice, and mammary cancer 13762 NF in Fischer rats, were investigated.

Flora Tartakovsky, Howard J. Worman – 1 February 1995 – Autoantibodies against nuclear pore membrane glycoprotein gp210 have been identified in between 10% and 25% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). These antibodies may be useful in diagnosing PBC and in identifying subgroups of patients. Because previous detection procedures relied on the need to purify hydrophobic proteins and perform immunoblotting, the aim of the present study was to develop a simple assay to detect gp210 autoantibodies.

Raymond F. Burk, Kristina E. Hill, Joseph A. Awad, Jason D. Morrow, Tatsuko Kato, Kevin A. Cockell, P. Reid Lyons – 1 February 1995 – A dose of diquat below the amount injurious to selenium‐replete animals causes lipid peroxidation and massive liver necrosis in selenium‐deficient rats. The current study was undertaken to characterize the lipid peroxidation with respect to the liver injury and to correlate the presence of several selenoproteins with the protective effect of selenium. Lipid peroxidation was assessed by measurement of F2 isoprostanes.

Raymond S. Koff – 1 February 1995