Harold Rosen – 1 January 1995

1 January 1995

Shunji Kawamoto, Russell W. Strong, Stephen V. Lynch, Tat Hin Ong, S. Praga Pillay, Junichi Yamanaka, Glenda A. Balderson – 1 January 1995 – Because of the anatomical features associated with situs inversus, technical difficulties will be encountered during orthotopic liver transplantation. This report describes the case of a patient with situs inversus totalis and end‐stage liver disease from biliary atresia who was treated by segmental orthotopic liver transplantation.

Helena Gylling, Martti Färkkilä, Matti Vuoristo, Tatu A. Miettinen – 1 January 1995 – Cholesterol absorption, elimination, and synthesis, and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) kinetics were studied in patients with mild to severe primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) (n = 16) to show how this cholestatic disease modified cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism as compared with healthy controls (n = 50).

Goshi Shiota, Jun‐Ichi Okano, Hironaka Kawasaki, Tomokazu Kawamoto, Toshikazu Nakamura – 1 January 1995 – Although recent studies have shown that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent mitogen in vivo, the significance of serum HGF in liver diseases remains unclear. To clarify clinical significance of serum HGF in liver diseases, serum HGF was measured in 127 patients with liver diseases and in 200 healthy individuals, using a highly sensitive immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). This assay is specific for HGF and is sensitive enough to detect 0.1 ng/mL of HGF.

Jacob George, Michael Murray, Karen Byth, Geoffrey C. Farrell – 1 January 1995 – To determine whether cytochrome P450 proteins were differentially altered in severe chronic liver diseases, we examined 50 livers removed at liver transplantation from patients with end‐stage cirrhosis, including 18 with and 32 without cholestasis, and compared the results with 21 histologically normal livers. NADPH‐cytochrome c reductase activities were unaltered in microsomes from cirrhotic livers. Total cytochrome P450 content was significantly reduced.

Howard J. Grossman, Virginia L. Grossman, Prithi S. Bhathal – 1 January 1995 – The relationship between the perfusion pressure (P) and resistance (R) of the intrahepatic portal vascular bed was determined in isolated rat liver preparations perfused with fresh, heparinized rat blood (hematocrit 30%), with rat blood containing a vasodilator agent (sodium nitroprusside, 1 × 10–3 mol/L), or with 2.5% bovine serum albumin in Krebs‐Henseleit buffer (BSA‐KH).

Olivia M. Martinez, Janeth C. Villanueva, M. Eric Gershwin, Sheri M. Krams – 1 January 1995 – Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease of the liver with unknown etiology. Autoreactive T lymphocytes that infiltrate the liver may play a major role in the bile duct damage that accompanies the disease. We hypothesized that cytokines produced by T lymphocytes and other cells are central to the disease process.

John J. Fung – 1 January 1995 – Donor‐specific bone marrow infusion after organ grafting can induce tolerance in animals. In this randomized, controlled study we show it has no benefit in patients undergoing liver transplantation. Of 25 patients, 9 received bone marrow 5 days after a 10 day course of antithymocyte globulin. Immunosuppression was maintained with cyclosporin only. An average of 3·0 rejection episodes per patient was seen in the bone marrow group compared to 3·1 in the controls.

Massimo Pinzani, Alessandra Gentilini, Alessandra Caligiuri, Raffaella De Franco, Giulia Pellegrini, Stefano Milani, Fabio Marra, Paolo Gentilini – 1 January 1995 – Activated liver fat‐storing cells (FSC) are known to play a key role in the development of liver fibrosis. An important element in FSC activation process is the increased expression of receptors for platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF), a potent mitogen for FSC.