Nancy L. Ascher, John R. Lake, Jean Emond, John Roberts – 1 July 1994 – Since the introduction of techniques to reliably identify antibody to the hepatitis C virus and quantitation of hepatitis C virus, there has been an increasing interest in the behavior of chronic hepatitis C infection with liver transplantation. Ninety‐seven patients with chronic active hepatitis C and fifty‐nine patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis underwent 100 and 62 liver transplantation procedures, respectively, at a single institution.

Mathew E. Brunson, Gary L. Davis, Johnson Y. N. Lau, Juan C. Scornik, Richard C. Howard, William W. Pfaff – 1 July 1994

Arun J. Sanyal, Arthur M. Freedman, Mitchell L. Shiffman, Preston P. Purdum, Velimir A. Luketic, Andrea K. Cheatham – 1 July 1994 – Portosystemic encephalopathy is a common complication of surgical portacaval shunts. Recently, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts have been proposed to produce portal decompression in a manner analogous to a side‐to‐side portacaval shunt, but with less morbidity. The incidence and clinical spectrum of portosystemic encephalopathy after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts, however, had not been previously prospectively defined.

Wolf‐Bernhard Offensperger, Silke Offensperger, Barbara Stoll, Wolfgang Gerok, Dieter Häussinger – 1 July 1994 – In cultured hepatocytes from in vivo duck hepatitis B virus‐infected ducks the effect of medium osmolarity on viral replication was studied. A 10‐day exposure to hypotonic media (277 mOsm/L due to removal of 26 mmol/L NaCl) lowered the duck hepatitis B virus DNA content of cells and of the medium by about 50%, whereas hyperosmotic exposure (421 mOsm/L by addition of 46 mmol/L NaCl) increased it about four‐fold compared with normotonic standard incubation medium (329 mOsm/L).

Karin Vanderkerken, Luc Bouwens, Peter Kuppen, Wilfried De Neve, Kit Van Den Berg, Marijke Baekeland, Eddie Wisse – 1 June 1994 – The rat liver contains a population of natural killer cells consisting of two morphologically and functionally different subsets, a low‐density and a high‐density fraction. In this work we describe the influence of low‐dose radiation on hepatic natural killer activity.

Arnold Kooij, Henry J. Schiller, Martin Schijns, Cornelis J. F. Van Noorden, Wilma M. Frederiks – 1 June 1994 – The aim of this study was to test whether conversion of xanthine dehydrogenase into xanthine oxidase as induced by fasting, ischemia of the liver or both is an in vivo process or only occurs in vitro in homogenates. For this purpose, the conversion rate of xanthine dehydrogenase into xanthine oxidase was studied in liver homogenates obtained from rats after normal feeding or 24 hr of fasting followed or not by 2 hr of ischemia of the liver.

Masayoshi Kobune, Yutaka Kohgo, Junji Kato, Etsu Miyazaki, Yoshiro Niitsu – 1 June 1994 – To explore a mechanism of interleukin (IL)‐6–induced hypoferremia in rats, iron metabolism was investigated both in vivo and in vitro. Recombinant IL‐6 was intraperitoneally administered to male Wistar rats and the serial change of parameters related to iron metabolism was examined. After administration of IL‐6, plasma IL‐6 concentration increased rapidly, reached its maximum in 1 hr and thereafter decreased quickly.

Leon J. Reinstein, Steven N. Lichtman, Robert T. Currin, Jian Wang, Ronald G. Thurman, John J. Lemasters – 1 June 1994 – In liver grafts that will fail as a result of storage injury, reperfusion activates Kupffer cells. Overproduction of tumor necrosis factor by activated Kupffer cells may cause primary graft nonfunction, multiple organ failure and, eventually, death of graft recipients. Carolina rinse solution, adenosine, nisoldipine, pentoxifylline and prostaglandin E1 reduce graft failure from storage/reperfusion injury.

Hirofumi Takahashi, Toshiji Saibara, Shinichi Iwamura, Akira Tomita, Takashi Maeda, Saburo Onishi, Yasutake Yamamoto, Hideaki Enzan – 1 June 1994 – The serum level of α‐L‐fucosidase activity has been suggested as a useful marker in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, although the precise mechanism behind the elevation of this parameter has not been determined.

Timothy M. McCashland, Jeremiah P. Donovan, Andree Amelsberg, Steven S. Rossi, Alan F. Hofmann, Byers W. Shaw, Eamonn M. M. Quigley – 1 June 1994 – Bile acid metabolism and biliary secretion were characterized in the first 2 wk after orthotopic liver transplantation in 15 patients receiving cyclosporine and in five patients receiving FK 506. Analyses were performed on hepatic bile obtained by T‐tube drainage; values obtained were compared with literature values for bile samples obtained in patients who had undergone cholecystectomy.