Hepatitis B virus precore mutants are identical in carriers from various ethnic origins and are associated with a range of liver disease severity

Ran Tur‐Kaspa, Athalia Klein, Shlomit Aharonson – 1 December 1992 – Hepatitis B virus carriers in Israel are mostly HBeAg negative, of whom 5% to 10% have circulating hepatitis B virus. Recently, a hepatitis B virus variant with a stop codon in the precore region was identified, and it was suggested that specific mutations are associated with fulminant or severe chronic active hepatitis. We have analyzed serum samples from HBeAg‐positive and HBeAg‐negative patients by polymerase chain reaction, using primers spanning the precore/core region.

Does albumin regulate albumin?

Caryn M. Berkowitz – 1 December 1992 – A novel feedback regulatory mechanism operating on transcription of the albumin gene is described in the rat. In 1946, it was proposed that circulating colloids, including serum albumin, may affect the synthesis and/or secretion of albumin in the liver. The molecular basis for this proposed regulation has now been inves tigated by adding oncotically active macromolecules to the circulation of normal or genetically albumin‐deficient Nagase analbuminemic rats (NAR) and analyzing the hepatic expression of genes, including albumin after 24 h.

Hemodynamic effects of calibrated stenosis of the superior mesenteric artery in conscious rats with portal vein stenosis

Olivier Soubrane, Alain Braillon, Han‐Chieh Lin, Gerhardt Kleber, Didier Lebrec – 1 December 1992 – Because superior mesenteric arterial blood flow is increased in portal hypertension and plays a role in elevated portal pressure, mechanical reduction of artery diameter should induce decreases in portal pressure and superior mesenteric arterial blood flow. In this study, calibrated superior mesenteric artery stenosis (induced with a 22‐gauge needle) was performed in rats simultaneously with portal vein stenosis or 2 wk after creation of portal vein stenosis.

Multiple autoepitope presentation for specific detection of antibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis

Jean‐Paul Briand, Chantal Andre, Nadine Tuaillon, Laurence Herve, Jean Neimark, Sylviane Muller – 1 December 1992 – Antimitochondrial autoantibodies are present in sera from close to 95% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. The so‐called primary biliary cirrhosis‐specific antigen, named M2, was found to be associated with an enzyme complex of the inner mitochondrial membrane and, more precisely, with the E2 component, dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase, of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.

Cytoprotective effect of somatostatin in a rat model of hepatic ischemic reperfusion

Ignacio Landa, Javier Arias, Manuel Gómez, Manuel Quadros, Ana Moreno, José Luis Balibrea – 1 December 1992 – To evaluate the possible cytoprotective effect of somatostatin in hepatic ischemic reperfusion injury we used 75 adult male Wistar rats randomly separated into four groups. The rats in group 1 underwent sham operations, and those in group 2 underwent resection of the median and left lateral lobes. The rats in group 3 underwent a 90‐min period of ischemia of the right lateral lobe, which we induced by temporarily occluding the right portal vein and the hepatic artery.

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