Hideki Hagiwara, Norio Hayashi, Eiji Mita, Keiji Ueda, Tetsuo Takehara, Akinori Kasahara, Hideyuki Fusamoto, Takenobu Kamada – 1 January 1992 – We tested serial serum samples for hepatitis C virus RNA from patients undergoing treatment for chronic hepatitis C with interferon‐α using an assay that combined reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction. The subjects studied were 20 patients with chronic hepatitis who had serum antibody to hepatitis C virus (anti‐C100–3).

Pierre J. A. Willemse, Lambert Ausema, Onno T. Terpstra, Eric P. Krenning, Fibo W. J. Ten Kate, Solko W. Schalm – 1 January 1992 – We studied the size of the liver graft and the host liver in six consecutive patients undergoing auxiliary heterotopic liver transplantation for chronic endstage liver disease. In all cases, a liver reduced in size by left lateral hepatectomy was inserted. The sizes of the graft and host liver were estimated by planimetry of two‐dimensional di‐isopropyl iminodiacetic acid scintigrams taken 3, 7, 21, 90 and 180 days after surgery.

Sanjeev Gupta, Jayanta Roy Chowdhury – 1 January 1992

Alain Braillon, Christophe Gaudin, Jorge L. Poo, Richard Moreau, Bertrand Debaene, Didier Lebrec – 1 January 1992 – In patients with cirrhosis, the significance of elevated plasma catecholamine concentrations is unclear. Thus we investigated the relationship between plasma catecholamine concentrations and the hemodynamic effect of pindolol (an index of sympathetic vascular tone) in 10 patients with cirrhosis.

Samuel S. Lee, Kaj Johansen, Didier Lebrec – 1 January 1992 – We studied the hemodynamics in four groups of rats with combinations of mesenteric hypertension and portal diversion. Operations created three groups with mesenteric hypertension and different degrees of portal venous diversion: mesenteric vein stenosis, portal vein stenosis and end‐to‐side portacaval anastomosis with mesenteric vein stenosis, the fourth group had only portacaval anastomosis. A control group had sham operations.

M. Sawkat Anwer, James M. Atkinson – 1 January 1992 – The effect of Ca+ + mobilizing agonists arginine vasopressin and phenylephrine on Na+/H+ exchange was studied in freshly isolated hepatocytes and isolated perfused rat livers. The activity of Na+/H+ exchange was determined from the rate of H+ efflux, 22Na uptake and pHi recovery. Arginine vasopressin and phenylephrine stimulated H+ efflux and 22Na uptake in isolated rat hepatocytes and increased the rate of pHi recovery from acid‐loaded hepatocytes. These effects were inhibited by amiloride.

Tomoaki Tomiya, Sumiko Nagoshi, Kenji Fujiwara – 1 January 1992 – Serum human hepatocyte growth factor levels were measured using a newly developed enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit in patients with liver diseases. Serum human hepatocyte growth factor levels were increased in correlation with derangements of prothrombin time, total bilirubin and other parameters reflecting hepatocellular dysfunction in 112 patients with chronic liver disease. The levels were positively correlated with serum AST and ALT levels in 59 of these patients whose prothrombin times were within the normal range.

Agata Budkowska, Pascal Dubreuil, Thierry Poynard, Patrick Marcellin, Marie‐Anne Loriot, Patrick Maillard, Jacques Pillot – 1 January 1992 – Serial sera were collected prospectively during the clinical course of 13 HBsAg carriers with chronic liver disease and analyzed for ALT levels, pre‐S1 and pre‐S2 antigens and corresponding antibodies and other serological hepatitis B virus markers.

Ian G. McFarlane, Kanchan Chaggar, Susan E. Davies, Heather M. Smith, Graeme J. M. Alexander, Roger Williams – 1 December 1991 – Sera from 31 patients with chronic hepatitis delta virus infection and 18 patients with acute hepatitis delta virus infection were examined for IgA class antibodies to this virus using a newly developed enzyme immunoassay. IgA antibody to hepatitis D virus was detected in 21 (67.7%) of 31 patients with chronic delta viral hepatitis, but in only 1 (5.6%) of the 18 patients with acute infection (p < 0.0005).

Mark E. Bubak, Michael K. Porayko, Ruud A. F. Krom, Russell H. Wiesner – 1 December 1991 – We investigated the incidence and types of liver biopsy complications in our first 160 consecutive liver transplantations. A significant complication was identified by the need for therapeutic intervention (for example, hospitalization, transfusion, intravenous fluids, chest tube, surgery or antibiotic therapy). A total of 950 percutaneous hepatic allograft biopsies were performed in 136 patients (mean = 6.9 biopsies/graft; range = 1 to 29).