Richard Moreau, Antoine Hadengue, Eric Pussard, Olivier Soubrane, Philippe Sogni, Christophe Gaudin, Didier Lebrec – 1 December 1991 – We studied the relationships in 29 patients with cirrhosis between pulmonary arterial atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations and the following: systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics, the hematocrit, arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation, oxygen tension and the severity of cirrhosis. Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide concentrations ranged from 21 to 208 pg/ml and averaged 78 ± 8 pg/ml (mean ± S.E.M.).

Juan Cabrera, Luis Inglada, Enrique Quintero, Wladymiro Jimenez, Antonio Losada, Juan Mayor, Cayetano Guerra – 1 December 1991 – Fourteen cirrhotic patients with tense ascites were treated with total paracentesis and intravenous isotonic saline infusion. Standard liver and kidney function tests, plasma renin activity and aldosterone concentration were measured before, at 48 hrs and at 7 days after total paracentesis. The volume of ascites removed was 7.7 ± 5.6 1 (mean ± S.E.M.).

Theo P. J. Mulder, A. Roelof Janssens, Hein W. Verspaget, Cornelis B. H. W. Lamers – 1 December 1991 – The plasma metallothionein concentration was evaluated in healthy subjects and in patients with several types of liver disorders. Plasma metallothionein concentrations in controls varied between 2.4 and 4.8 ng/ml.

Andrea Crosignani, Mauro Podda, Pier Maria Battezzati, Emanuela Bertolini, Massimo Zuin, David Watson, Kenneth D. R. Setchell – 1 December 1991 – We describe a detailed study of the effects of ursodeoxycholic acid administration on bile acid composition of the serum and bile of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Raymond S. Koff, John K. Zawacki – 1 December 1991

Philip J. Johnson, Roger Williams – 1 December 1991 – Twenty of 320 patients with Wilson's disease initially presented with chemical and laboratory features of chronic active hepatitis, confirmed histologically in 17. When first seen, cirrhosis was present in all 20 and was complicated by ascites and/orjaundice in 11. Within 1 week to 8 years of the onset of overt liver disease the diagnosis of Wilson's disease was established, and treatment with D‐penicillamine was promptly initiated in 19 patients. One man refused treatment and died 4 months later.

Denis J. Morgan, Allan J. McLean – 1 December 1991

Tadashi Terada, Yasuni Nakanuma – 1 December 1991 – Epithelia of intrahepatic bile ducts and peribiliary glands were immunohistochemically examined for pancreatic α‐amylase and trypsin in 54 normal autopsied livers. α‐Amylase was evaluated with a polyclonal antibody, and trypsin was assayed with both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. α‐Amylase was observed in large ducts, septal ducts and peribiliary glands in most livers and was seen in interlobular ducts in seven (13%) livers.

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).

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).