Sadhana Prakash, Arnold E. Postlethwaite, David J. Wyler – 1 May 1991 – Schistosomiasis is the main cause of hepatic fibrosis worldwide, yet its pathogenesis remains unknown. We previously reported that conditioned medium from cultures of hepatic egg granulomas (isolated from mice acutely infected with Schistosoma mansoni) can stimulate fibroblast proliferation and matrix production in vitro. We have proposed that initiation of hepatic fibrosis in this infection might be under the control of granuloma‐derived cytokines.

Bruce A. Runyon, Mainor R. Antillon – 1 May 1991 – Ascitic fluid pH and lactate concentration have been proposed as useful tests for the detection of ascitic fluid infection. However, past studies involved small numbers of infected patients, and all did not use optimal culture techniques.

Hey‐Chi Hsu, Tzyy‐Jen Chiou, Jen‐Yang Chen, Chu‐Shue Lee, Po‐Huang Lee, Shian‐Yang Peng – 1 May 1991 – To determine the clonal evolution of hepatocellular carcinoma, the integrated hepatitis B virus DNA patterns of the main tumor, satellites and/or metastatic lesions were analyzed by Southern‐blot hybridization in 28 hepatocellular carcinomas, including three HBsAg‐seronegative cases. Unicentric or multicentric hepatocellular carcinoma was confirmed by histopathological criteria in 89% of the cases.

Marion Peters, John Vierling, M. Eric Gershwin, David Milich, Francis V. Chisari, Jay H. Hoofnagle – 1 May 1991

Christophe Gaudin, Alain Braillon, Jorge Luis Poo, Gerhard Kleber, Richard Moreau, Didier Lebrec – 1 May 1991 – During a hemodynamic study, plasma catecholamine concentrations were measured in the pulmonary artery and in the hepatic vein in 18 presinusoidal portal hypertensive patients. Results were compared with those in 15 nonportal hypertensive subjects and in 24 cirrhotic patients in good condition (grade A, according to Pugh's classification).

Tohru Kimura, Fuminori Moriyasu, Toshihiko Kawasaki, Hitoshi Someda, Takashi Tamada, Yukitaka Yamashita, Shigeki Ono, Kouzou Kajimura, Osamu Nishida, Minoru Okuma – 1 May 1991 – The relationship between esophageal varices and the azygos vein, which is generally considered to drain the major part of the variceal blood flow, was evaluated by percutaneous transhepatic cineportography in 35 patients with portal hypertension. We classified the patients into three groups.

Steven Schenker, Willis C. Maddrey – 1 May 1991

1 May 1991

G. Garcia‐Tsao – 1 May 1991 – Repeated large‐volume paracentesis (4–6 L/day) is an effective and safe therapy of ascites in patients with cirrhosis provided albumin is infused intravenously. To investigate whether ascites can be safely mobilized in only one paracentesis session (“total paracentesis”), 38 cirrhotic patients with tense ascites were treated with total paracentesis plus intravenous albumin (6–8 g/L ascites removed).

Joji Haratake, Masanori Hisaoka, Osamu Yamamoto, Akio Horie – 1 May 1991 – Morphological changes of hepatic microcirculation, especially peribiliary plexus, in experimental rat cirrhosis that resulted from the repeated intraperitoneal injections of N‐diethylnitrosamine, 100 mg/kg body weight/one shot/week, were examined by scanning electron microscope. Control rats were treated with saline. Whole blood vessels of the rats were perfused by saline and stuffed with methylmethacrylated resin.