Harold O. Conn, Norman D. Grace, Jaime Bosch, Roberto J. Groszmann, Joan Rodés, Steven C. Wright, Daniel S. Matloff, Guadalupe Garcia‐Tsao, Rosemarie L. Fisher, Miguel Navasa, Steven J. Drewniak, Colin E. Atterbury, Jose M. Bordas, Emanuel Lerner, Christina Bramante – 1 May 1991 – To assess the effectiveness of propranolol in the prevention of initial variceal hemorrhage, a doubleblind, randomized trial was carried out in three centers.

Michael O. Blackstone – 1 May 1991 – In a prospective study of the natural history of congestive gastropathy, 212 consecutive cirrhotic patients (75 treated with sclerotherapy) were included. Mean follow‐up was 46 months. Mild gastropathy (mosaiclike pattern) was found in 110 patients and severe gastropathy (granular mucosa with cherry spots) was found in 20. Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori, formerly Campylobacter pylori, was 50% in patients without, 43% in those with mild, and 28% in those with severe gastropathy.

Herbert L. Bonkovsky – 1 May 1991 – Twelve forms of human hepatic cytochrome P‐450 were expressed in hepatoma cells by means of recombinant vaccinia viruses. The expressed P‐450's were analyzed for their abilities to activate the potent hepatocarcinogens aflatoxin B1 to metabolites having mutagenic or DNA‐binding properties. Five forms, P‐450's IA2, IIÁ3, IIB7, IIIA3, and IIIA4, activated aflatoxin B1 to mutagenic metabolites as assessed by the production of His revertants of Salmonella typhimurium in the Ames test.

Daniel R. Ciocca, Arturo D. Jorge, Oliver Jorge, Carlos Milutín, Roberto Hosokawa, Marcelo Díaz Lestren, Estela Muzzio, Sergio Schulkin, Ricardo Schirbu – 1 May 1991 – It has been proposed that in the human liver, the estrogen receptor gene may become inappropriately expressed as a consequence of HBV integration, contributing to cell transformation.

Shujiro Takase, Nobuo Takada, Nobuyuki Enomoto, Minoru Yasuhara, Aicira Takada – 1 May 1991 – To verify the existence of chronic hepatitis induced by alcohol, the clinicopathological features of chronic hepatitis in heavy drinkers were studied using various viral markers. Histological features of chronic active hepatitis were seen in 27 heavy drinkers. These patients were divided into four groups.

Eugenia Lamas, Frédérique Zindy, Danielle Seurin, Christiane Guguen‐Guillouzo, Christian Brechot – 1 May 1991 – Insulin‐like growth factor II is believed to play an important role in fetal growth and development. The insulin‐like growth factor II gene expression is tissue specific and developmentally regulated. We have previously shown an enhanced level of insulin‐like growth factor II messenger RNA and protein in human hepatocellular carcinomas. This led to the suggestion that hepatocytes might be involved in insulin‐like growth factor II expression.

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.

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).

1 May 1991

Steven Schenker, Willis C. Maddrey – 1 May 1991