Charles S. Lieber, Leonore M. Decarli, Ki M. Mak, Cho‐Il Kim, Maria A. Leo – 1 December 1990 – Characteristic features of alcoholic liver injury include fibrosis and striking membrane alterations, with associated phospholipid changes. To offset some of these abnormalities, a 10‐yr study was conducted in baboons: 12 animals (eight females, four males) were fed a liquid diet supplemented with polyunsaturated lecithin (4.1 mg/kcal) for up to 8 yr, with either ethanol (50% of total energy) or isocaloric carbohydrate.

Vivek Dixit, Ruth Darvasi, Marika Arthur, Maria Brezina, Klaus Lewin, Gary Gitnick – 1 December 1990 – Microencapsulation of cells within synthetic semipermeable membranes is a novel technique that enables the transplantation of cell cultures without the need for immunosuppression. We have previously shown that transplanted isolated encapsulated hepatocytes can provide sufficient short‐term metabolic support to improve the survival of animals with galactosamine‐induced fulminant hepatic failure.

Patrick S. C. Leung, Takashi Iwayama, Ross L. Coppel, M. Eric Gershwin – 1 December 1990 – The major autoantigens of PBC have been identified as the four closely related mitochondrial enzymes PDC‐E2, BCKD‐E2 OGDC‐E2 and protein X. A major structural similarity of these enzymes is the presence of one or more lipoyl domains. The immunodominant epitope of each autoantigen has either been postulated or been demonstrated to be located within the lipoate binding region. However, it is not clear whether the binding of lipoic acid to the epitope is necessary for autoantibody recognition.

Hanns Löhr, Ulrich Treichel, Thomas Poralla, Michael Manns, Karl‐Hermann Meyer Zum Büschenfelde, Bernhard Fleischer – 1 December 1990 – Autoantibodies to the human hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor have been found in nearly 50% of the sera of patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis and in 15% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. In this study we demonstrate that the human hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor is also a target antigen for T cell—mediated immune responses.

Albert Parés, Josep María Barrera, Joan Caballería, Guadalupe Ercilla, Miquel Bruguera, Llorenç Caballería, Ricardo Castillo, Joan Rodés – 1 December 1990 – The prevalence of hepatitis C virus antibody and its relationship to the severity of liver disease in chronic alcoholic patients has been assessed, using a recently developed enzyme immunoassay and confirmed by a recombinant immunoblot assay, in 144 patients (mean age ± S.D. = 44.4 ± 11.3 yr) who had consumed >80 gm/day ethanol for >5 yr.

Kazuhisa Taketa – 1 December 1990

Andrew G. Smith, Philip Carthew, Jean E. Francis, Richard E. Edwards, David Dinsdale – 1 December 1990 – After a single subcutaneous dose of iron‐dextran (600 mg of iron/kg), iron overload developed in C57BL/10ScSn mice. At 4, 24 and 78 wk liver nonheme iron concentrations were 67‐, 42‐ and 21‐fold higher than controls, respectively. Much of the iron was in macrophages, but hepatocytes were also strongly positive for Perls' stainable iron. One feature was the development of iron‐positive nuclear inclusions in hepatocytes.

Joseph C. Kolars, Scott A. Murray, Ken M. Peters, Paul B. Watkins – 1 December 1990 – Progressive liver fibrosis in rats develops when they are fed a diet deficient in choline. This diet also results in a pronounced and selective decrease in the liver microsomal content of a phase I drug—metabolizing enzyme belonging to the cytochrome P‐450III gene family. Because P‐450III cytochromes characteristically catalyze the N‐demethylation of erythromycin, we believed that the production of breath CO2 from erythromycin would be dramatically reduced in choline‐deficient rats.

Ludmila Vitvitski‐Trépo, Alan Kay, Christian Pichoud, Philippe Chevallier, Stéphane de Dinechin, Blanche‐Marie Shamoon, Elisabeth Mandart, Christian Trépo, Francis Galibert – 1 December 1990 – To clarify the significance of the X gene of hepatitis B virus, we have tested for anti‐HBx in the serum and HBxAg in the liver at different stages of the natural history of hepatitis B virus infection. Sera were screened by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and positive results confirmed by immunoblot. Purified recombinant MS2 Pol‐HBx fusion protein was used as target for both assays.

H. Franklin Herlong, Willis C. Maddrey, Mackenzie Walser, Ljusk Siw Eriksson, Harold O. Conn – 1 December 1990