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

1 December 1990

Judith Storch – 1 December 1990 – The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction between fatty acids and plasma membranes from liver cells. We were unable to reproduce the reported effect of heating on the capacity of these membranes to bind [3H]oleate (Stremmel et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 1985;82:4–8). In fact, the distribution of [3H]oleate between plasma membranes and unilamellar vesicles of lipids extracted from these membranes was in favor of the lipids, indicating the absence of a detectable amount of binding to a putative fatty acid binding protein in plasma membranes.

Ljusk Siw Eriksson, Charlotte Söderman, Bo‐Göran Ericzon, Lennart Eleborg, John Wahren, Göran Hedenstierna – 1 December 1990 – To examine the effect of liver transplantation on the respiratory and cardiovascular functions, ventilation/perfusion relationships were determined by multiple inert gas elimination technique in six patients with end‐stage liver disease 1 to 19 mo before and 2 to 6 mo after liver transplantation. Cardiac output and pulmonary vascular pressures were measured after catheterization of the pulmonary artery.

Geoffrey W. McCaughan, J. Stewart Davies, Jenny A. Waugh, G. Alex Bishop, Bruce M. Hall, Neil D. Gallagher, John F. Thompson, A. G. Ross Sheil, Dorothy M. Painter – 1 December 1990 – The aim of this study was to quantitate T‐cell populations infiltrating portal tracts, bile ducts and hepatic lobules in 82 biopsy specimens from 25 patients after orthotopic liver transplantation. Biopsy specimens taken immediately after revascularization of the graft were used as controls.

Jaap Kwekkeboom, Hans M. G. Princen, Eline M. van Voorthuizen, Herman Jan M. Kempen – 1 November 1990 – Feedback regulation of bile acid synthesis by its end products was studied in cultured hepatocytes of young weaned pigs. We previously showed that conversion of exogenous [14C] cholesterol into bile acids was suppressed by addition of bile acids to the culture medium. In the present study, the effects of bile acids on bile acid mass production and cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase activity were examined.

Manuel Guzman, José Castro – 1 November 1990 – Periportal and perivenous hepatocytes were isolated from rats fed a high‐fat, ethanol‐containing diet to investigate the acinar heterogeneity of the effects of prolonged ethanol administration on lipid metabolism. Chronic feeding of ethanol caused a rather selective accumulation of triacylglycerols in the perivenous zone of the liver.

Tadashi Terada, Yasuni Nakanuma – 1 November 1990 – Pathological changes and significance of intrahepatic peribiliary glands, hitherto poorly recognized intrahepatic elements, have been evaluated in our laboratory. In this report, we surveyed necroinflammatory and cystic changes of the peribiliary glands in 1,000 consecutive autopsy livers because these two changes coexisted frequently in the same liver. The necroinflammatory change was found in 228 livers (22.8%) and the cystic change in 202 livers (20.2%), and 103 cases showed both changes in the same liver.

Rajeev Mehta, Jeanne Gottstein, W. Patrick Zeller, Robert Lichtenberg, Andres T. Blei – 1 November 1990 – Humoral factors may be responsible for the hyperdynamic circulation seen in portal hypertension. Endotoxin, a peripheral arteriolar vasodilator, has been proposed to mediate this hemodynamic picture. We examined the pathogenic role of endotoxin in portal vein—ligated rats, a prehepatic portal hypertensive model with a well‐developed hyperdynamic circulation.