Teresa L. Wright, John R. Lake – 1 September 1990 – Although most iron in plasma is bound to transferrin, recent evidence suggests that the nontransferrin‐bound fraction contributes to hepatic iron loading and toxicity seen in iron‐overload disorders. Our studies of isolated perfused rat liver previously demonstrated saturable uptake of nontransferrin‐bound iron that continues despite hepatic iron overload.

Anna S. F. Lok, Oliver C. K. Ma – 1 September 1990 – We studied the frequency of hepatitis B virus replication in Chinese patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis B e antigen and hepatitis B virus DNA could be detected in the sera of 28% and 47% of 116 HBsAg‐positive patients, but not in the sera of 15 HBsAg‐negative patients. Replicative forms of hepatitis B virus DNA were detected in the neoplastic and nonneoplastic liver tissues from 34% and 62% of 29 HBsAg‐positive patients and 0% and 20% of five HBsAg‐negative patients by Southern blot hybridization analysis.

Ming‐Yang Lai, Pei‐Jer Chen, Pei‐Ming Yang, Jin‐Chuan Sheu, Juei‐Low Sung, Ding‐Shinn Chen – 1 September 1990 – To clarify the role of hepatitis B virus infection in HBsAg‐seronegative patients with chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan, we examined the hepatitis B virus DNA in liver biopsy tissues of 112 patients by Southern blot analysis. The patients studied included 43 patients with nonalcoholic chronic liver disease, 21 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and 48 control patients with other hepatobiiary and gastrointestinal diseases.

Fukuo Kondo, Masaaki Ebara, Nobuyuki Sugiura, Katsunori Wada, Kazuhiko Kita, Noboru Hirooka, Yoshinobu Nagato, Yoichiro Kondo, Masao Ohto, Kunio Okuda – 1 September 1990 – Seventeen patients with cirrhosis and histologically defined, ultrasonically detected, large regenerative nodules of the liver were followed without treatment for more than 1 yr (range = 13 to 51 mo). During the follow‐up period, none of the nodules were demonstrated sonographically to have enlarged.

Ansgar W. Lohse, Michael Manns, Karl‐Hermann Meyer Zum Büschenfelde – 1 September 1990

Giorgio La Villa, Mónica Asbert, Wladimiro Jiménez, Pere Ginés, Joan Claria, Clara Lopez, Ramon Planas, Josep Llach, Joan Gaya, Francisca Rivera, Paolo Gentilini, Vicente Arroyo, Joan Rodés – 1 September 1990 – The ability of urine extracts to inhibit sodium and potassium–activated ATPase, cross‐react with antidigoxin antibodies and induce natriuresis in rats was investigated in 10 healthy subjects, 10 cirrhotic patients without ascites (compensated cirrhotics), 27 nonazotemic cirrhotic patients with ascites and 10 cirrhotic patients with ascites and functional renal failure to assess wheth

Jean‐Yves Scoazec, Gérard Feldmann – 1 September 1990 – Hepatic sinusoidal lesions, including peliosis hepatis and sinusoidal dilatation, are frequently observed during human immunodeficiency virus infection. It has been proposed that human immunodeficiency virus itself plays a role in their pathogenesis. To test this hypothesis, we attempted to determine whether liver sinusoidal cells express the CD4 molecule, which behaves as a membrane receptor mediating the binding of human immunodeficiency virus to its target cells.

Philippe Levy, Patrick Marcellin, Michèle Martinot‐Peignoux, Claude Degott, Joëlle Nataf, Jean‐Pierre Benhamou – 1 September 1990 – The purposes of this study were (a) to describe the clinical and biochemical manifestations associated with spontaneous reactivation of hepatitis B virus as defined by the reappearance of hepatitis B virus DNA in serum using dot‐blot hybridization and (b) to determine whether the clinical and biochemical manifestations associated with hepatitis B virus reactivation were different in patients with and without human immunodeficiency virus‐1 infection.

Josep M. Piqué, Pilar Pizcueta, ROSA M. Pérez Ayuso, Jaime Bosch – 1 September 1990 – Rats with chronic portal hypertension have an increased gastric mucosal blood flow and an impaired acid secretory response to pentagastrin stimulation. This study investigated the effects of propranolol, a drug widely used in the treatment of portal hypertension, on gastric mucosal blood flow and acid secretion in portal hypertensive rats with partial portal vein occlusion.

Peter R. Galle, Lorenz Theilmann, Richard Raedsch, Gerd Otto, Adolf Stiehl – 1 September 1990 – Primary human hepatocytes were used to study bile salt hepatotoxicity and the hepatoprotective potential of ursodeoxycholate in vitro. Hepatocytes were obtained by collagenase perfusion of healthy human liver tissue and were treated with glycochenodeoxycholate for 24 hr 1 day after plating. Clear signs of cytotoxicity were observed at concentrations of about 100 μmol/L glycochenodeoxycholate.