Livio Capocaccia, Oliviero Riggio – 1 August 1990 – The beneficial effect of disaccharides, lactulose and lactitol, in prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy is well established but their use in combination with neomycin is still controversial. We studied in vitro the fecal bacterial growth, acid and gas formation in presence of lactitol (beta‐galactosidesorbitol) and neomycin alone or in combination. The results indicate that neomycin only inhibits the growth of susceptible bacteria (E. coli, Staph. aureus) which, conversely, are poor lactitol fermenters.

Yun‐Fan Liaw, Dra. M. Buti – 1 August 1990

1 August 1990

Alfredo Alberti, Daniela Cavalletto, Liliana Chemello, Fabio Beluss, Giovanna Fattovich, Patrizia Pontisso, Gabriele Milanes, Arturo Ruol – 1 August 1990 – The preS1 domain of hepatitis B virus envelope proteins contains a site of attachment to the hepatocyte membrane that has been shown to evoke virusneutralizing antibodies. Using synthetic peptides, we have examined kinetics and specificity of the antibody response to preS1 during acute and chronic HBV infection.

Jean‐Pierre Villeneuve, P.‐Michel Huet, Louise Gariepy, Daphna Fenyves, Bernard Willems, Jean Cǒté, Réal Lapointe, Denis Marleau – 1 August 1990 – Cirrhotic livers obtained from eight patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation were perfused through the portal vein and hepatic artery in a closed recycling system for periods ranging from 2 to 7 hr. An average perfusion flow of 451 ml/min was used, with about 80% coming from the portal vein and 20% from the hepatic artery.

Reinhild Klein, Peter A. Berg – 1 August 1990 – Sera from 81 healthy family members (including husbands) of 13 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis were tested by Western blotting against the antigen fractions M9 and M2 derived respectively from rat liver and beef heart mitochondria. Fifty‐eight (70%) were positive and recognized four major (molecular weights 98 kD, 65 kD, 61 kD, 58 kD) and eight minor determinants (85 kD, 81 kD, 78 kD, 54 kD, 48 kD, 45 kD, 40 kD, 30 kD) labeled α‐my. Each of the 58 sera recognized at least one of the four major polypeptides.

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

Santiago J. Muñoz, Antonino Martinez‐Hernandez, Willis C. Maddrey – 1 August 1990 – Although liver injury after administration of the trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole combination is rare, hepatocellular necrosis and cholestasis have developed in a few cases. We describe a patient who developed a severe, prolonged cholestatic reaction after trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole administration. The findings from serial liver biopsy samples showed characteristic abnormalities of phospholipidosis that have not been previously described for trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole–related hepatic injury.

Sandro Gentile, Marcello Persico, Claudio Tiribelli – 1 August 1990 – The plasma disappearance rate of sulfobromophthalein (VBSP; μmol/kg/min) was measured in 15 Gilbert's syndrome patients and 12 control subjects after intravenous injection of two different doses (0.59 and 5.90 μmol/kg) of the dye. Plasma disappearance rate was significantly reduced in Gilbert's syndrome patients after administration of 0.59 μmol sulfobromophthalein/kg (0.119 ± 0.016 vs. 0.146 ± 0.018 μmol/kg/min; mean ± S.D.; p < 0.001), whereas no difference was found with the higher dose (0.754 ± 0.040 vs.

Eric B. Rypins, I. James Sarfeh – 1 August 1990 – To test the hypothesis that partial portal decompression in the treatment of variceal hemorrhage will diminish subsequent encephalopathy, 50 consecutive patients were studied after construction of a small‐stoma (10 to 12 mm) side‐to‐side portacaval shunt, with the goal of a postoperative portacaval pressure gradient of 10 mm Hg. During follow‐up averaging 26 months, six patients (12 percent) died. Four patients (8 percent) had episodes of rebleeding, only one from varices.