Spontaneous bacterial empyema in cirrhotic patients: Analysis of eleven cases

Xavier Xiol, Jose Castellote, Carme Baliellas, Javier Ariza, Ana Gimenez Roca, Jordi Guardiola, Luis Casais – 1 March 1990 – Eleven episodes of spontaneous bacterial empyema were identified in eight cirrhotic patients with ascites. Criteria for spontaneous bacterial empyema included positive pleural fluid culture or polymorphonuclear cell concentration >500 cells/mm3, evidence of pleural effusion before an infectious episode and transudate characteristics during infection.

Plasma des‐γ‐carboxyprothrombin in the early stage of hepatocellular carcinoma

Sun‐Lung Tsai, Guan‐Tarn Huang, Pei‐Ming Yang, Jin‐Chuan Sheu, Juei‐Low Sung, Ding‐Shinn Chen – 1 March 1990 – To evaluate the role of plasma des‐γ‐carboxyprothrombin in the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, we simultaneously studied both des‐γ‐carboxyprothrombin activities by staphylocoagulase method and des‐γ‐carboxyprothrombin antigen levels by enzyme immunoassay in 39 patients with early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (tumor size <3 cm in 21 patients, 3 to 5 cm in 18 patients); 68 patients had large hepatocellular carcinoma and 54 patients had chronic hepatitis or cirrhosi

Excision of multiple metastases: Better designed studies are needed

Martin Adson – 1 March 1990 – Metastatic carcinoma to the liver is generally considered to be associated with a poor prognosis, with five year survival of only 20% to 30% after resection of solitary lesions. Ninety‐eight consecutive patients underwent the surgical removal of one to 13 metastatic lesions from the liver. A rising carcinoembryonic antigen level was considered an indication for reexploration. All gross tumor was removed in every patient; 66 had more than one metastasis.

Rabbit hepatocytes in primary culture: Preparation, viability and use in studies of propranolol metabolism

Horace E. Walpole, William M. Lee, Thomas Walle, U. Kristina Walle, Michael J. Wilson, John W. Kennedy – 1 March 1990 – Isolated hepatocyte cultures have become a frequently used model system for investigating drug metabolism. Although rat and hamster hepatocytes are frequently used for this purpose, metabolism in these species differs in many respects from human metabolism. A species with a metabolism more closely resembling that of humans might be more useful.

Hepatocirculatory failure: Diverse pathogeneses deserve diverse therapies

Jay N. Cohn – 1 March 1990 – In nine patients with decompensated alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver and impaired renal function the effect of 8‐ornithin vasopressin (ornipressin) on renal function and haemodynamic parameters was studied. Ornipressin was infused at a dose of 6 IU/h over a period of four hours. During ornipressin infusion an improvement of renal function was achieved as indicated by an increase of creatinine clearance (76 (15)%; p < 0.01), urine volume (108 (29)%; p < 0.05) and sodium excretion (168 (30)% p < 0.05).

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