J. Michael Henderson – 1 January 1989 – Operative ligation of portosystemic shunts is effective in controlling chronic portosystemic encephalopathy (CPSE) but is associated with significant mortality. Review of the records of five paients with CPSE treated with radiologic occlusion procedures showed that these are suitable alternatives to surgery. Three patients had alcoholic cirrhosis, one had hepatic fibrosis from schistosomiasis, and one had post‐necrotic cirrhosis. All had CPSE with progressive, severe cerebral impairment refractory to clinical treatment.

Shou‐Dong Lee, Kwang‐Juei Lo, Yang‐Te Tsai, Jaw‐Ching Wu, Tzee‐Chung Wu – 1 January 1989 – A total of 128 HBsAg carrier infants born to HBeAg‐positive HBsAg carrier mothers were tested for serum HBsAg, HBeAg, hepatitis B virus DNA and anti‐HBc. Ninety‐three of them had received hepatitis B vaccination. Anti‐HBc had been found to be negative in sera of 12 infants who were HBsAg, HBeAg and hepatitis B virus DNA positive during the follow‐up period of 3 to 5 years.

Emilio Barberá‐Guillem, Ricardo Ayala, Fernando Vidal‐Vanaclocha – 1 January 1989 – We have measured the location of embryonic and adult hemopoietic foci in the liver tissue of postnatal and adult phenylhydrazine‐treated mice. Differentiation of acinar domains in liver tissue was made possible by carrying out succinate dehydrogenase histochemical reactions on liver cryostat sections.

Morikazu Onji, Andrew M. L. Lever, Izumu Saito, Howard C. Thomas – 1 January 1989 – The interferon responsiveness of two cell lines transfected with the hepatitis B virus genome was investigated. A cosmid vector containing multiple copies of the hepatitis B virus genome was transfected into FL5‐1 cells; it reduced their sensitivity to interferons as measured by inhibition of the cytopathic effect of Sindbis virus challenge. Similar vectors transfected into HeLa cells reduced their sensitivity to interferon as measured by production of β2‐microglobulin.

Richard B. Jennett, Michael F. Sorrell, Abbas Saffari‐fard, James L. Ockner, Dean J. Tuma – 1 January 1989 – Hepatic ethanol oxidation generates the reactive intermediate acetaldehyde, which binds to proteins. Previous work, using bovine brain tubulin as a model protein, has shown that acetaldehyde preferentially formed stable adducts on the α‐chain of the heterodimeric molecule. This binding resulted in functional impairment of the tubulin/microtubule system as evidenced by a decreased ability of adducted tubulin to form microtubules.

Giorgio Hassan, Stefania Stefanini, Anna Maria Bargagli, Francesco Autuori – 1 January 1989 – The incorporation of 3H‐proline in cells of liver biopsy specimens from patients with chronic active liver diseases has been studied by light and electron microscopic autoradiography. The labeled proline is incorporated by hepatocytes of the external rows of the residual liver lobule, by the cells of the proliferating bile ductule and very actively by the plasma cells localized at the boundary between the inflammatory infiltrate and the liver lobule.

Julio Vorobioff, Guadalupe Garcia‐Tsao, Roberto Groszmann, Guillermo Aceves, Eduardo Picabea, Roberto Villavicencio, Jorge Hernandez‐Ortiz – 1 January 1989 – Ketanserin, a 5‐hydroxytryptamine‐2 receptor blocker, has been shown to decrease portal pressure in recent acute hemodynamic studies that have been performed both in experimental animals and portal hypertensive patients. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of chronic oral administration of ketanserin in portal hypertensive patients with cirrhosis.

Richard J. Stock, Eugene V. Cilento, Robert S. McCuskey – 1 January 1989 – Hepatic extraction of solutes depends on microvascular angioarchitecture, hemodynamics and solute concentrations. These factors may contribute to the heterogeneity observed in solute transport and uptake in the hepatic lobules. However, predictions of liver extraction based on black‐box models require assumptions about these factors and the microvascular transport mechanisms involved. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to investigate solute transport and uptake by hepatocytes.

Yasuo Yamaguchi, R. Randal Bollinger, Eliana Defaria, Barry Landis, Steven Quarfordt – 1 January 1989 – A technique is described to remove the entire liver in a single stage with preservation of intestinal absorptive function. An inverted V‐shape polyethylene cannula, either heparin bonded or silicon coated, was inserted into the portal vein and inferior vena cava to maintain venous return from the splanchnic and lower caval regions of the anhepatic rat.

Peter P. Anthony – 1 January 1989 – Nine adult white men ranging in age from 27 to 76 (mean, 55 years) were treated for primary hepatic lymphoma between 1972 and 1986 at the Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center. Six patients presented with right upper quadrant or epigastric pain or discomfort, and three patients complained of fatigue and lethargy. Fever and night sweats were evident in two, and two patients had lost weight. One patient was asymptomatic; the liver mass was detected during the work‐up for cancer of the prostate.