1 January 1988

Owen Epstein – 1 January 1988 – The syndrome of primary biliary cirrhosis and limited scleroderma (the CREST syndrome) is described in 22 patients. The syndrome is expanded to include a serologic marker—the anticentromere antibody—and keratoconjunctivitis sicca. The acronym “PACK” (primary biliary cirrhosis, anticentromere antibody, CREST syndrome, and keratoconjunctivitis sicca) with “syndrome” is suggested to facilitate recall of the various components of this entity.

David D. Wilson, Howard S. Lowensohn – 1 January 1988 – This study developed the validated standards for a known viscosity method by obtaining consistent viscosity measurements with defined precision, reproducibility and sensitivity limits for canine hepatic bile. Size 75 Cannon‐Manning semimicro viscometers yielded the most precise viscosity measurements. With the development of proper handling methods for fresh bile samples, a precision defined by a coefficient of variation of ≤ ± 0.3% was obtained.

Kenichi Kitani, Imre Zsolnai‐Nagy, Setsuko Kanai, Yuko Sato, Minoru Ohta – 1 January 1988 – The biliary excretion of intravenously injected ouabain and the diffusion constant of the lateral mobility of hepatocyte plasma membrane proteins were examined in control (saline‐treated) and spironolactone‐treated Wistar male rats of different ages (4, 14 to 15 and 24 months old). The biliary excretion of ouabain progressively decreased with age in control rats, the first 10‐min biliary recovery in 24‐month‐old animals being one‐third that of the youngest rats (4‐month‐old).

1 January 1988

Francis L. Black – 1 January 1988 – A radiolabelled 50‐base oligonucleotide complementary with the measles virus gene encoding the nucleocapsid was used as a probe to identify persistent measles virus genome in the lymphocytes from patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis (AICAH). Positive hybrids were found in 12 of 18 patients, and correlated strongly with high antibody titers to measles. Among the 45 controls, positive hybrids were found in one patient with measles, 1 of 3 patients with lupus erythematosis and 2 of 4 patients with cryptogenic cirrhosis.

Peter Ferenci, Josef Ebner, Christof Zimmermann, Christian Kikuta, Erich Roth, Dieter Häussinger – 1 January 1988 – Sera of patients with hepatic encephalopathy strongly inhibit the specific binding of γ‐aminobutyric acid to synaptic membranes. In a previous study, this inhibition of specific γ‐aminobutyric acid binding was attributed to γ‐aminobutyric acid itself, and it was assumed that serum γ‐aminobutyric acid is increased 5‐ to 30‐fold in patients with hepatic encephalopathy. The findings of that study, however, were not confirmed by other analytical methods.

William G. Rector, John C. Hoefs, Kenneth F. Hossack, Gregory T. Everson – 1 January 1988 – Six of 85 patients (7%) with alcoholic liver disease undergoing transhepatic portal pressure measurement had either stagnant (3 patients) or reversed (3 patients) portal blood flow documented by gentle hand injection of 1 to 2 ml of angiographic contrast. Portal blood flow was uniformly hepatopetal in 24 patients with nonalcoholic liver disease.

M. G. Courtney, D. G. Weir, G. S. A. McDonald, Alain G. Lachaux, Bruno P. Descos, Irene C. Loras‐Duclaux, Michel R. Hermier, G. Fattovich, A. Alberti, G. Realdi, G. Hoffman – 1 January 1988

Ian R. Wanless – 1 January 1988 – Twenty‐six patients with the clinical and histologic diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis were reviewed. Nodular hyperplasia of the liver without fibrous rims, not reported hitherto in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, was found in several patients with early histological stages. These changes resembled “nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver” and were usually present as multicellular thickness in zones 1 and 2 of the hepatic lobules.