Gregory J. Anderson, June W. Halliday, Lawrie W. Powell – 1 September 1987

Thomas D. Boyer, Donald A. Vessey – 1 September 1987 – Inhibition of a major hepatic form of human cationic glutathione S‐transferase by bilirubin, biliverdin, indocyanine green and chenodeoxycholic acid was investigated as a function of pH (range = 6.5 to 9.1). Changes in pH had little effect on the extent of inhibition by indocyanine green. However, inhibition by bilirubin, biliverdin and chenodeoxycholic acid was found to be pH‐dependent, with markedly less inhibition at the high values of pH.

1 July 1987

Charles J. Lightdale – 1 July 1987 – Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) is an effective means of treatment in primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, in many cases of HCC the tumor recurs after treatment. In an attempt to obtain complete tumor necrosis, the authors studied the clinical and histologic effect of simultaneous embolization of both the hepatic artery and portal vein in ten patients with HCC.

Misael Uribe, Octavio Campollo, Florencia Vargas, Gian Paolo Ravelli, Fernando Mundo, Laura Zapata, Sofia Gil, Guillermo Garcia‐Ramos – 1 July 1987 – A double‐blind, controlled trial to study the efficacy of acidifying enemas of lactitol, a new galactoside‐sorbitol disaccharide, and lactose vs. nonacidifying tapwater enemas was performed in 45 episodes of acute portal‐systemic encephalopathy. At the time of randomization, all patients had encephalopathy of at least Grade 2+ severity, delay in the performance of number connection tests and hyperammonemia.

Nicholas J. Talley – 1 July 1987

Kenneth M. Gibson, A. F. Hofmann, K. R. Palmerm – 1 July 1987

Bernard Langer – 1 July 1987 – In a serial analysis of splanchnic hemodynamics, we compared partial with total portal decompression in 16 alcoholic cirrhotic patients who underwent portacaval shunts for variceal hemorrhage. Partial decompression was achieved with 8 or 10 mm polytetrafluoroethylene portacaval H grafts and aggressive collateral ligation. Total decompression was achieved with larger diameter H grafts (12 or 14 mm).

Sheila Sherlock – 1 July 1987 – To compare the effect of diet, cirrhotic patients with ascites were randomised into two treatment groups: (1) a low sodium diet (21 mmol) per day or (2) an unrestricted sodium intake. Both groups received effective doses of diuretics (spironolactone or, if necessary, spironolactone and furosemide. One hundred and forty patients from 12 liver units were included according to well defined criteria (group 1: 76; group 2: 64). After an initial four to seven day period of bed rest and salt restriction (21 mmol sodium pd), randomisation was done in each centre.

Fumio Imazeki, Katsuyuki Yaginuma, Masao Omata, Kunio Okuda, Midori Kobayashi, Katsuro Koike – 1 July 1987 – The states of hepatitis B virus DNA, RNA transcripts and antigens (HBsAg and HBcAg) were studied in the liver with hepatocellular carcinoma by blot hybridization and immunohistological methods. We used whole hepatitis B virus DNA and gene specific probes (S, C and X genes) for hybridization. Integrated viral DNA was found in all five tumors, but episomal DNA was not detected in the neoplastic tissue.