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.

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).

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

Nicholas J. Talley – 1 July 1987

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.

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.

1 July 1987

Josep Terés, Josep M. Bordas, Dolores Bravo, Josep Visa, Luis Grande, Juan Carlos Garcia‐Valdecasas, Cristóbal Pera, Joan Rodés – 1 May 1987 – One hundred and twelve consecutive Child Class A and B cirrhotic patients were included in a prospective controlled trial aimed at investigating the efficacy and safety of endoscopic sclerotherapy vs. distal splenorenal shunt in the elective treatment of hemorrhage from esophagogastric varices. Fifty‐seven patients were randomly allocated to splenorenal shunt and 55 to endoscopic sclerotherapy.

Warren D. Lo, Steven R. Ennis, Gary W. Goldstein, David L. McNeely, A. Lorris Betz – 1 May 1987 – The role of changes in blood‐brain barrier permeability in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy remains uncertain. To test the hypothesis that brain microvessel permeability is nonselectively increased in hepatic encephalopathy we measured the blood‐brain barrier permeability‐surface area product in rats with acute liver failure induced by intraperitoneal injection of galactosamine.

Eike Walter, Hubert E. Blum, Wolf‐Bernhard Offensperger, Christine Zeschnigk, Silke Offensperger, Wolfgang Gerok – 1 May 1987 – Factors determining the sensitivity and specificity of the spot‐blot hybridization technique for the detection of hepatitis B virus DNA in serum were systematically investigated. Methods for pretreatment of serum samples, mode of application of the samples to the transfer membranes, blot treatment and hybridization conditions were all found to affect the sensitivity of the assay.