Jean‐Jacques Lefrère, Danièle Gozin, Louis Bettan – 1 March 1987

Peter B. Anthony – 1 March 1987 – Liver cell dysplasia (LCD) was investigated for hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers, alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) and ferritin by serologic and immuno‐histochemical methods in 101 patients with cirrhosis. LCD was found in 30 cases (29.7%), with the highest incidence in cases of posthepatitic cirrhosis (67%). In the group of dysplastic cirrhosis (DC) 46.6% of the patients had active HBV infection (hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg] serum positivity) compared with 7% of the patients with nondysplastic cirrhosis (NDC) (P < 0.01).

D. Brian Jones, Vinod K. Rustgi, David M. Kornhauser, Amina Woods, Richard Quinn, Jay H. Hoofnagle, E. Anthony Jones – 1 March 1987 – The antiviral drug, acyclovir, has been used in the treatment of chronic type B hepatitis. High serum concentrations of acyclovir are required to achieve inhibition of hepatitis B viral replication. Because only 15 to 20% of an oral dose is absorbed, it is necessary to administer acyclovir by intravenous infusion.

Teresa L. Wright, Nina Lysenko, Robert K. Ockner, Richard A. Weisiger – 1 March 1987 – The hepatitis B virus binds avidly to albumin polymers which in turn may mediate the initial binding of viral particles to the liver cell. However, the interaction of albumin polymers with the liver remains poorly characterized, and the possibility that hepatic binding reflects an artifact of polymerization with glutaraldehyde has not been excluded. We therefore characterized the binding of 125I‐labeled natural and synthetic albumin polymers to suspensions of rat hepatocytes.

Joy H. Glaser, Rachel Morecki, Sheila Fallon‐Friedlander, Marshall S. Horwitz – 1 March 1987 – Rabbit sera injected intraperitoneally into BALB/c mice were noted to produce a considerable and selective enlargement of extrahepatic bile ducts. The gallbladder, intrahepatic ducts, liver and other organs showed no stimulaion of growth. Duct enlargement leading to widening of its outer diameter which, on average, was 3.6 times that of normal, was due entirely to an increased number of epithelial cells with prominent proliferation of intramural glandular components.

Eric B. Larson – 1 March 1987 – Five cases of inflammatory pseudotumour of the liver are reported and compared with seven individual previously published case reports. Clinical presentation was variable but often comprised low grade intermittent fever, vague abdominal symptoms, and a history of weight loss. Leucocytosis, raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and polyclonal hyperglobulinaemia were also sometimes detected. All five cases in the present series were considered to be clinically malignant; and in two the histological diagnosis was also that of malignancy.

Mack C. Mitchell, Esteban Mezey – 1 March 1987

Hyman J. Zimmerman, Leonard B. Seeff – 1 March 1987

Franck Desmoulin, Paul Canioni, Christian Crotte, André Gérolami, Patrick J. Cozzone – 1 March 1987 – The effect of ethanol metabolism on the energetic parameters and intracellular pH of the isolated perfused rat liver from fed rats was studied by phosphorus‐31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. This technique allowed us to analyze nondestructively and in real time the role of low oxygen tension on the possible injurious effect of ethanol on the liver cells.

Mikihiro Tsutsumi, Akira Takada, Shujiro Takase – 1 March 1987 – Hepatic sinusoidal lining cells were isolated from mature male rats (12 months old) and cultured in order to clarify the characteristics of the Ito cells (fat‐storing cells). Desmin staining was used as a marker in the isolation of the Ito cells, and a highly purified desmin‐positive cell fraction was obtained. Less than 10% of the desmin‐positive cells were positive for vitamin A auto‐fluorescence.