Guadalupe Garcia‐Tsao, Harold O. Conn, Emanuel Lerner – 1 January 1985 – It has been suggested that the hydrogen ion and lactate concentrations may be superior to the polymorphonuclear cell count (PMN) in ascitic fluid, in the diagnosis of bacterial peritonitis (BP). In order to compare the diagnostic accuracy of ascitic fluid measurements of pH, lactate, glucose and the PMN in BP, we analyzed the ascitic fluids of 70 consecutive patients in whom pH, lactate, glucose and the PMN count were measured in ascitic fluid and arterial blood.

Wayne W. Lamorte, Erica A. Brotschi, Thayer E. Scott, Lester F. Williams – 1 January 1985 – Female Hartley guinea pigs fed a 0.5% cholesterol‐supplemented diet were found to form pigmented gallstones after 6 weeks (17/23) and 12 weeks (11/11), while only 2 of 44 animals fed a trace cholesterol diet formed gallstones over a comparable period. The light brown stones consisted primarily of aggregates of fine granular crystals, morphologically similar to calcium bilirubinate crystals.

1 January 1985

Richard J. Grand – 1 January 1985

A. Kirn, R. Gideon Shaw, Alice R. Johnson, Werner W. Schulz, Rainer N. Zahlten, Burton Combes – 1 January 1985

Alan C. Paterson, Michael C. Kew, Allen A. B. Herman, Pieter J. Becker, John Hodkinson, Charles Isaacson – 1 January 1985 – Hepatocellular carcinoma has a lower prevalence and presents at a later age in urban Blacks than in rural Blacks. These differences have previously been shown not to be attributable to differences in serum hepatitis B virus markers.

Michael R. Galambos, Delwood C. Collins, John T. Galambos – 1 January 1985 – Recent studies suggest that the serum level of Type III procollagen (PC‐III) could be a valuable, noninvasive monitor of hepatic fibrogenesis. We have developed a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for PC‐III procollagen isolated and purified from fetal goat skin which shows high cross‐reaction for human PC‐III. In a double‐blind study, serum samples taken from 8 normal volunteers and 50 patients at the time of liver biopsy were assayed for PC‐III.

Kim Krogsgaard, Peter Kryger, Jan Aldershvile, Poul Andersson, Christian Brechot, The Copenhagen Hepatitis Acuta Programme – 1 January 1985 – Sera from 77 consecutive patients with acute type B hepatitis were examined for hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) by a spot hybridization method. The median follow‐up time was 8 months (range, 1 week to 3 years). HBV DNA was detected in 26 (34%) patients on admission to the hospital. A significant positive correlation was found between short duration of symptoms and the presence of HBV DNA (p < 0.025).

Chaur‐Young Yang, Yun‐Fan Liaw, Chia‐Ming Chu, I‐Shyan Sheen – 1 January 1985 – In order to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ascitic pH and lactate for early confirmation of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), 109 consecutive patients with ascites were studied.

Anna Mae Diehl, John K. Boitnott, H. Franklin Herlong, James J. Potter, Mary Ann Van Duyn, Elizabeth Chandler, Esteban Mezey – 1 January 1985 – A controlled randomized study was performed in 15 patients with biopsy‐proven alcoholic hepatitis to determine the effect of the administration of a parenteral amino acid‐glucose solution for 1 month on nutritional, clinical, biochemical and histological parameters. All patients were allowed ad libitum consumption of a hospital diet. Five patients received the amino acid‐glucose solution, while 10 received the glucose solution without amino acids.