Charles S. Davidson, Richard L. Veech – 1 November 1984

E. Anthony Jones, Daniel F. Schafer, Peter Ferenci, S. Chris Pappas – 1 November 1984

Marek J. Nowicki, Myron J. Tong, Prem V. Nair, Douglas Stevenson – 1 November 1984 – The effect of a short course of prednisone therapy on serum IgM type antibody to the hepatitis B core antigen (anti‐HBc IgM) was studied in 14 male patients with chronic active type B hepatitis. Eleven patients (78.5%) became positive for serum anti‐HBc IgM either during or shortly after prednisone withdrawal. Detection of anti‐HBc IgM correlated with an increase in hepatitis B virus specific DNA‐polymerase activity and was followed by a rise in serum transaminase levels.

Junko Mori, Masao Omata, Osamu Yokosuka, Fumio Imazeki, Yoshimi Ito, Katsuo Uchiumi, Yasuhisa Matsuyama, Ye Weifa, Kunio Okuda – 1 November 1984 – Liver sections were stained with orcein, and duck hepatitis B virus was identified in sera and livers by the hybridization technique in 106 ducks (44 Chinese ducks, 15 Japanese ducks and 47 Japanese ducklings). Orcein‐positive hepatocytes were found in 18 of 38 (47%) duck hepatitis B virus DNA seropositive ducks, and only in 3 of 68 (4%) seronegative ducks. The three ducks were all from a heavily infected flock in southern China.

Roger Lester – 1 November 1984

Edna Ben‐Porath, Jack Wands, Mignon Gruia, Kurt Isselbacher – 1 November 1984 – We assessed the significance of the enhanced detection by monoclonal radioimmunoassay (M‐RIA) of HBsAg in serum of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In acute HBV infection, the M‐RIA detected HBsAg in the blood for a far longer period of time than previously recognized. In some patients, the “window phase” of HBV infection (defined as the presence of anti‐HBc and the lack of detectable HBsAg and anti‐HBs) was shortened or completely eliminated.

Christine M. Cornely, Robert R. Schade, David H. Van Thiel, Judith S. Gavaler – 1 November 1984 – The prevalence of impotence is increased in males who chronically abuse alcohol. Further, impotence may occur in the absence of liver disease in such men. In contrast, no data is available concerning the prevalence of impotence in nonalcoholic men with advanced liver disease.

1 November 1984

Bruce A. Runyon, John C. Hoefs – 1 November 1984 – A review of the medical records of patients diagnosed as having “spontaneous bacterial peritonitis” (SBP) revealed 18 episodes of culture‐negative neutrocytic ascites (CNNA) in 17 patients. The following criteria were all required in order to qualify for this diagnosis: (i) an ascitic fluid neutrophil count greater than 500 cells per mm3; (ii) negative ascitic fluid culture (5); (iii) absence of an intraabdominal source of infection; (iv) no antibiotic treatment within 30 days, and (v) no evidence of pancreatitis.

Rachel Morecki, Joy H. Glaser, Anne B. Johnson, Yvonne Kress – 1 November 1984 – This report describes immunocytochemical and ultrastructural methods which led to the identification of Reovirus type 3 (Reo‐3) in the porta hepatis of a patient with extrahepatic biliary atresia. The study indicates that Reo‐3 antigenic sites are demonstrable by the avidin‐biotinylated complex peroxidase method following formalin fixation and paraffin embedding, but are destroyed by freezing and thawing prior to fixation.