Evidence for Valine Intolerance in Patients with Cirrhosis

Peter Schauder, Karsten SchrÖDer, Lothar Herbertz, Klaus Langer, Ulrich Langenbeck – 1 July 1984 – Valine (62.5 mg per kg), leucine (70 mg per kg) and equal amounts of the calcium salts of the corresponding keto acids, i.e., α1‐ketoisovaleric acid (KIVA) and α1‐ketoisocaproic acid (KICA) were orally administered to patients with cirrhosis and to control subjects.Valine or leucine ingestion increased serum valine and leucine levels and the corresponding keto acids, KIVA and KICA, in cirrhotics and controls.

Does Primary Biliary Cirrhosis in Men Differ from Primary Biliary Cirrhosis in Women?

Lawrence R. Rubel, Lionel Rabin, Leonard B. Seeff, Harvey Licht, Brenda A. Cuccherini – 1 July 1984 – Primary biliary cirrhosis is infrequently diagnosed in men, so that the clinical, biochemical and histopathological spectrum of this disease in men has not been evaluated. Therefore, we studied 30 men who had a histological diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis and had positive tests for antimitochondrial antibodies. Five patients had no hepatobiliary symptoms, and two of these patients had neither biochemical nor histological evidence of cholestasis.

Enhancement by Secretin of the Apparently Maximal Hepatic Transport of Bilirubin in the Rat

Giovanni L. Ricci, Roger Michiels, Johan Fevery, Jan De Groote – 1 July 1984 – The effect of secretin (0.4 C.U. per hr per 100 gm body weight) on bile flow and the apparent maximal hepatic transport of bilirubin (Tm) was investigated in the rat. When secretin was administered during an already established bilirubin‐Tm condition, it increased bile flow and bilirubin‐Tm by 15 to 20% over a 30‐ to 50‐min period. Enhancement of bilirubin output correlated with augmented flow and was sustained by an increased rate of excretion of monoglucuronides.

Electron Microscopic Evidence of Non‐A, Non‐B Hepatitis Markers and Virus‐Like Particles in Immunocompromised Humans

Seishiro Watanabe, K. Rajender Reddy, Lennox Jeffers, Gordon M. Dickinson, Mark O'Connell, Eugene R. Schiff – 1 July 1984 – Characteristic pathological alterations of the liver in chimpanzees inoculated with non‐A, non‐B hepatitis sera have been described, but no corresponding findings have been reported in humans.

Hepatitis B Vaccination in Down's Syndrome and Other Mentally Retarded Patients

Rudolf A. Heijtink, Pieter De Jong, Solko W. Schalm, Nic Masurel – 1 July 1984 – The immune response after vaccination with H‐B‐VAX (20 μg, Months 0, 1 and 6) was investigated in 23 Down's syndrome patients and compared to that in 30 other mentally retarded patients and 32 staff members. About 90% of Down's syndrome and other mentally retarded patients and 100% of staff members had anti‐HBs at Month 9, but anti‐HBs less than 10IU per liter were found in 6/23 (26.1%) of Down's syndrome, 7/30 (23.3%) of other mentally retarded patients, in contrast to 2/32 (6.2%) of staff members.

Bioluminescence Assays for Bile Acids in the Detection and Follow‐Up of Experimental Liver Injury

Jürgen SchÖLmerich, Marlene Deluca, Mario Chojkier – 1 July 1984 – We evaluated the usefulness of recently developed bioluminescence assays for serum bile acids (BA) in the detection and follow‐up of experimental liver injury. Liver damage was induced in rats by either D‐galactosamine or CC14, and BA were compared to SGPT and aminopyrine breath test (ABT). In severe liver injury, following D‐galactosamine administration, all three methods revealed a significant difference from control values. The degree of abnormality was, however, far greater with SGPT and BA than with ABT.

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