Lawrence S. Friedman, David L. Gang, Stephen E. Hedberg, Kurt J. Isselbacher – 1 May 1984 – We report the case of a 28‐year‐old woman with a history of oral contraceptive use and the simultaneous occurrence of histologically proven hepatic adenoma and focal nodular hyperplasia. A review of the literature discloses that the simultaneous occurrence of these hepatic lesions is a rare event. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that hepatic adenomas are etiologically related to oral contraceptive use, whereas focal nodular hyperplasia does not seem to be caused by these agents.

Robert H. Gray, Felix A. La De Iglesia – 1 May 1984 – Peroxisome proliferation, a well‐documented subcellular reaction which follows the administration of hypolipidemic agents, has been well studied in rodents. However, quantitative studies of this phenomenon in other species of laboratory animals are not readily available even though these species are commonly used as predictors of tolerance or safety in humans.

Annalena Figus, Hubert E. Blum, Girish N. Vyas, Stefano De Virgilis, Antonio Cao, Marco Lippi, Eliana Lai, Angelo Balestrieri – 1 May 1984 – The presence of serological markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and of hepatocellular HBV DNA were investigated in 19 HBsAg‐negative patients with clinically and histologically significant chronic liver disease. Four cases negative for antibodies to HBsAg (anti‐HBs), to the core antigen (anti‐HBc), and to the e antigen (anti‐HBe) were classified as non‐A, non‐B hepatitis.

Malka Lewittes, Beatrix Tuchweber, Andree Weber, Claude C. Roy, Ibrahim M. Yousef – 1 May 1984 – Although immaturity of the liver and synthesis of monohydroxy bile acids have been implicated as pathogenic factors in neonatal cholestasis, there is no direct evidence to show that these bile acids induce cholestasis in the newborn. In the present investigation, we compared the effects of lithocholic acid (LCA) injection on bile flow in suckling (2‐week‐old) and adult (12‐week‐old) guinea pigs.

Bruce A. Runyon, John C. Hoefs – 1 May 1984 – A review of patients with bacterial peritonitis and ascites revealed six patients with gastrointestinal tract perforation into their ascitic fluid and 33 episodes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis in 32 patients. Signs and symptoms were not helpful in differentiating the two groups; however, ascitic fluid analysis was found to be useful. All patients with perforation peritonitis fulfilled at least two of the following criteria: ascitic fluid total protein ± 1 gm per dl, glucose < 50 mg per dl and lactate dehydrogenase ± 225 mU per ml.

George Papaevangelou, Nicolaos Tassopoulos, Anastasia Roumeliotou‐Karayannis, Clive Richardson – 1 May 1984 – The etiology of fulminant viral hepatitis was determined in 65 consecutive cases among 1,814 (3.58%) adults with acute viral hepatitis who were admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital of Athens from May, 1981 to August, 1983. Radioimmunoassays were used to detect hepatitis B virus, hepatitis A virus and δ‐agent markers. Enzyme immunoassay was used to detect anti‐HBc IgM.

Ding‐Shinn Chen, Ming‐Yang Lai, Juei‐Low Sung – 1 May 1984 – Taiwanese have a high prevalence of HBsAg carrier rate and chronic liver diseases. To evaluate the role of delta (δ) agent infection in our patients, 45 HBsAg‐positive patients with chronic active hepatitis, 4 with chronic persistent hepatitis and 11 with HBsAg‐positive hepatocellular carcinoma were studied for δ antibody by radioimmunoassay of serum; liver was studied for δ antigen by immunofluorescence in 23 patients.

José M. López‐Novoa, Juan C. Santos, Carlos Caramelo, Dolores Fernandez‐Muñoz, Alicia Blanchart, Luis Hernando – 1 May 1984 – Kidney function and tubular handling of water and sodium by superficial nephrons, packed cell volume, total plasma proteins and albumin distribution space were studied in control and cirrhotic rats before and after a moderate and sustained saline infusion (3% body weight per 30 min + reposition of urinary losses). Tubular fluid samples were obtained from late proximal, early distal and late distal convolutions of superficial nephrons using micropuncture.

Gary W. Goldstein – 1 May 1984

Hanspeter Spichtin, Fred Gudat, Hans Berthold, Gunthild Krey, Martin Schmid, Mauro Pirovino, Josef Altorfer, Georg Stalder, Gerald Eder, Leonardo Bianchi – 1 May 1984 – In an electron microscopic study, nuclear aggregates of virus‐like spherical and tubular particles measuring 20 to 29 nm in diameter were found in 5 of 7 clinically healthy volunteers with normal liver histology, 6 of 10 patients with hepatitis B and 17 of 18 patients with hepatitis non‐A, non‐B. The incidence of hepatocytes containing nuclear particles was approximately 0.5 to 2% in all three groups.