Douglas Horst, Norman D. Grace, Harold O. Conn, Eugene Schiff, Steven Schenker, Alfredo Viteri, David Law, Colin E. Atterbury – 1 March 1984 – A randomized study was conducted in 37 hospitalized patients at six cooperating hospitals in which protein‐intolerant cirrhotic patients were fed increasing amounts of either dietary protein or a branched‐chain enriched amino acid solution (BCAA) until they attained an intake of 80 gm protein per day or equivalent or until they developed stage 2 encephalopathy.

Sohrab A. Mobarhan, Robert M. Russell, Robert R. Recker, David B. Posner, Frank L. Iber, Pamela Miller – 1 March 1984 – In a study of 56 alcoholics with liver cirrhosis, 18 (32%) had decreased bone density and low levels of serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25‐OH‐D) (<20 ng per ml).

Joyce Carlson, Sten Eriksson, Ragnar Alm, Thomas Kjellstrom – 1 March 1984 – The human hepatoma cell line PLC/PRF/5 synthesized and secreted a functioal α‐antitrypsin (α‐AT) glycoprotein with normal molecular size but retarded electrophoretic mobility.

Simon Bar‐Meir, Zamir Halpern, Eithan Bardan, Tuvia Gilat – 1 March 1984 – Four hundred and fifty‐four consecutive patients who had had their gallbladder removed were interviewed to determine the presence of upper abdominal pain, increased serum alkaline phosphatase and/or serum amylase activity. Patients with unexplained upper abdominal pain and/or enzyme abnormalities were offered endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and manometric evaluations.

Peter F. Malet, Arimichi Takabayashi, Bruce W. Trotman, Roger D. Soloway, Norman E. Weston – 1 March 1984 – The two subtypes of pigment gallstones, black and brown stones, differ in chemical composition and pathogenesis.

David A. Gewirtz, Joyce K. Randolph, I. David Goldman – 1 March 1984 – Hepatocytes incubated with 25 μM. [3H]taurocholate rapidly deplete the extracellular medium of [3H]taurocholate and achieve a steady‐state level of intracellular bile salt within 15 min. Exposure of cells at steady state ith extracellular taurocholate to the catecholamines norepinephrine or epinephrine results in release of 3H from the cells into the incubation medium; the 3H released represents almost exclusively unmetabolized [3H]taurocholate.

K. H. Wiedmann, T. C. Bartholemew, D. J. C. Brown, Howard C. Thomas – 1 March 1984 – In this study, we describe a radioimmunoassay to detect liver membrane binding antibodies. The assay was designed to exclude binding of aggregated IgG or immune complexes to Fc 7 receptors of hepatocytes. When this assay was applied to sera from 142 patients, antibodies were found in highest titer in patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, rarely in patients with hepatitis B virus‐induced chronic active liver disease, and in 32% of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Masao Arai, Maria A. Leo, Masayuki Nakano, Ellen R. Gordon, Charles S. Lieber – 1 March 1984 – Baboons fed ethanol (50% of total calories) chronically develop ultrastructural alterations of hepatic mitochondria. To determine whether mitochondrial functions are also altered, mitochondria were isolated from nine baboons fed ethanol chronically and their pair‐fed controls. At the fatty liver stage, ADP‐stimulated respiration was depressed in ethanol‐fed baboons by 59.4% with glutamate, 43.2% with acetaldehyde, 45.1% with succinate and 51.1% with ascorbate as substrates.

A. Alberti, P. Pontisso, E. Schiavon, G. Realdi – 1 March 1984 – An antibody, which is distinct from the HBsAg, and reacts with antigenic sites on Dane particles HBcAg and HBeAg, was studied by radioimmunoprecipitation of radioactive intact hepatitis B virions in sera obtained early in the course of acute hepatitis type B. The antibody, previously termed anti‐Dane particle (anti‐DP) antibody, was reactive with Dane particles and HBsAg particles obtained from HBeAg‐positive sera but not with HBsAg particles from anti‐HBe containing sera.

1 March 1984