The Role of Fat‐Storing Cells in Disse Space Fibrogenesis in Alcoholic Liver Disease

Yukihito Minato, Yasushi Hasumura, Jugoro Takeuchi – 1 January 1983 – Liver biopsy samples from 40 chronic alcoholic patients, including 9 with minimal changes of the liver, 6 with mild hepatic fibrosis, 14 with moderate fibrosis, and 11 with severe fibrosis (cirrhosis) were studied by electron microscopy to assess fibrogenesis in the Disse space and the role of fat‐storing cells in this process. In the Disse space of normal liver, collagen fibers are few, and while lipid droplets containing fat‐storing cells exist, their rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) is inconspicuous.

Hepatic Thyroid Hormone Levels Following Chronic Alcohol Consumption: Direct Experimental Evidence in Rats Against the Existence of a Hyperthyroid Hepatic State

Rolf Teschke, Fernando Moreno, Edgar Heinen, Jorg Herrmann, Hans‐Ludwig Kruskemper, Georg Strohmeyer – 1 January 1983 – To study the effect of chronic alcohol consumption on hepatic levels of thyroid hormones, female Sprague‐Dawley rats (n = 24) were pair‐fed nutritionally adequate liquid diets containing either ethanol (36% of total calories) or isocaloric carbohydrates for 21 days. Compared to controls, chronic alcohol consumption failed to result in a significant change of hepatic thyroid hormone levels (thyroxine: 14.7 ± 1.81 ng per gm of liver wet weight vs.

Prevalence and Significance of Anti‐HBc IgM (Radioimmunoassay) in Acute and Chronic Hepatitis B and in Blood Donors

Peter Banninger, Josef Altorfer, Gert G. Frösner, Mauro Pirovino, Fred Gudat, Leonardo Bianchi, Peter J. Grob, Martin Schmid – 1 January 1983 – Anti‐HBc IgM was determined by a modified radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 35 patients with acute hepatitis B, 35 patients with chronic hepatitis B (7 with chronic persistent, and 28 with chronic active hepatitis), 157 HBsAg positive blood donors, and in 143 HBsAg negative but anti‐HBc positive donors. The results of the RIA test were compared with those obtained by an ELISA technique.

Cytoskeleton Antibodies in Chronic Active Hepatitis, Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, and Alcoholic Liver Disease

P. Kurki, A. Miettinen, M. Salaspuro, I. Virtanen, S. Stenman – 1 January 1983 – Antibodies to cytoplasmic microfilaments, intermediate filaments (vimentin filaments), and microtubules which comprise the cytoskeleton of the cell were assayed in sera from 23 patients with HBsAg‐negative chronic active hepatitis and 1 with HBsAg‐positive chronic active hepatitis, 15 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, 20 patients with alcoholic liver disease, and 32 healthy controls.

Hepatic and Ductus Venosus Blood Flows During Fetal Life

Abraham M. Rudolph – 1 January 1983 – The course of the venous circulation in the fetal liver has been studied in fetal lambs by means of the radionuclide‐labeled microsphere technique. About 50% of umbilical venous blood passes through the ductus venosus, while the remainder is distributed to both lobes of the liver. Portal venous blood is largely distributed to the right lobe of the liver, with a small proportion passing through the ductus venosus and none to the left lobe. Because of these flow patterns, oxygen saturation is lower in the right than in the left hepatic vein.

Elevated Circulating Immune Complexes in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Henry C. Bodenheimer, Nicholas F. Larusso, Walter R. Thayer, Colette Charland, Parker J. Staples, Jurgen Ludwig – 1 January 1983 – Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a syndrome of unknown etiology characterized by an association with inflammatory bowel disease in 50% or more cases. Since altered immunity, including circulating immune complexes, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, we postulated that humoral immune mechanisms might also be important in the development of PSC.

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