George Hamilton, Rose Chow Fung Phing, Ronald A. Hutton, Paresh Dandona, Kenneth E. F. Hobbs – 1 March 1982 – The effect of portal hypertension (induced by partial ligation) on the ability of the portal vein wall to produce prostacyclin (PGI2) was studied in rats over a period of 6 weeks. PGI2‐like activity measured by bioassay was shown to be significantly increased in portal vein segments during established hypertension when compared to control groups. As a collateral circulation developed with consequent fall in portal venous pressure, PGI2‐like activity decreased.

Jan Aldershvile, Odd Dietrichson, Peter SkinhøJ, Peter Kryger, Lars R. Mathiesen, Per Christoffersen, Jens O. Nielsen, The Copenhagen Hepatitis Acuta Programme – 1 March 1982 – In order to evaluate the prognostic implications of the hepatitis B e system in patients with chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), 53 consecutive patients were studied. Fourteen of 16 patients with HBsAg and HBeAg were followed from 12 to 120 months (mean, 38 months). Eleven of the 14 patients were persistently HBeAg positive and five of these developed chronic active hepatitis (CAH) or cirrhosis.

Yun‐Fan Liaw, Chia‐Ming Chu, Tong‐Jong Chen, Deng‐Yn Lin, Chi‐Sin Chang‐Chien, Cheng‐Shyong Wu – 1 March 1982 – A series of 80 patients with chronic lobular hepatitis (CLH) was reviewed clinically and histologically to demonstrate etiology, clinical presentation, course, and prognosis of this disorder. Data from our study indicate that CLH in Taiwan is a disease of viral origin, mostly hepatitis B (67.5%) and some non‐A, non‐B.

André Kirn, Annick Bingen, Anne‐Marie Steffan, Marie‐Thérèse Wild, Francoise Keller, Jacques Cinqualbre – 1 March 1982 – Kupffer cells isolated from human adult livers and maintained in culture display the main structural features of macrophages. They are able to phagocytose latex particles and opsonized sheep erythrocytes in vitro. Vaccinia virus as well as Frog Virus 3 are taken up and uncoated in cultured Kupffer cells. Such a model may be used advantageously for studying different problems in liver physiopathology.

Frank Chytil – 1 March 1982

Shizuko Takahashi, Michio Kobayashi – 1 March 1982 – Mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni develop hepatic fibrosis associated with enhanced collagen synthesis that out‐paces induced collagenase activity. Administration of one dose of concanavalin A [Con A (200 jug)] by i.p. injection to mice at 5 or 6 weeks after infection with 50 S. mansoni cercariae decreased liver collagen content by 50% compared to levels in control‐infected mice injected with either homologous immunoglobulin (200 jug) or phosphate‐buffered saline; additional doses of Con A had no further effect.

Frank D. Reilly, Ruth V. W. Dimlich, Eugene V. Cilento, Robert S. Mccuskey – 1 March 1982 – Several cholinergic agonists and their antagonists were administered topically at various concentrations (10−10 to 10−4 gm per ml) to the livers of anesthetized Sprague‐Dawley rats. Changes in the microvasculature were measured for a period of 15 min using in vivo microscopic methods. The influence of cholinergic agonists on hepatic mast cells was determined by histochemical methods.

Roger D. Soloway, Eleanor B. Fayusal, Bruce W. Trotman, Norman E. Weston, James F. Ficca – 1 March 1982 – The water content of black pigment and cholesterol gallstones was evaluated with the use of moisture evolution analysis, electron spectroscopy for surface analysis, and X‐ray diffraction. X‐ray diffraction identified complex hydrated hydroxyapatite compounds in two stones. Moisture evolution analysis demonstrated that 18 pigment gallstones contained between 0.83 and 6.87% water; six cholesterol stones contained 0 to 0.27% (p < 0.001).

Hyman J. Zimmerman – 1 March 1982

Howard C. Thomas, David Brown, Guitaine Routhier, George Janossy, Patrick C. Kung, Gideon Goldstein, Sheila Sherlock – 1 March 1982 – During acute type B hepatitis, the proportion of inducer to cytotoxic/suppressor T‐cells is decreased due to an increase in the concentration of suppressor cells. Similar changes are seen in chronically infected subjects with evidence of active viral replication (HBeAg positive) and chronic hepatitis of varying severity.