Pharmacokinetics and safety of single oral doses of amlodipine in patients with and without hepatic impairment: an open study.

An open study was conducted to assess the pharmacokinetics, cardiovascular effects and safety of a single oral dose of amlodipine 5 mg in 12 patients with hepatic impairment and eight healthy convalescing subjects. Cmax values were found to be similar in both groups although Tmax was shorter, and T1/2 was longer, in patients with hepatic insufficiency. AUCs were also higher in hepatic patients although these differences were not significantly different.

[Current etiological problems, in France, posed by primary liver cancer after cirrhosis. Personal observations of 130 cases].

The etiological problems concerning, in France, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developed on liver cirrhosis, are studied in this work through 130 personal cases followed up during the last decade. These 130 cases of HCC are divided in five groups according to apparent etiology: alcoholic (63 p. cent), B virus, (15.

[Current etiological problems, in France, related to primary liver cancer in cirrhosis (personal observation of 130 cases)].

The etiological problems concerning, in France, hepatocellular carcinoma (H C C) developed on liver cirrhosis, are studied in this work through 130 personal cases followed up during the last decade. These 130 cases of H C C are divided in five groups according to apparent etiology: alcoholic (63%), B virus (15.3%), cryptogenetic (11,5%), hemochromatic (7.

Rioprostil in the short-term treatment of duodenal ulcer: a multicentre double-blind trial vs. cimetidine.

The efficacy and safety of the new prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) synthetic analogue, rioprostil, 300 micrograms b.d. and cimetidine, 400 mg b.

Liver adenoma and focal nodular hyperplasia in a man with high endogenous sex steroids.

The authors report the case of a 29-yr-old man presenting with both hepatocellular adenoma and focal nodular hyperplasia. The patient had never been treated with androgens or estrogens. Investigations revealed the existence of high plasma levels of androgens and estrogens.

Chronic active hepatitis associated with antiliver/kidney microsome antibody type 1: a second type of "autoimmune" hepatitis.

Sixty-five patients with histologically proven chronic active hepatitis of unknown cause but associated with the antiliver/kidney microsome antibody type 1, confirmed by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation, were selected as forming a special entity. This disease was found to be rare with a prevalence of 5/1,000,000. The female to male ratio was 8:1.

Is ursodeoxycholic acid an effective treatment for primary biliary cirrhosis?

The effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, 13-15 mg/kg body weight daily) were prospectively evaluated in fifteen patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The mean concentration of UDCA in serum expressed as the percentage of total bile acids rose from 0% at baseline to 58% (SEM 9%) after 2 years' treatment, whereas total serum bile acid levels did not change significantly. The proportion of patients with pruritus necessitating the use of cholestyramine was significantly lower at 2 years than at baseline.

[Does the size of esophageal varices have a prognostic significance in alcoholic cirrhosis?].

This study was designed to determine whether the size of esophageal varices were of prognostic value in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Esophageal varices were classified into 2 groups according to whether their size was larger or smaller than 4 mm. There was a total of 99 patients; 56 had small varices and 43 had large varices.

Hepatic uptake of sex steroids in men with alcoholic cirrhosis.

We attempted to determine to what extent the degree of liver function impairment might affect the hepatic uptake and, as a consequence, alter the systemic plasma levels of endogenous sex steroids in male patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. The plasma levels and hepatic uptake of the steroids dehydroepiandrosterone, androstenedione, testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, estrone, estradiol, progesterone, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone were assessed. Systemic plasma levels of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone were significantly (p less than 0.

[Ascites disclosing systemic lupus erythematosus].

We report the case of a 38-year old woman with massive ascites. No cause could be demonstrated despite multiple investigations. The patient was febrile and had an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

[Nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver and primary biliary cirrhosis. A fortuitous association?].

We report here in a case of primary biliary cirrhosis associated with nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver in a white woman revealed by digestive hemorrhage due to ruptured esophageal varices. The diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis was based on the following: elevated serum IgM, high titer of antimitochondrial antibody (anti M2), typical histopathological picture of stage I/II disease. The diagnosis of nodular regenerative hyperplasia was supported by the demonstration of disseminated small hepatic nodules without perinodular fibrosis.

[Drug hepatotoxicity. Description of a microcomputerized file of hepatic attacks and the responsible drugs].

The very large number of medications recognized as hepatotoxic has required the establishment of microcomputerized data file. This file presently indexes 347 active principles contained in more than 1000 patent medications. It may be rapidly examined with microcomputer.

Expression of blood group antigens including HLA markers in human adult liver.

The localisation of the principal blood group antigens has been studied in human liver. These blood group antigens included the erythrocyte antigens and the antigen of the major histocompatibility complex. This study was performed by the indirect immunofluorescence technique using polyclonal antibodies of human or animal origin and monoclonal antibodies from hybridomas.

Drug-induced hepatitis associated with anticytoplasmic organelle autoantibodies.

A study from five hepatology units documenting 157 cases of drug-induced hepatitis and a second study from a laboratory of immunology which tested more than 100,000 sera permitted us to establish the frequency of antiorganelle antibodies and their diagnostic value in drug-induced hepatitis. In drug-induced hepatitis caused by a heterogenous group of drugs consisting of ajmaline, aminopterine, isaxonine, isoniazid, perhexiline, phenylbutazone and troleandromycine, antiorganelle antibodies were absent or rare. In drug-induced hepatitis caused by another heterogenous group of drugs, including clometacin, fenofibrate, oxyphenisatin and papaverine, antismooth muscle, antinucleus and antimitochondria antibodies were found in isolation or in different combinations in 70% of cases.

[Hepatic function and significance of the increase in serum concentrations of IgA in alcoholic cirrhosis].

Elevated serum gammaglobulin concentrations are frequently observed in patients with liver cirrhosis. Predominant elevation of the IgA is generally considered as suggestive of an alcoholic aetiology. The aim of this study was to define the factors that determine the serum concentration of IgA in alcoholic cirrhosis.

[Extensive liver cancer of undetermined origin. Diagnostic procedure].

In patients with isolated malignant tumoral hepatomegaly, the investigations performed should aim at excluding a primary carcinoma of the liver and concentrate on the search for primary tumours belonging to 2 main groups: tumours responsive to hormonal treatment or chemotherapy, and obstructive tumours amenable to local palliative measures. In all cases where simple, essentially clinical examinations fail to indicate the cause of the tumoral liver enlargement, further investigations should be based on the histopathological features of the metastases.

[Hepatitis and pancreatitis due to indalpine].

The authors report two cases of hepatitis and a case of pancreatitis associated with indalpine. In one case of hepatitis, onset was acute and the clinical presentation was suggestive of cholecystitis; in the other case, hepatitis was discovered by biological tests. In the two cases, hepatitis was mainly cytolytic.