Serum intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: comparison with alcoholic hepatitis.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes both nonalcoholic fatty liver (FL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). It has previously been reported that alcoholic hepatitis, which shows morphological findings similar to that of NASH, leads to the onset of endotoxinemia and to an increase in the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and/or interleukin-1 (IL-1) from macrophages. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL-1 induce strong expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) of the cell membranes of hepatocytes and/or sinusoidal endothelial cells, resulting in increased serum ICAM-1 levels in our previous study.

Autoantibody response to microsomal epoxide hydrolase in hepatitis C and A.

Autoimmune responses were observed in a large proportion of hepatitis C cases and are suspected to be part of viral pathogenesis. The AN6520 antigen (AN-Ag) is a normal cellular protein mainly expressed in liver that was found associated with non-A, non-B hepatitis. To elucidate its pathogenic role in hepatitis C, we developed an IgM capture assay using purified AN-Ag and confirmed that the antibody response to AN-Ag is associated almost exclusively with hepatitis C cases (29%).

Pioglitazone prevents acute liver injury induced by ethanol and lipopolysaccharide through the suppression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

Background: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), which is a ligand-dependent transcriptional factor, forms a heterodimer with retinoid X receptor (RXR) and controls many genes that are relevant to the regulation of lipid metabolism and insulin sensitization. Recent studies have shown that stimulation of PPAR-gamma inhibits the production of inflammatory cytokines in monocytes and macrophages. Alcohol and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) have already been shown to induce liver injury through the activation of many inflammatory cytokines.

[A case of female alcoholic who developed liver cirrhosis with small amounts of alcohol by the common use of contraceptive agent].

A case of female alcoholic who developed liver cirrhosis with small amounts of alcohol by the common use of contraceptive agent was reported. A case was a 33-year-old female who had complained of systemic edema and jaundice. She had been drinking alcohol, while she had been taking the contraceptive agent from 20-year-old.

[Effect of type of dietary fat and ethanol on hepatic leukotriene level in experimental alcoholic liver disease].

The purpose of our study is to determine if a relationship exists between the severity of injury in experimental alcoholic liver disease and hepatic levels of leukotriene B4, leukotriene C4 and lipid peroxide. Splague-Dawley rats were fed ethanol (46% of calories) with either safflower oil (SE) or beef oil (BE) (20% of calories) for 12 weeks. Control animals were fed isocaloric amounts of dextrose instead of ethanol with the same diets.

[Clinical significance of hepatic and splenic volumes measured by computed tomography in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis].

Hepatic and splenic volumes were measured by computed tomography in 43 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis (AL-LC), 10 patients with HBs antigen-positive liver cirrhosis (B-LC), 6 patients with HCV associated liver cirrhosis (C-LC) and 6 healthy subjects. Hepatic volume was significantly larger in the patients with AL-LC than in those with B-LC, those with C-LC or healthy subjects. Hepatic volume in patients with AL-LC was also significantly larger in the anti-HBc antibody (anti-HBc)-negative patients than in the anti-HBc-positive patients.

Analysis of risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with HBs antigen- and anti-HCV antibody-negative alcoholic cirrhosis: clinical significance of prior hepatitis B virus infection.

Background: The hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers frequently are detected in alcoholic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, risk factors for the development of HCC in patients with HBs antigen (Ag)- and anti-HCV antibody (anti-HCV)-negative alcoholic cirrhosis have not been clearly documented. The present study was conducted to elucidate the occurrence rates of HCC in HBs Ag- and anti-HCV-negative male alcoholic cirrhosis and to assess the risk factors for hepatocellular carcinogenesis.

[Gender difference of clinical features in Japanese patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis].

Gender difference of alcohol intake and laboratory data was investigated in 165 Japanese patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Mean age of first drinking and habitual drinking were higher in female. Duration of drinking was shorter in female.

[Two cases of alcoholics associated with rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure].

Two cases of alcoholics associated with rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure were reported. Case 1 was a 67-year-old male who had complained of general fatigue and generalized muscle pain. He had drunken and slept outdoor in winter until he was found.

Serum ubiquitin-protein conjugates in normal subjects and patients with alcoholic liver diseases: immunoaffinity isolation and electrophoretic mobility.

Background: We previously reported that levels of multiubiquitin chains, representing ubiquitin-protein conjugates, were significantly higher in sera of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis than in normal subjects and patients with other types of alcoholic liver disease.

Methods: To characterize them, ubiquitin-immunoreactive proteins were purified from sera of healthy human volunteers and patients with alcoholic liver diseases by using affinity chromatography on a Sepharose column containing an immobilized monoclonal antibody recognizing conjugated ubiquitin.

Results: SDS-PAGE analysis followed by Western blotting revealed that the immunoaffinity-purified proteins mainly contained multiple components with molecular masses greater than 60 kDa, almost all of which were immunostained with the ubiquitin antibody.

Experimental studies on the relationship between immune responses and liver damage induced by ethanol after immunization with homologous acetaldehyde adducts.

Background: It has been considered that acetaldehyde (AcH) adducts induce liver injury through an immune response. Previous experimental studies showed that hepatic necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, and hepatic fibrosis were induced in guinea pigs immunized with heterologous human AcH adducts and ethanol feeding. AcH modification of foreign protein may markedly increase immunogenicity of the protein itself, leading to enhanced formation of immune complex and possible liver injury.

Acetaldehyde-induced growth retardation and micro-heterogeneity of the sugar chain in transferrin synthesized by HepG2 cells.

Background: A carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is the most useful marker of alcohol abuse; however, the mechanism of production and the pathophysiologic roles of CDT remain obscure. The effects of alcohol and its metabolites on growth and proliferation, transferrin synthesis, and phosphomannomutase enzyme activity in a human hepatoblastoma, HepG2, were examined.

Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with either ethanol at 80 mM or acetaldehyde at 400 microM.

Effect of oral branched chain amino acid supplementation in the late evening on the nutritional state of patients with liver cirrhosis.

Previous studies have shown that nocturnal glucose supplementation and a late evening meal reduced raised protein turnover rates and led to a better nitrogen balance in patients with cirrhosis. In this study, we investigated whether or not oral branched chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation in the late evening would improve the nutritional state of patients with liver cirrhosis. Fourteen patients with liver cirrhosis spent two 14 day periods in the ward.