We have measured the amounts of different molecular forms of y-glutamyltransferase(EC 2.3.2.2), leucine aminopeptidase (EC 3.4.11.2), and alkalinephosphatase(EC 3.1.3.1) in serum of patientswithdifferenttypes of liverdisease.A highmolecular-mass (greater than 1 000 000 Da) form of yglutamyltransferaseand of each of the other enzymes is present in greatest amounts in patients with jaundice from ...

Three homologous genes that code for three related proteins comprise the serum amyloid A (SAA) family in the mouse. Endotoxin induces equally vigorous expression of mRNAs for the three SAA genes in liver. In extrahepatic tissues SAA1 and/or SAA2 mRNAs have been found only in kidney and intestine, however, SAA3 is expressed in all extrahepatic tissues thus far examined. This observation raised t...

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most prevalent viral infections, affecting at least 1 million people in the United States and 300 million people worldwide (1). Although cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma are the most important complications of chronic HBV infection, extrahepatic manifestations also occur, including immune-mediated diseases such as polyarteritis nodosa (2), cry...

Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma without papilla or tubule formation of the extrahepatic bile duct is rare. Here we present a case (a 42-year-old Japanese woman) without either pancreatobiliary maljunction or liver disease. The patient had obstructive jaundice. Imaging studies revealed a bile duct tumor obstructing the common bile duct and invading the surrounding tissues. Pathologic examin...

Spontaneous extrahepatic rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare but serious complication that occurs with an incidence of between 5 and 15% of patients with HCC. It is thought to be preceded by rapid expansion due to intratumoral bleeding. Extrahepatic rupture of HCC has been reported as a rare complication of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Although there have been repo...