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1. 65Zn was injected intravenously during transjugular liver biopsy and, from simultaneous hepatic and peripheral venous blood samples, hepatointestinal 65Zn extraction was calculated. Hepatic zinc content was measured in biopsy specimens. 2. On the same occasion samples of liver tissue were taken and their zinc content was measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. 3. Seven patients with cirrhosis had significantly lower hepatic zinc content and hepatointestinal zinc extraction than six control patients with mild liver disease. Six patients with chronic hepatitis had a mean hepatointestinal zinc extraction higher than control patients, whereas their mean hepatic zinc content was lower, although the former difference did not achieve statistical significance. 4. These results demonstrate that hepatointestinal extraction of zinc is impaired in cirrhosis, but not in chronic hepatitis.

An assessment of T-lymphocyte proliferation and lymph node weight is proposed as a predictive test for contact sensitizers of industrial origin. Data are presented showing increased T-lymphocyte proliferation following epicutaneous application of a variety of industrially important acrylate-like chemicals which appear to correlate well with their ability to sensitize in the guinea pig. These data were compared with those obtained after application of 2,4-dinitro-1-fluorobenzene (DNFB) a strong sensitizer, and 2,4-dinitrothiocyanatebenzene (DNTB) a nonsensitizer when given epicutaneously. It is suggested that this quantitative approach, in parallel with a simple one-dose immunization, may provide a better picture of sensitization potential than the longer multidose immunizations currently in use.

Epicutaneous application of acrylates and related compounds 14 and 7 days before sensitization with either methyl acrylate or trimethylol propane triacrylate induced tolerance to the resultant contact reactions. This tolerance could not be correlated with either the degree of cross reactivity between these compounds or with their ability to react covalently with amino or sulphydryl groups of proteins. These results are discussed in relation to other epicutaneous tolerizers in the dinitrobenzene and poison ivy systems.

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Summary

Summary The symptoms of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis are frequently intractable to traditional therapy. Three patients are reported in whom several symptoms were alleviated by plasma exchange, using a Hemonetics Model 30 cell separator.