Chronic Hepatitis

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 1 day ago
Fibrosis progression rates between Chronic Hepatitis B and C patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase levels. J Gastroenterol. 2008 Jun;43(6):484-491 Authors: Fujiwara A, Sakaguchi K, Fujioka S, Iwasaki Y, Senoh T, Nishimura M, Terao M, Shiratori Y BACKGROUND: We evaluated the annual rate of fibrosis progression in Chronic Hepatitis B and C patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. METHODS: Forty-nine Chronic Hepatitis B patients and 21 Chronic Hepatitis C patients, each of whom had undergone two or more liver biopsies at an interval of more than 1 year, were enrolled in this retrospective clinical research protocol. The annual rate of fibrosis progression was calculated by dividing the change in fibrosis stage between the first and second liver biopsies by the interval in years between them. RESULTS: The median interval in Chronic Hepatitis B and C was 3.4 (first and third quartiles, 1.8-4.7) and 3.2 (2.1-6.5) years, respectively. Overall, the mean fibrosis progression rate was 0.21 +/- 0.31 (mean +/- SD) fibrosis units (FU) per year in 49 patients with Chronic Hepatitis B, and 0.13 +/- 0.18 FU/year in 21 patients with Chronic Hepatitis C. The ALT level was an independent variable correlating with fibrosis progression. In patients whose median ALT level was 70 IU/l or more, the mean fibrosis progression rate was 0.28 +/- 0.32 FU/year in 36 patients with Chronic Hepatitis B, and 0.22 +/- 0.23 FU/year in eight ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 4 days ago
Related Articles GUS and PMM1 as suitable reference genes for gene expression analysis in the liver tissue of patients with Chronic Hepatitis. Med Sci Monit. 2008 Jul;14(7):BR147-152 Authors: Romanowski T, Sikorska K, Bielawski KP Background: The proper application of quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the relative quantification of a target gene in gene profiling studies requires reference genes to normalize sample variations. Stable housekeeping genes for this purpose have never been investigated in the liver tissue of patients with Chronic Hepatitis.
Material/Methods: Expression profiles of six functionally distinct housekeeping genes (ACTB, CYCC, GUS, HPRT1, PMM1, POLR2L) were examined by RT-PCR in liver specimens from 12 individuals with Chronic Hepatitis C or B. Two software programs, geNorm and NormFinder, were used to assess the expression stability of the studied genes.
Results: Crossing-point values of the candidate reference genes were recorded between 22 and 28. In three groups of patients (all patients, HCV patients, HBV patients) both programs identified GUS as the most stably expressed housekeeping gene (stability values: 0.275-0.360 and 0.095-0.107 determined by geNorm and NormFinder, respectively), followed by PMM1 (0.275-0.360 and 0.168-0.227), and POLR2L (0.347-0.397 and 0.319-0.388).
Conclusions: The genes GUS and PMM1 are recommended for normalizati ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 5 days ago
Related Articles Late Occurrence of Pleural and Peritoneal Effusion Due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection (TB) in a Patient With Posttransplantation Recurrent HCV Chronic Hepatitis: Safety of Peginterferon and Ribavirin Treatment After Recovery of TB:- A Case Report. Transplant Proc. 2008 Jun;40(5):1783-5 Authors: Grasso A, De Leo P, Malfatti F, Toscanini F, Anselmo M, Menardo G The late occurrence of a large and often long-lasting effusion in the pleural and peritoneal cavities after liver transplantation is an uncommon and poorly understood complication. Even rarer (<1%) is the incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) in Western world series. Herein we have described a case of massive pleural effusion and ascites due to MT occurring 22 months after liver transplantation for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) cirrhosis. The infection was successfully treated with no hepatotoxicity or rejection, so that it was possible to start antiviral treatment with peginterferon and ribavirin for recurrent HCV without reactivation of MT infection. PMID: 18589196 [PubMed - in process] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 9 days ago
Related Articles [Treatment of Chronic viral Hepatitis] Ugeskr Laeger. 2008 Jun 9;170(24):2137-40 Authors: Pedersen C, Pedersen CR Interferon-alfa is used for the treatment of Chronic viral Hepatitis. The best results for HCV are obtained with pegylated interferon-alpha in combination with the antiviral drug ribavirin. Sustained response (cure) is obtained in 40% (genotype 1) to 85% (genotype 2 or 3) of treated patients. Interferon-alpha has many side effects, and the selection of patients for treatment should be made taking into consideration the individual prognosis and relative and absolute contraindications. New biologics are in clinical development. PMID: 18565297 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 14 days ago
Related Articles Ribavirin in the treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Jun;23(6):844-55 Authors: Martin P, Jensen DM BACKGROUND AND AIM: Current practice guidelines recommend that individuals chronically infected with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) be treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin. Ribavirin, however, is associated with serious adverse events (AE), especially anemia. We review its mechanism of action, its importance in treating Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC) patients, the AE associated with its use, and techniques used to lessen these AE. METHODS: Medline searches were performed using the keywords ribavirin and Hepatitis, together with the keywords mechanism, anemia, liver transplant, renal function, pharmacokinetics, and dose reduction. Searches of abstracts of recent Digestive Diseases Week, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, and European Association for the Study of Liver Diseases meetings were also performed. RESULTS: Ribavirin may be effective in treating CHC by affecting the virus or the host; for example by inducing viral mutations, blocking cellular enzymes, or affecting the host immune response. Although the pegylated interferons are the primary drugs used to treat CHC, a combination with ribavirin is more effective than pegylated interferon alone. Ribavirin-associated AE may be lessened by ribavirin dose reductions and by maintenance of the hematocrit. CONCLUSIONS: Trea ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 6 days ago
Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients: From clinical trials to field practice. Scand J Infect Dis. 2008;40(6):561-4 Authors: Piroth L, Martha B, Minello A, Grappin M, Chavanet P In a prospective cohort of 87 HIV coinfected patients with Chronic Hepatitis C, 63% had been treated for HCV, with global success rate (47%, 95% CI 34-61) close to or higher than that reported in therapeutic trials. These results argue for earlier, more frequent and improved HCV treatment in HIV-infected patients. PMID: 18584548 [PubMed - in process] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 9 days ago
Related Articles Autoantibodies to survivin in patients with Chronic Hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Autoimmunity. 2005 Sep;38(6):445-8 Authors: Yagihashi A, Asanuma K, Kobayashi D, Tsuji N, Torigoe T, Sato N, Watanabe N OBJECTIVES: Autoantibodies to tumor-associated antigens including survivin have been detected in sera from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, little is known about autoantibody responses to tumor-associated antigens in patients with Chronic Hepatitis, which strongly predisposes to development of HCC. METHODS: We subjected sera from 57 patients with Chronic Hepatitis and 29 patients with HCC to an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a full-length recombinant survivin protein. A cutoff value for positivity was determined as the mean absorbance +2SD for sera from healthy volunteers. RESULTS: In patients with Chronic viral Hepatitis, elevated anti-survivin antibodies were detected in 10 of 57 sera (17.5%); in HCC patients, such elevation were detected in 7 of 29 sera (24.1%). The levels of anti-survivin antibodies in HCC patients with HCV infection were significantly higher than those in the healthy control and HCC patients with HBV infection. However, there were no significant differences in the levels of anti-survivin antibodies between HCV and HCC patients with HCV infection. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that elevated anti-survivin antibodies were detected for the first time in pa ...

Source: www.moreover.com --- 35 days ago
Researchers detail in 'Frequency and pattern of Chinese prescriptions for in Taiwan,' new data in Chronic Hepatitis. ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 32 days ago
Related Articles Could the depression of obese patients suffering from Chronic Hepatitis C be temporarily improved? J Viral Hepat. 2008 May 27; Authors: Tarantino G, Basile V, Conca P, Ariello M, Minno MN, Romano A, Gentile A, Capone D Depression is an usual finding in patients suffering from Chronic Hepatitis C. Development of moderate to severe depressive symptoms occurs frequently during pegylated interferon/ribavirin treatment and is generally predicted by baseline depression scores. Furthermore, the obese patients have been found to be twice as likely to suffer from anxiety, impaired social interaction, and depression when compared with the no obese population. In order to evaluate the efficacy of a pharmacological treatment of depression, 68 obese patients with Chronic Hepatitis C, under or not antiviral therapy, were selected and enrolled into this open, controlled pilot study. Our population was divided in two groups: 'on Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors plus support', with individual titration of medication to adequate side-effects, including thirty seven patients, and 'on only support', involving thirty one patients. Both groups were well balanced for gender, age and antiviral treatment. The selected patients had, at entry, a Beck Depression Inventory score of 24.5 +/- 8.1 (mean +/- SD). Therapeutic successful outcomes (a decreased score of >/= 10 units compared to the baseline) were statistically more frequent in antid ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 10 days ago
Related Articles Metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and adiponectin level in patients with Chronic Hepatitis C. J Gastrointestin Liver Dis. 2008 Jun;17(2):147-154 Authors: Grigorescu M, Radu C, Cri Scedil An D, Grigorescu MD, Scedil Erban A, Neculoiu D, Rusu M, Acalovschi M AIMS. To assess insulin resistance and adiponectin profile in patients with Chronic Hepatitis C (CHC), according to the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome (MS). PATIENTS AND METHODS. One hundred and fifty-two patients with histologically proven CHC, genotype I were prospectively studied. Parameters of MS according to the IDF criteria were evaluated. Insulin resistance was established by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR]. An index ≥ 2.0 was designated as IR and ≥ 4 as prediabetic state. Serum adiponectin levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS. MS was found in 61.48% of cases. HOMA-IR was significantly higher in patients with CHC and MS vs those without MS (7.88±1.11 vs 4.29 ± 0.5, p=0.023]. Adiponectin levels had an inverse behaviour (9,946.1 ± 5,811 ng/ml vs 13,215.5 ± 815.5 ng/ml, p< 0.001]. By multiple linear regression analysis the independent predictors associated with HOMA-IR ≥ 4 in patients with CHC and MS were visceral obesity, adiponectin levels, activity and degree of steatosis. Only visceral obesity and HOMA-IR were independently associated with adiponectin. A significant negative correlation was est ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 6 days ago
Anti-HCV positivity in sexual partners and offspring of patient with Chronic Hepatitis C. Scand J Infect Dis. 2008;40(6):533-537 Authors: Aykın N, Cevık F, Demırturk N, Demırdal T, Orhan S, Naz H We investigated the seroprevalence of HCV in stable sexual partners and offspring of Chronic Hepatitis C patients, and aimed to determine the risk factors involved. 191 anti-HCV and HCV RNA positive subjects who coinhabited with their spouse and/or offspring were included. Risk factors of index cases for disease transmission, liver biopsy results, anti-HCV and HCV-RNA in spouses and/or offspring were evaluated. Together with index cases, a total of 404 family members including 174 stable sexual partners and 230 offspring were included. The most common risk factors among index cases were dental procedures (73.8%), history of surgery (64.9%), and blood transfusions (24.1%). Anti-HCV positivity was established in 11 (2.7%) of the total 404 family contacts - 6 sexual partners and 5 offspring. HCV seropositivity was significantly higher in the spouses of index cases with severe Hepatitis C compared to those with mild to moderate Hepatitis C (p = 0.008), but there was no statistically significant correlation between the severity of liver disease in index cases and anti-HCV positivity in their offspring. In conclusion, anti-HCV seropositivity in the spouses and children of patients who are HCV-RNA positive HCV carriers does not appear to be higher th ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 23 days ago
Related Articles The significance of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression in patients with Chronic Hepatitis B. Clin Invest Med. 2008;31(3):E123-30 Authors: Wei XQ, Guo YW, Liu JJ, Wen ZF, Yang SJ, Yao JL PURPOSE: To investigate the importance of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) expression on hepatocytes obtained from Chronic Hepatitis B patients as well as on hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cell lines. METHODS: Expression of TLR4 in liver tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry in 75 patients with CHB and in10 healthy controls. The protein and mRNA 1eve1s of TLR4 in hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cells were measured by flow cytometry (FCM) and real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR), and endotoxin triggered TNF-alpha secretion in HepG2 and HepG2.2.15 cells was evaluated by ELISA. RESULTS: TLR4 expressed mainly in the cytoplasm and some on cell membrane in hepatocytes. The staining scores of TLR4 expression in the liver tissues of patients with CHB were significantly higher than that of healthy controls. The liver tissues from patients with severe CHB expressed higher level of TLR4 than those from patients with mild CHB. Furthermore, the staining scores of TLR4 expression in the liver tissues of patients with CHB were positively correlated with the grading scores. Our results also showed that the mean fluorescence intensity and TNF-alpha secretion induced by endotoxin as well as the protein and mRNA 1eve1s ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 30 days ago
Related Articles Assessment of the PHQ-9 as a screening tool for depression in patients with Chronic Hepatitis C. Dig Dis Sci. 2008 Apr;53(4):1100-6 Authors: Dbouk N, Arguedas MR, Sheikh A BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We examined the test characteristics of the PHQ-9, a new screening tool that has been validated in the general population but not amongst patients with Hepatitis C virus (HCV). METHODS: The PHQ-9, CES-D and BDI-II questionnaires were administered to 129 consecutive patients with Chronic HCV attending a specialty clinic between August 2005 and April 2006. RESULTS: Approximately 52% of participants reported symptoms suggesting depression. Prevalence of depression was 62% using the BDI-II, 75% per the PHQ-9 and 72% per the CES-D. We observed a strong correlation between the BDI-II, CES-D and PHQ-9 in patients on and off interferon. Scores on the three questionnaires were only moderately associated with symptoms reported by the patients. There was moderate agreement between the CES-D and BDI-II and slight agreement between both these questionnaires and the PHQ-9. Scores on the PHQ-9 correlated strongly with scores on the CES-D and BDI-II and moderately with patients' symptoms. PMID: 17934817 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 6 days ago
Prediction of virologic response in difficult-to-treat Chronic Hepatitis C patients during high-dose interferon induction therapy. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2008;43(7):857-69 Authors: Gelderblom HC, Zaaijer HL, Dijkgraaf MG, Van Der Meer J, Weegink CJ, Jansen PL, Beld MG, Reesink HW Objective. To determine (i) whether early viral kinetics or other markers during a modified treatment regimen are predictors of treatment outcome and (ii) whether fast responders can be treated for 24 weeks, without compromising the sustained virologic response (SVR) rate. Material and methods. One hundred "difficult-to-treat" Chronic Hepatitis C patients (46 previous non-responders/relapsers (any genotype), 54 treatment-naive patients genotypes 1 and 4) were treated with triple antiviral induction therapy: amantadine hydrochloride and ribavirin, combined with 6 weeks interferon alfa-2b induction (weeks 1-2: 18 MU/day, weeks 3-4: 9 MU/day, weeks 5-6: 6 MU/day), thereafter combined with weekly peginterferon alfa-2b. Fast responders (>/=3 log(10) HCV RNA decline at week 4) were randomized to 24 or 48 weeks. Slow responders (<3 log(10) HCV RNA decline at week 4) were treated for 48 weeks. Treatment was stopped in patients with detectable HCV RNA at week 24. Results. Thirty-six patients achieved SVR: 28 of 60 fast responders (47%) versus 8 of 32 slow responders (25%, p<0.05). Relapse rates among fast responders treated for 24 or 48 weeks were 27% and 20%, respecti ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 14 days ago
Related Articles Expression profiles and function of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of Chronic Hepatitis B patients. Clin Immunol. 2008 Jun 17; Authors: Chen Z, Cheng Y, Xu Y, Liao J, Zhang X, Hu Y, Zhang Q, Wang J, Zhang Z, Shen F, Yuan Z Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a central role in sensing and initiating innate antiviral response. In this study, we first investigated the expression of TLR1-10 mRNA transcripts in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from Chronic HBV-infected (CHB) patients and healthy donors by quantitative real-time PCR. The expression of TLR1, TLR2, TLR4 and TLR6 transcripts was significantly lower in PBMCs from CHB patients, and the down-regulation of TLR2 was related to HBV genotype C. Flow cytometric analysis showed that the expression of TLR2 on PBMCs was significantly decreased in CHB patients. Furthermore, impaired cytokine production was observed in PBMCs from CHB patients after challenged with TLR2 and TLR4 ligands and was correlated with the levels of plasma Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg). In conclusion, our study reveals a possible interaction between HBsAg, TLR signaling and the innate immune response, which may partially explain the mechanism of HBV infection induced immuno-tolerance. PMID: 18565796 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] ...

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov --- 32 days ago
Related Articles Decreased expression of cytochrome P450s 1A2, 2E1, and 3A4; and drug transporters Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide, organic cation transporter 1, and organic anion-transporting peptide-C correlates with the progression of liver fibrosis in Chronic Hepatitis C patients. Drug Metab Dispos. 2008 May 30; Authors: Nakai K, Tanaka H, Hanada K, Ogata H, Suzuki F, Kumada H, Miyajima A, Ishida S, Sunouchi M, Habano W, Kamikawa Y, Kubota K, Kita J, Ozawa S, Ohno Y Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C viral infection underwent liver biopsies and laboratory studies for evaluation and to determine subsequent treatment. Changes in status of drug metabolism and disposition may vary with Chronic Hepatitis C stage and should be assessed. Total RNA was extracted from liver biopsy specimens (n=63) and reverse transcribed to yield cDNA. Relative mRNA levels of drug metabolizing enzymes, transporters, nuclear receptors, and pro-inflammatory cytokines were analyzed with normalization to glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase expression. mRNAs encoding cytochrome P450s (CYPs) 1A2, 2E1, and 3A4, and drug transporters, Na(+)-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide, organic anion transporting peptide-C, and organic cation transporter 1 showed remarkable decreases, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha showed an increase according to fibrosis stage progression. HepG2 cells and primary hepatocytes of two human individuals were treated either ...

Source: www.blackwell-synergy.com --- 11 days ago
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Volume 28, Issue 2, Page 167-177, July 2008. SummaryBackground The long-term goals of therapy for Chronic Hepatitis B are to reduce serum HBV DNA to low or undetectable levels and ultimately reduce or prevent the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.Aim To review the current ... ...

Source: www.blackwell-synergy.com --- 33 days ago
Andrologia, Volume 40, Issue 3, Page 173-178, June 2008. SummaryLittle is known about the effect of Chronic Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C on sperm quality. In this study we analysed sperm quality from selected patients with Chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) or Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Semen samples were ... ...

Source: www.springerlink.com --- 1 day ago
Abstract Background   We evaluated the annual rate of fibrosis progression in Chronic Hepatitis B and C patients with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. Methods   Forty-nine Chronic Hepatitis B patients and 21 Chronic Hepatitis C patients, each of whom had undergone two or more liver biopsies at an interval of more than 1 year, were enrolled in this retrospective clinical research protocol. The annual rate of fibrosis progression was calculated by dividing the change in fibrosis stage between the first and second liver biopsies by the interval in years between them. Results   The median interval in Chronic Hepatitis B and C was 3.4 (first and third quartiles, 1.8–4.7) and 3.2 (2.1–6.5) years, respectively. Overall, the mean fibrosis progression rate was 0.21 ± 0.31 (mean ± SD) fibrosis units (FU) per year in 49 patients with Chronic Hepatitis B, and 0.13 ± 0.18 FU/year in 21 patients with Chronic Hepatitis C. The ALT level was an independent variable correlating with fibrosis progression. In patients whose median ALT level was 70 IU/l or more, the mean fibrosis progression rate was 0.28 ± 0.32 FU/year in 36 patients with Chronic Hepatitis B, and 0.22 ± 0.23 FU/year in eight patients with Chronic Hepatitis C. Conclusion   This paired-biopsy study of untreated Chronic Hepatitis B or C demonstrated that fibrosis progression occurred largely in patients with continuously elevated ALT levels even over a relatively short period, ...

Source: www.topix.com --- 33 days ago
"Schering-Plough is delighted to bring this effective new treatment to the thousands of Malaysian people with Hepatitis B" Another drug for Chronic Hepatitis B is now available in Malaysia. SCHERING-Plough recently announced that the pegylated interferon alfa-2b drug has been approved by the Malaysian Drug Control Authority for the ... via The Star Online ...