Journal of Viral HepatitisThis is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.

Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

• Contents
• Discussions

Pages: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  

A simple, noninvasive test for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Recurrent hepatitis C is a common cause of graft loss in patients undergoing liver transplantation, and serial protocol liver biopsies have been used to identify patients at risk of graft loss from rapid fibrosis progression. The aim of this study was to derive a simple noninvasive index to predict fibrosis in patients with recurrent hepatitis C post-transplant. A retrospective study was performed assessing serial liver biopsies for post-transplant chronic hepatitis C infection. One hundred eighty-five patients were included in the analysis; median age 53 years (interquartile range 48[ndash]59) and 140 (76%) were ...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - November 17, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: T. J. S. Cross, V. Calvaruso, M. R. Foxton, P. Manousou, A. Quaglia, F. Grillo, A. P. Dhillon, J. Nolan, T. P. Chang, J. O'Grady, M. A. Heneghan, J. P. O'Beirne, A. K. Burroughs, P. M. Harrison Source Type: journals

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) proteinase 3C inhibits HAV IRES-dependent translation and cleaves the polypyrimidine tract-binding proteinEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is still an important issue worldwide. A distinct set of viruses encode proteins that enhance viral cap-independent translation initiation driven by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) and suppress cap-dependent host translation. Unlike cytolytic picornaviruses, replication of HAV does not cause host cell shut off, and it has been questioned whether HAV proteins interfere with its own and/or host translation. HAV proteins were coexpressed in Huh-7 cells with reporter genes whose translation was initiated by either cap-dependent or cap-independent mechanisms. Among the proteins ...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - November 3, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: T. Kanda, V. Gauss-Müller, S. Cordes, R. Tamura, K. Okitsu, W. Shuang, S. Nakamoto, K. Fujiwara, F. Imazeki, O. Yokosuka Source Type: journals

Genomic variability associated with the presence of occult hepatitis B virus in HIV co-infected individualsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Occult hepatitis B virus (O-HBV) infection is characterized by the presence of HBV DNA without detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBV DNA+/HBsAg[minus]) in the serum. Although O-HBV is more prevalent during HBV/HIV co-infection, analysis of HBV mutations in co-infected patients is limited. In this preliminary study, HBV PreSurface (PreS) and surface (S) regions were amplified from 33 HIV-positive patient serum samples [ndash] 27 chronic HBV (C-HBV) and six O-HBV infections. HBV genotype was determined by phylogenetic analysis, while quasispecies diversity was quantified for the PreS, S and overlapping polymer...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - November 2, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: C. M. Martin, J. A. Welge, N. J. Shire, S. D. Rouster, M. T. Shata, K. E. Sherman, J. T. Blackard Source Type: journals

Management of chronic hepatitis C patients who have relapsed or not responded to pegylated interferon alfa plus ribavirinEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, after careful evaluation of an individual's benefit[ndash]risk ratio, a 72-week regimen is the preferred strategy for optimizing sustained response rates in patients who have not responded to the standard of care, provided that viral RNA is undetectable at week 12 of re-treatment. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - November 2, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: D. T. Dieterich, M. Rizzetto, M. P. Manns Source Type: journals

HBV-specific T-cell responses in healthy seronegative sexual partners of patients with chronic HBV infectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is frequently transmitted by sexual intercourse. Thus, HBV-guidelines recommend vaccination. However, we have identified healthy hepatitis B surface antigen and anti-HBc-negative unvaccinated sexual partners of patients with chronic hepatitis B. We investigated whether HBV-specific cellular immune responses were present that could explain the apparent protection against HBV infection. In six anti-HBc-negative HBV-exposed sexual partners, HBV-specific T-cell responses were studied by proliferation assay and cytometric bead array after stimulation with 74 overlapping peptides spanning the...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - November 2, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: J. Wiegand, S. Meya, V. Schlaphoff, M. P. Manns, J. Mössner, H. Wedemeyer, H. L. Tillmann Source Type: journals

Hepatitis B viral load and risk for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in The Gambia, West AfricaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, we find that high HBV-DNA levels are strongly associated with the serious sequelae of HBV infection, independent of HBeAg status. While risk for cirrhosis and for HCC notably increases at HBV-DNA levels [ge]10 000 copies/mL, low-level viremia was also associated with significant risk for HCC. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: M. E. Mendy, T. Welzel, O. A. Lesi, P. Hainaut, A. J. Hall, M. H. Kuniholm, S. McConkey, J. J. Goedert, S. Kaye, S. Rowland-Jones, H. Whittle, G. D. Kirk Source Type: journals

Prospective comparison of Fibroscan, King's score and liver biopsy for the assessment of cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C infectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Historically, liver biopsy (LB) was the sole method to evaluate the severity of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. However, LB is expensive and associated with a risk of severe complications. Therefore, noninvasive tests have been developed to assess the severity of liver fibrosis. The accuracy of Fibroscan (FS) and King's score (KS) was evaluated individually and in combination using liver histology as the reference standard. One hundred and eighty-seven patients were identified who had undergone a biopsy with a diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) mono-infection (HCV RNA-pos...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: T. J. S. Cross, V. Calvaruso, S. Maimone, I. Carey, T. P. Chang, M. Pleguezuelo, P. Manousou, A. Quaglia, F. Grillo, A. P. Dhillon, G. M. Dusheiko, A. K. Burroughs, P. M. Harrison Source Type: journals

Hyperinsulinaemia reduces the 24-h virological response to PEG-interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C and insulin resistanceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We examined the relationship between baseline insulin levels, the main component affecting homeostasis model of assessment [ndash] insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) for assessment of IR in non-diabetic patients, and the 'acute' virological response to PEG-IFN measured 24 h after the first injection and taken as correlate of intracellular interferon signalling. In 62 patients treated with PEG-IFN/Ribavirin, serum insulin and HOMA-IR were assessed at baseline, while hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA was measured at baseline and 24 h, 1, 2, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment initiation. Sustained virological response was examined 24 weeks a...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 21, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: G. Bortoletto, L. Scribano, S. Realdon, M. Marcolongo, S. Mirandola, L. Franceschini, S. Bonisegna, F. Noventa, M. Plebani, D. Martines, A. Alberti Source Type: journals

Visfatin serum levels in chronic hepatitis C patientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Visfatin is a new adipokine involved in several processes. The data concerning visfatin in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is small. To assess visfatin serum concentration and to study its association with biochemical and morphological features in CHC. Seventy nonobese patients with CHC (Group 1) confirmed by the presence of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA and 20 healthy volunteers (Group 2), similar in age and BMI with normal fasting glucose and lipid profile were included. Visfatin was significantly increased in Group 1 compared with Group 2 (55.6 ± 23.1 vs 23.7 ± 3.8 ng/mL; P < 0.001). Visfatin was negatively ass...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 12, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: M. Kukla, K. Żwirska-Korczala, A. Gabriel, M. Waluga, I. Warakomska, A. Berdowska, B. Rybus-Kalinowska, M. Kalinowski, E. Janczewska-Kazek, E. Woźniak-Grygiel, W. Kryczka Source Type: journals

Splenectomy and antiviral treatment for thrombocytopenic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Thrombocytopenic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are poor candidates for antiviral treatment with interferon (IFN), but no standard treatment for thrombocytopenia has yet been established. We evaluated the safety of splenectomy and its efficacy for the initiation and continuation of antiviral therapy. From March 2003 to April 2006, 10 patients (mean age 62.5 years) with HCV-related cirrhosis, low platelet count (≦106 000/mm3) and splenomegaly (spleen size ≧10 cm) underwent splenectomy. Platelet counts significantly increased at 4[ndash]8 weeks after splenectomy [pre: 64 200 ±...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 12, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: K. Ikezawa, M. Naito, T. Yumiba, K. Iwahashi, Y. Onishi, H. Kita, A. Nishio, T. Kanno, T. Matsuura, A. Ono, M. Chiba, T. Mizuno, H. Aketa, K. Maeda, T. Michida, K. Katayama Source Type: journals

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in HIV-positive individuals in the UK – trends in HCV testing and the impact of HCV on HIV treatment outcomesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We examined the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among HIV-positive individuals in the UK, trends in HCV testing and the impact of HCV on HIV treatment outcomes. Trends over time in HCV prevalence were calculated using each patient's most recent HCV status at the end of each calendar year. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with having a HCV antibody test, and Cox regression was used to determine whether HCV status was associated with the time to experiencing an immunological response to highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART), time to virological response and viral rebound. O...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 12, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: J. Turner, L. Bansi, R. Gilson, B. Gazzard, J. Walsh, D. Pillay, C. Orkin, A. Phillips, P. Easterbrook, M. Johnson, K. Porter, A. Schwenk, T. Hill, C. Leen, J. Anderson, M. Fisher, C. Sabin Source Type: journals

Successful antiviral therapy determines a significant decrease in squamous cell carcinoma antigen-associated (SCCA) variants' serum levels in anti-HCV positive cirrhotic patients*Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Aberrant squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) expression is an early event in hepatocarcinogenesis, and increasing serum levels of SCCA variants IgM immune complexes (SCCA-IgM IC) have been found in cirrhotic patients developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We longitudinally evaluated a cohort of cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) who underwent pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin treatment. SCCA-IgM IC levels were assessed in the sera of 33 cirrhotic patients with HCV (21 males, median age 57 years) before, at the end and at 6-month and 1-year follow-up after treatment with PEG...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 12, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: E. G. Giannini, M. Basso, M. Bazzica, P. Contini, S. Marenco, V. Savarino, A. Picciotto Source Type: journals

Clinical features of acute renal failure associated with hepatitis A virus infectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Acute hepatitis A (AHA) is one of the most common infectious diseases; it is usually a self-limiting disease affecting the liver. Although extrahepatic manifestations are not common, some cases have been reported associated with acute renal failure. We reviewed the clinical features of patients with AHA complicated by acute renal failure (ARF group) and compared them with patients with noncomplicated AHA (non-ARF group). The medical records of 208 consecutive patients with AHA who were diagnosed between January 2003 and October 2008 were reviewed. We identified 15 patients (7.2%) with ARF associated with AHA. Ther...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 11, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Y. J. Jung, W. Kim, J. B. Jeong, B. G. Kim, K. L. Lee, K.-H. Oh, J.-H. Yoon, H.-S. Lee, Y. J. Kim Source Type: journals

Adjuvant therapy used in conjunction with combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C improves sustained virus response rates in genotype 1 patientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Combination treatment with pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) and ribavirin remains the gold standard in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. This therapy is limited by many side-effects including anaemia, neutropenia and reduced quality of life. The use of adjuvant agents to reduce the frequency of dose reductions because of haematological side-effects has been proven to be effective but there are few reports of what effect the use of these adjuvant therapies is having on sustained virological response (SVR). The aim of the study was to assess the clinical impact on sustained virological response of adjuvant therapi...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 10, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: W. J. Cash, K. Patterson, M. E. Callender, N. I. McDougall Source Type: journals

Factors associated with isolated anti-hepatitis B core antibody in HIV-positive patients: impact of compromised immunityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. In regions that are hyperendemic for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, prevalence of and risk factors associated with isolated anti-hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) in HIV-positive patients are less well described. HIV-positive patients who were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) and anti-HBc at designated hospitals for HIV care in Taiwan were included for analysis. HBV DNA was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction in patients with and without isolated anti-HBc. Of 2351 HIV-positive patients, 450 (19.1%) were HBsAg positive, 411 (17.5...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 8, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: H.-Y. Sun, H.-C. Lee, C.-E. Liu, C.-L. Yang, S.-C. Su, W.-C. Ko, C.-Y. Lin, J.-J. Tsai, W.-W. Wong, M.-W. Ho, S.-H. Cheng, Y.-H. Lin, W.-J. Miao, C.-C. Hung Source Type: journals

Effect of antiviral treatment on alfa-fetoprotein levels in HBV-related cirrhotic patients: early detection of hepatocellular carcinomaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, HBV cirrhotic patients with rising AFP levels were at very high risk of HCC development. Early detection of minute lesions may be possible by monitoring AFP levels, whilst patients are on treatment in conjunction with enhanced computed tomography examination. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: K. Luo, Z. Liu, P. Karayiannis Source Type: journals

Ongoing transmission of a single hepatitis B virus strain among men having sex with men in AmsterdamEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. For the past decade, a specific hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype A strain has been prevalent among men having sex with men (MSM) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. At what point in time this strain was introduced in the MSM population, and why only this specific strain continues to be transmitted, remains unclear. Between 1984 and 2003, sera of 1862 MSM were retrospectively screened for anti-HBc in the context of the Amsterdam Cohort studies. After 2003, most MSM participating in this study were vaccinated, making further testing less useful. HBV DNA from anti-HBc seroconverters was amplified and sequenced. Poisson re...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: R. van Houdt, S. M. Bruisten, R. B. Geskus, M. Bakker, K. C. Wolthers, M. Prins, R. A. Coutinho Source Type: journals

Hepatitis C virus NS4 protein impairs the Th1 polarization of immature dendritic cellsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Dendritic cells (DCs) in chronic hepatitis C patients display impaired function, although the details remain unclear. To investigate the hepatitis C virus (HCV) protein that has the most impact on DC function, we compared five recombinant proteins and seven HCV protein genes in modulating DC phenotype and function. Immature DCs (iDCs) were established from healthy donor peripheral blood monocytes with granulocyte[ndash]macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and IL-4. Lipopolysaccharide was used to establish mature DCs (mDCs). Cells were then pulsed with HCV recombinant proteins or transfected with HCV plasm...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 4, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: A. Takaki, M. Tatsukawa, Y. Iwasaki, K. Koike, Y. Noguchi, H. Shiraha, K. Sakaguchi, E. Nakayama, K. Yamamoto Source Type: journals

Clinical features of biochemical cholestasis in patients with recurrent hepatitis C after living-donor liver transplantationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, biochemical cholestasis is the characteristic feature of HepC-LT and is related to progression of liver fibrosis. An increased Th1 response is associated with cholestasis caused by HCV after liver transplantation. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 3, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Y. Ueda, Y. Takada, H. Marusawa, H. Haga, T. Sato, Y. Tanaka, H. Egawa, S. Uemoto, T. Chiba Source Type: journals

Optimal combinations of ultrasound-based and serum markers of disease severity in patients with chronic hepatitis CEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Combinations of noninvasive markers may improve discrimination of chronic liver disease severity. The aims of this study were to compare four validated serum and ultrasound-based markers of hepatic disease severity head-to-head with liver biopsy and to assess optimal combinations with consideration of cost. A total of 67 patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis C underwent all four techniques on the same visit [aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI); Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) panel; transient elastography (TE) and ultrasound microbubble hepatic transit times (HTT)]. Markers were c...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - October 3, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: J. F. L. Cobbold, M. M. E. Crossey, P. Colman, R. D. Goldin, P. S. Murphy, N. Patel, J. Fitzpatrick, W. Vennart, H. C. Thomas, I. J. Cox, S. D. Taylor-Robinson Source Type: journals

Prediction of nonSVR to therapy with pegylated interferon-α2a and ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 patients after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatmentEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. In patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1, the current algorithm for treatment discontinuation is based on no early virological response ( (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: E. Lukasiewicz, M. Gorfine, L. S. Freedman, J.-M. Pawlotsky, S. W. Schalm, C. Ferrari, S. Zeuzem, A. U. Neumann Source Type: journals

Implications of the relationship between maternal age and parity with hepatitis B carrier status in a high endemicity areaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study aimed to examine the prevalence of maternal hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the past 10 years and the age- and parity-specific incidences for evidence of control of HBV infection in the female reproductive population. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 58 736 consecutive pregnant women delivered from July 1998 to June 2008. Maternal HBV status and demographic data were retrieved from a computerized database for analysis by year, age, year of birth and parity. A total of 5788 (10.1%) women had HBV infection, and the annual prevalence was around 10% throughout. When categorized by maternal age into ...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: S. S. H. Suen, T. T. Lao, D. S. Sahota, T. K. Lau, T. Y. Leung Source Type: journals

HIV–HCV co-infected patients with low CD4+ cell nadirs are at risk for faster fibrosis progression and portal hypertensionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Patients co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are fraught with a rapid fibrosis progression rate and with complications of portal hypertension (PHT) We aimed to assess the influence of immune function [Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stage] on development of PHT and disease progression in HIV[ndash]HCV co-infection. Data of 74 interferon-naïve HIV[ndash]HCV co-infected patients undergoing liver biopsy, measurement of portal pressure and of liver stiffness and routine laboratory tests (including CD4+ cell count, HIV and HCV viral load) were analyse...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: T. Reiberger, A. Ferlitsch, W. Sieghart, A. Kreil, F. Breitenecker, A. Rieger, B. Schmied, A. Gangl, M. Peck-Radosavljevic Source Type: journals

Does acute hepatitis C infection affect the central nervous system in HIV-1 infected individuals?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Central nervous system (CNS) manifestations of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and chronic human immune deficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infections have been reported, but the impact of acute HCV infection on the CNS is unknown. A total of 10 individuals with chronic stable HIV-1 with documented acute HCV (HCV-RNA polymerase chain reaction positive and HCV antibody negative, group 1) underwent cerebral proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) using acquisition parameters to quantify myo-inositol/creatine (mI/Cr) ratio in the right basal ganglia (RBG). Two matched control groups also underwent MRS; group 2: ten with ...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: A. Winston, L. Garvey, E. Scotney, D. Yerrakalva, J. M. Allsop, E. C. Thomson, V. P. B. Grover, J. Main, J. I. Cox, M. Wylezinska, S. D. Taylor-Robinson Source Type: journals

Factors affecting the changes in molecular epidemiology of acute hepatitis B in a Southern Italian areaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. To explore changes in molecular epidemiology of acute viral hepatitis B (AVH-B), hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes were determined by direct sequencing of the Pre-S-S region in 123 consecutive patients, with AVH-B observed in Naples or its surroundings in the last decade (group AVH-B) and in 123 HBV chronic carriers [chronic carrier of HBV (CC-B) group] from the same areas, who had been hepatitis B surface antigen-positive for more than 10 years. Genotype D was less frequently detected in patients with AVH-B than in those in the CC-B group (76.4%vs 97.5%, P < 0.0001). In the AVH-B group, intravenous drug addiction...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: N. Coppola, A. Masiello, G. Tonziello, R. Pisapia, M. Pisaturo, C. Sagnelli, V. Messina, V. Iodice, E. Sagnelli Source Type: journals

Autoantibodies are commonly detected by the AIT test in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: J.-U. Sir, T.-Y. Kim Source Type: journals

Response to Madejon et al.: are HIV-infected patients at risk of HEV infection?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: C. Renou, A. Lafeuillade, N. Pavio, E. Nicand Source Type: journals

Fibrosis staging in chronic hepatitis C: analysis of discordance between transient elastography and liver biopsyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. In chronic hepatitis C, transient elastography (TE) accurately identifies cirrhosis, but its ability to assess significant fibrosis (Metavir [ge] F2) is variable. Constitutional and liver disease-related factors may influence TE and here we examined the variables associated with differences. Three hundred consecutive hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA positive patients had biochemical tests, TE and a biopsy performed on the same day. The Dale model was used to identify the variables associated with discordance between biopsy and elastography results. In 97 patients (34.2%), TE and histological assessment were discordant....
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: V. Calvaruso, C. Cammà, V. Di Marco, S. Maimone, F. Bronte, M. Enea, V. Dardanoni, P. Manousou, M. Pleguezuelo, E. Xirouchakis, M. Attanasio, G. Dusheiko, A. K. Burroughs, A. Craxì Source Type: journals

Retrospective, observational, multicentre study on an Italian population affected by chronic hepatitis C who failed to clear HCV-RNA after the combined therapy (PEG-IFN and ribavirin): NADIR studyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. There is a lack of information on the characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) who fail to respond to antiviral treatment. We studied HCV-positive subjects with chronic liver diseases treated with pegylated-interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) who failed to clear HCV in routine clinical practice. A total of 2150 consecutive adult patients treated with PEG-IFN plus RBV therapy in 46 Italian centres between 1 July 2004, and 30 June 2005, were studied. Of the 2150 patients, 923 (42.9%) (M/F 585/335, mean age 54.8 years) failed to achieve a serum HCV-RNA clearance. Of these 923 pa...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: F. Morisco, T. Stroffolini, E. Medda, D. C. Amoruso, P. L. Almasio, E. Villa, M. Zuin, B. Paris, H. Stanzio, N. Caporaso Source Type: journals

Putative association of transforming growth factor-α polymorphisms with clearance of hepatitis B virus and occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Previous studies showed that several genetic polymorphisms might influence the clinical outcome of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, including HBV clearance or development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to determine whether polymorphisms of the transforming growth factor-[alpha] (TGF-[alpha]) gene are associated with clinical outcome of HBV infection. A total of 1096 Korean subjects having either present or past evidence of HBV infection were prospectively enrolled between January 2001 and August 2003. Among 16 genetic variants in TGFA gene, nine variants were genotyped using...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Y. J. Kim, H. Y. Kim, J. S. Kim, J. -H. Lee, J. -H. Yoon, C. Y. Kim, B. L. Park, H. S. Cheong, J. S. Bae, S. Kim, H. D. Shin, H. -S. Lee Source Type: journals

Hepatitis D outbreak among children in a hepatitis B hyper-endemic settlement in GreenlandEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, the HBV-HDV super-infection and presumed HDV outbreak in this settlement challenges the notion that HBV infection may not be as harmless in Greenland as previously anticipated. The findings strongly suggest that HBV vaccination should be included in the child-immunization program in Greenland. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: M. L. Børresen, O. R. Olsen, K. Ladefoged, B. J. McMahon, T. Hjuler, I. Panum, J. Simonetti, C. Jones, H. Krarup, A. Koch Source Type: journals

Molecular and serological characterization of hepatitis B virus genotype A and D infected blood donors in PolandEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes have distinct geographical distributions and influence severity of clinical outcome and response to antiviral therapies. HBV polymorphism in HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) positive first time blood donors from Poland was examined. HBV serological markers and HBV DNA were tested in 170 samples. Whole genome (n = 53) or specific region sequences: pre-S/S and basic core promoter/precore (BCP/PC) region (91 and 154 samples, respectively) were phylogenetically analyzed. The median age of infected donors was 21 years. Anti-HBs, anti-HBe and hepatitis B e antigen were detected in 5%, 92.4% ...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: P. Grabarczyk, P. Garmiri, G. Liszewski, D. Doucet, E. Sulkowska, E. Brojer, J.-P. Allain Source Type: journals

The impact of the prevention programme of hepatitis C over more than a decade: the French experienceEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. To assess the impact of the French national hepatitis C prevention programme initiated in 1999, we analysed trends in hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence, testing and characteristics of HCV-infected patient at first referral from 1994 to 2006. We used four data sources: Two national population-based sero-prevalence surveys carried out in 1994 and 2004; two surveillance networks, one based on public and private laboratories throughout France and the other on hepatology reference centres, which aim to monitor, respectively, trends of anti-HCV screening and of epidemiological[ndash]clinical characteristics of HCV pati...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 22, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: E. Delarocque-Astagneau, C. Meffre, F. Dubois, C. Pioche, Y. Le Strat, F. Roudot-Thoraval, P. Hillon, C. Silvain, D. Dhumeaux, J. -C. Desenclos Source Type: journals

Hepatitis C Virus-related chronic liver disease in elderly patients: an Italian cross-sectional studyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been poorly investigated in the elderly. The aim of this study was to identify the age-specific characteristics of chronic hepatitis C by comparing patients [ge]65 years with those (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 15, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: A. Gramenzi, F. Conti, F. Felline, C. Cursaro, A. Riili, M. Salerno, S. Gitto, L. Micco, A. Scuteri, P. Andreone, M. Bernardi Source Type: journals

Prediction of significant liver fibrosis in kidney transplant patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: the TX-3 indexEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, significant liver fibrosis can be reliably predicted in KT HCV-infected subjects by simple and widely available parameters. If additional studies confirm our results, this model might obviate the requirement for a liver biopsy in a significant proportion of those patients. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 15, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: L. L. Schiavon, R. J. Carvalho-Filho, J. L. Narciso-Schiavon, S. R. Pinheiro, D. V. Barbosa, V. P. Lanzoni, M. L. G. Ferraz, A. E. B. Silva Source Type: journals

Safety and efficacy of an escalating dose regimen of pegylated interferon alpha-2b in the treatment of haemodialysis patients with chronic hepatitis CEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Chronic hepatitis C is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in persons undergoing haemodialysis. This single-arm, open-label clinical trial investigated the safety and efficacy of an escalating dosage regimen of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alpha-2b in this patient population. Patients with chronic hepatitis C who were undergoing haemodialysis began treatment with PEG-IFN alpha-2b at a dose of 0.5 [mu]g/kg/week, which was increased every 4 weeks to a maximum of 1 [mu]g/kg/week. Treatment duration was 24 weeks for patients with genotype (G) 2 or 3 infection and 48 weeks for patients with G1 infection...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 15, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: S. S. Tan, M. R. Abu Hassan, A. Abdullah, B. P. Ooi, T. Korompis, M. I. Merican Source Type: journals

GB virus type C interactions with HIV: the role of envelope glycoproteinsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. GB virus C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) is the most closely related human virus to hepatitis C virus (HCV). GBV-C is lymphotropic and not associated with any known disease, although it is associated with improved survival in HIV-infected individuals. In peripheral blood mononuclear cells, GBV-C induces the release of soluble ligands for HIV entry receptors (RANTES, MIP-1a, MIP-1b and SDF-1), suggesting that GBV-C may interact with lymphocytes to induce a chemokine and/or cytokine milieu that is inhibitory to HIV infection. Expression of GBV-C envelope glycoprotein E2 in CD4+ T cells or addition of recombinant E2 ...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 15, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Emma L. Mohr, Jack T. Stapleton Source Type: journals

Effect of ribavirin on the frequency of RNase L cleavage sites within the hepatitis C viral genomeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, Ribavirin-induced mutagenesis did not increase RNase L cleavage sites (UU/UA dinucleotides) within the HCV NS3 or NS5B encoding regions. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 14, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: U. Mihm, W. P. Hofmann, C. Welsch, A. Polta, T. Lengauer, S. Zeuzem, C. Sarrazin, E. Herrmann Source Type: journals

Stringent cessation criterion results in better durability of lamivudine treatment: a prospective clinical study in hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. The cessation criteria for lamivudine treatment vary in published articles and their results are contradictory, especially factors predicting relapse. To clarify these contradictions, this long-term follow-up study of 125 Chinese hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B patients was designed with stringent cessation criterion. All patients received lamivudine and achieved HBeAg seroconversion (group A, n = 82) or loss (group B, n = 43) with undetectable hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA by PCR assay during the treatment. Lamivudine was withdrawn [ge]6 months after HBeAg seroconversion/loss occurred. Th...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 14, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: L. Wang, F. Liu, Y.-D. Liu, X.-Y. Li, J.-B. Wang, Z.-H. Zhang, Y.-Z. Wang Source Type: journals

Does fluvastatin favour HCV replication in vivo? A pilot study on HIV–HCV co-infected patientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 14, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: T. Bader Source Type: journals

In vivo effects of fluvastatin on HCV replication in HIV-1 coinfected subjectsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 14, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: L. Milazzo, S. Antinori Source Type: journals

Investigating health-related quality of life, mood and neuropsychological test performance in a homogeneous cohort of Irish female hepatitis C patientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, these findings appear to support the presence of neurocognitive abnormalities in an iatrogenically infected, homogeneous female HCV population who were carefully screened to eliminate other factors affecting neurocognitive test performance and may indicate underlying neurophysiological causative mechanisms. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 14, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: D. Lowry, B. Coughlan, O. McCarthy, J. Crowe Source Type: journals

Dietary alterations due to perceptions in acute viral hepatitis lead to sub-optimal calorie intake and increased length of hospitalizationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Although there are no dietary restrictions recommended in acute viral hepatitis (AVH), there is an altered food intake, probably because of perceptions and traditional nutritional practices, leading to sub-optimal intake and poorer clinical outcome. Therefore, we aimed to determine nutritional intake of AVH patients before and after disease onset and to investigate if optimal intake following nutrition education shortened the length of hospitalization (LOH). Seventy-five patients with AVH were interviewed for foods consumed and avoided because of perceptions during illness. Nutrition education was given to all pat...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 2, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: E. Sathiaraj, M. Chutke, S. Mahurkar, P. Nagaraja Rao, D. Nageshwar Reddy Source Type: journals

Hepatitis B virus X protein induces hypermethylation of p16INK4A promoter via DNA methyltransferases in the early stage of HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. The aim of the present study was to authenticate the involvement of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and methyl-CpG binding domain protein 2 (MBD2) in the process of HBx induced p16INK4A promoter hypermethylation in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their corresponding noncancerous liver tissues. Eighty-eight fresh tissue specimens of surgically resected HBV-associated HCC and their corresponding noncancerous liver tissues were studied. The methylation status of the p16INK4A promoter was determined by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). Reverse transcription and real-time polymerase ch...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Y.-Z. Zhu, R. Zhu, J. Fan, Q. Pan, H. Li, Q. Chen, H.-G. Zhu Source Type: journals

Comparison of transient elastography and liver biopsy for the assessment of liver fibrosis in HIV/hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients and correlation with noninvasive serum markersEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Transient elastography (FibroScan®) is a novel, rapid and noninvasive technique to assess liver fibrosis. Our objective was to compare transient elastography (TE) and other noninvasive serum indexes as alternatives to liver biopsy in HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV)-coinfected patients. The fibrosis stage (METAVIR Score), TE, the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index, the Forns fibrosis index, FIB-4 and HGM-2 indexes were assessed in 100 patients between January 2007 and January 2008. The diagnostic values were compared by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs). U...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: M. Sánchez-Conde, M. L. Montes-Ramírez, P. Miralles, J. M. Castro Alvarez, J. M. Bellón, M. Ramírez, J. R. Arribas, I. Gutiérrez, J. C. López, J. Cosín, E. Alvarez, J. González, J. Berenguer Source Type: journals

Meta-analysis: interferon-alpha prevents the recurrence after curative treatment of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinomaEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, IFN-alpha treatment after curative treatment of primary tumour within Milan criteria may be effective for the prevention of HCC recurrence, and higher SVR rate may be associated with better preventive effect of IFN-alpha treatment on HCC recurrence. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - September 1, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Y. Miyake, A. Takaki, Y. Iwasaki, K. Yamamoto Source Type: journals

Impact of obesity, steatosis and insulin resistance on progression and response to therapy of hepatitis CEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Clinical progression of chronic hepatitis C depends on several cofactors, which also have a negative affect on the rate of response to interferon-[alpha]-based therapy. Given the current worldwide prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, the impact of obesity and insulin resistance, and of their histopathological correlate, hepatic steatosis, on the natural history and management of chronic hepatitis C is undoubtedly very important. We will review some of the current knowledge on the clinical consequences of overweight/obesity, steatosis and insulin resistance on chronic hepatitis C, and discuss how this issue may be...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - August 31, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: F. Negro, S. Clément Source Type: journals

Mortality in HIV-infected injection drug users with active vs cleared hepatitis C virus-infection: a population-based cohort studyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Summary. Acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may lead to chronic HCV-infection with detectable HCV RNA or to spontaneous clearance with no HCV RNA, but detectable HCV antibodies. It is unknown whether HCV RNA status is associated with mortality in HIV-infected injection drug users (IDUs). We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study to examine the impact of HCV RNA status on overall and cause-specific mortality in HIV-infected IDUs. We computed cumulative mortality and used Cox Regression to estimate mortality rate ratios (MRR). We identified 392 HIV-infected patients of whom 284 (72%) had chronic HCV-infect...
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - August 26, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: L. H. Omland, P. Jepsen, N. Weis, P. B. Christensen, A. L. Laursen, H Nielsen, H Krarup, H. T. Sørensen, N. Obel Source Type: journals

An evaluation of transient elastography in the discrimination of HBeAg-negative disease from inactive hepatitis B carriersEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study shows that mean hepatic stiffness by elastography is significantly lower in patients with inactive hepatitis B compared to those with HBeAg-negative disease. The procedure is a useful adjunct to diagnosis to confirm a clinical pattern of disease, and for more selective use of liver biopsy before considering antiviral therapy. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - August 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: S. Maimone, V. Calvaruso, M. Pleguezuelo, G. Squadrito, G. Amaddeo, M. Jacobs, P. Khanna, G. Raimondo, G. Dusheiko Source Type: journals

Reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma after interferon therapy in aged patients with chronic hepatitis C is limited to sustained virological respondersEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, inhibitory effect of IFN on development of HCC in the patients with chronic hepatitis C aged 60 and over was limited to the patients achieving SVR when treated with 6 months-IFN monotherapy. (Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis)
Source: Journal of Viral Hepatitis - August 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Y. Imai, S. Tamura, H. Tanaka, N. Hiramatsu, S. Kiso, Y. Doi, M. Inada, T. Nagase, T. Kitada, K. Imanaka, K. Fukuda, T. Takehara, A. Kasahara, N. Hayashi Source Type: journals