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Biomedical subjects

K Skaug

Publications and source records attributed to K Skaug.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Chronic hepatitis C. Experience with 50 patients].

We studied 50 patients (36 males and 14 females) with chronic hepatitis C who were admitted consecutively to our medical department during the period 1987-91. Eight patients (16%) had had a blood transfusion, 17 (34%) had used intravenous drugs and 25 (50%) were "sporadic cases" with no identifiable risk factor except that at least five had been tattooed. Most of the patients had moderate symptoms, including tiredness and asthenia. Few were jaundiced. A percutaneous liver biopsy was performed in 27 patients and showed chronic persistent hepatitis in 12 of them, chronic active hepatitis in six and cirrhosis in nine. Three patients with cirrhosis died; one from hepatoma, one from an endstage cirrhosis with bleeding and coma hepaticum, and one from septicaemia.

Adult

Detection of HBV DNA by PCR in serum from an HBsAg negative blood donor implicated in cases of post-transfusion hepatitis B.

An HBsAg negative blood donor, and three of her recipients, who developed HBsAg positive post-transfusion hepatitis B, were all positive for serum HBV DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and by subtype discriminating PCR were found to harbour HBV specifying ayw. Thus HBV specifying ayw. Thus HBV DNA may be detected and sub-typed by PCR in infectious HBsAg negative individuals.

Base Sequence

Hepatitis B antibodies in HIV-infected homosexual men are associated with more rapid progression to AIDS.

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of previous or present hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on HIV disease progression. DESIGN: A prospective study of HIV-positive individuals from HIV diagnosis to diagnosis of AIDS or to the end of the follow-up period on 1 January 1991. Mean follow-up time was 62 months. SETTING: The study population was recruited from a primary health-care clinic for homosexual men and followed by linkage to the National AIDS Registry. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: Of 876 individuals who were tested for HIV, 80 were HIV-positive and included for study. Two individuals were lost to follow-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences in progression rates to AIDS according to HBV status at study entry. RESULTS: The adjusted relative risk of progression to AIDS for the 48 subjects who were HBV-antibody-positive at study entry was 3.6 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-10.1]. A high frequency of receptive anal intercourse was also associated with more rapid HIV disease progression; adjusted relative risk 2.6 (95% CI, 1.1-5.9). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that presence of HBV antibodies is associated with more rapid HIV-disease progression.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Second-generation anti-HCV tests predict infectivity.

Twenty-four blood donors found positive for the first-generation hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV) test (Ortho EIA-I) and 88 of their recipients over the period from 1972 to 1990 were retrospectively investigated with different first- and second-generation anti-HCV tests. The aim of the study was to identify the infective donors and to evaluate the tests. Seven donors, who probably were infective carriers of HCV, were also second-generation test (EIA-II) positive, compared to only 3 out of 17 noninfective donors. Among the infected recipients, 14 out of 29 (48%) were positive for the second-generation test only. The second-generation test identified the infective donors in our study and was more sensitive than the first-generation test. We therefore recommend that blood donors are screened with EIA-II. Positive test results should be confirmed by the recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA-II), and persons with positive or not conclusive RIBA-II should not be accepted as blood donors.

Blood

[Viral hepatitis and blood transfusion].

Our findings show that hepatitis B-virus was transmitted by blood from two hepatitis B-surface-antigen (HBsAg)-negative but hepatitis B-coreantibody (anti-HBc)-positive donors. Blood donors and recipients were also tested for antibodies against the recently identified hepatitis C-virus (HCV). We found that two anti-HCV-positive donors with no known history of clinical hepatitis were chronic, infective carriers of HCV. The prevalence of anti-HCV in our blood donor population was 0.47% and ALT and anti-HBc testing was of no help for tracing the anti-HCV positives. We recommend that, in addition to HBsAg screening at each donation, donors are tested for anti-HBc and anti-HCV once. Individuals with a history of parenteral virus hepatitis should not be accepted as blood donors.

Blood Donors

Posttransfusion hepatitis B transmitted by blood from a hepatitis B surface antigen-negative hepatitis B virus carrier.

A female blood donor at our institution was implicated in three cases of clinical posttransfusion hepatitis B. She had given blood 25 times in 8 years. Twenty-seven recipients were followed up, and about one-half of those who were still living had serologic markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. The donor was repeatedly negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody, but she had high titers of antibody to hepatitis B core antigen. We conclude that blood from this HBsAg-negative blood donor was capable of transmitting hepatitis B.

Blood Donors

Performance of six different commercial assays to demonstrate antibodies to HIV-2 among immigrants from high-endemic areas.

Four HIV-2 and 8 HIV-1 infections were detected when serum specimens from 422 persons from high-endemic areas were examined with 6 different commercial ELISA tests. 41 specimens showed a positive result in at least one of the assays. 12 of these were confirmed as anti-HIV positive. One of the anti-HIV-2 specimens was negative in the Abbott recombinant HIV-1 test but positive in the ELAVIA II and the 4 HIV-1/HIV-2 combination tests. The 4 HIV-2 positive individuals originated from West Africa.

Africa, Western

The early introduction of HIV infection among Norwegians at highest risk.

Patients with acute hepatitis B and hepatitis non-A non-B-like illness seen between 1981 and 1984 were chosen for the study of the introduction of HIV among persons at highest risk for HIV infection in Norway. HIV was introduced into these risk groups in 1982, but the prevalence of HIV seropositivity increased only slightly during the following 2 years.

HIV Antibodies

HIV and hepatitis B infection in an international cohort of dental hygienists.

The risk for dental hygienists to contract HIV and hepatitis B infection at work was studied in an international cohort of 167 dental hygienists from 13 countries. A significant proportion of the hygienists had taken care of HIV-positive patients or patients known to be at risk for contracting HIV infection. None of the hygienists had antibodies to HIV. Five hygienists who came from or worked in high-endemic areas for hepatitis B infection had antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen, consistent with previous infection with hepatitis B virus. The study is in agreement with previous reports on blood-borne infections among health care workers, concluding that the risk for dental hygienists of contracting HIV and hepatitis B infection is minimal.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

HIV infection in Norwegian haemophiliacs: the prevalence of antibodies against HIV in haemophiliacs treated with lyophilized cryoprecipitate from volunteer donors.

334 of 389 (86%) registered Norwegians with coagulation factor defects were screened for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in 1985/1986. 21 persons were confirmed anti-HIV positive. They were all persons with clinically severe haemophilia A and represent 18.4% of 114 tested persons with severe haemophilia A. 3 patients have developed AIDS, 3 have persistent generalized lymphadenopathy. At least 8 of the 21 seropositive persons (38%) have been infected through lyophilized cryoprecipitates prepared from volunteer plasma donated in national blood banks. None of 10 heterosexual partners have antibodies to HIV. We conclude that the policy of using small-pooled lyophilized cryoprecipitates instead of commercial concentrates has reduced HIV-infection among Norwegian haemophiliacs. Today, the prevalence of HIV antibodies in the haemophilia population in Norway is among the lowest in Western Europe.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Cell-mediated and humoral immune responses to chlamydial and herpesvirus antigens in patients with cervical carcinoma.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Chlamydia trachomatis are both discussed in the etiology of cervical carcinoma. In this study the antibody titers and the T-cell proliferative responses to chlamydial and HSV antigens in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and invasive cervical cancer, have been investigated and compared. The patients with CIN and invasive cancer showed approximately the same degree of immune responses to chlamydial and HSV antigens. Of the patients, 58% showed proliferative T-cell responses to C. trachomatis antigen, 87% to HSV antigens. Chlamydial antibodies were detected in 65% of the patients, while 81% had a positive HSV serology. Our results show a lack of correlation between levels of antibody titer and T-cell responses. It is concluded that patients with CIN and invasive cervical cancer have intact cellular immune responses to both chlamydial and HSV antigens. The eventual role of these infections in the etiology remains unclear.

Adenocarcinoma

Characterization of Chlamydia trachomatis serotypes by human T-lymphocyte clones.

T cells primed to Chlamydia trachomatis serotypes A, F, and K were cloned by limiting dilution. All T-lymphocyte clones obtained reacted only with C. trachomatis antigens. The proliferative capacity of 89 clones was studied with autologous non-T cells as antigen-presenting cells and the chlamydia serotypes A, B, D, F, K, and LGV-2 as antigens. Most of the clones reacted to several of the chlamydia strains, indicating common antigenic determinants. Other T-cell clones reacted with only a few serotypes. On the basis of the proliferation of the T-cell clones to the chlamydia strains and to interleukin-2, different reactivity patterns were obtained, which possibly can be used to differentiate among the chlamydia strains.

Chlamydia trachomatis

An indirect immunofluorescent antibody test for determination of Rubella virus specific IgM antibodies. Elimination of secondary IgM rheumatoid factor staining after absorption of serum IgG with Staphylococcal protein A.

Absorption of sera with protein A rich staphylococci eliminated unwanted secondary IgM staining caused by rheumatoid factors in the indirect immunofluorescence test for rubella virus antibodies. The absorption did not lower the sensitivity for IgM rubella antibodies as compared with the haemagglutination inhibition test on the IgM serum fractions obtained by ultracentrifugation.

Absorption