Three cases of women with chronic liver inflammation caused by hepatitis B (two) and C (one) viral infections, were followed up to twelve years after diagnosis. As conventional therapy was ineffective and the patients progressed into decompensated liver disease, they were superinfected with massive doses of an attenuated variant (MTH-68/B) of the apathogenic avian Bursal Disease virus (a double-stranded RNA virus from the Birnaviridae family). Clinical symptoms and biochemical abnormalities were resolved in two patients following few months of virus treatment. Cirrhosis was stabilized and significant clinical improvement was achieved in the third patient--who before the virus therapy was moribund with recurring, diuretic-resistant ascites, variceal bleedings, portal encephalopathy and renal failure. To our knowledge, these are the first recorded cases of decompensated chronic viral hepatitis which went to long-lasting remission or were stabilized by superinfection with an apathogenic virus.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Surface markers and functional characteristics of human blood lymphocytes residing in the operational "null" subset.

After removal of nylon wool-adherent B and E rosetting T cells from the human blood lymphocyte population, a small fraction remains, often denoted as "null" subset. This fraction contains lymphocytes which are highly efficient in antibody-dependent and non-selective lymphocyte cytotoxicity. These cells possess markers. About half of them carry Fc receptors, and the majority has low avidity E and C3 receptors. Removal of low avidity E receptor-carrying cells did not abolish cytotoxicity to K-562 cells. The majority of cells carry receptors for Epstein-Barr virus but cannot be infected. The cells in mixed lymphocyte culture have a low reactivity. They aare stimulated by PHA and ConA to a similar extent and differ from the cells which readily sediment as E rosettes: these respond stronger to PHA. The "null" fraction may contain stem cells common for both T and B lineages.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Preliminary report of a controlled trial of MTH-68/B virus vaccine treatment in acute B and C hepatitis: a phase II study.

Eighty four patients with viral hepatitis attributed to infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) (n = 43) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) (n = 41) were included in this study employing the MTH-68/B vaccine, an attenuated variant of Bursal Disease Virus. Twenty of the 43 patients in the HBV group, and 22 of the 41 HCV patients were treated with MTH-68/B. The remaining patients received conventional therapy. Significantly more patients progressed into active chronic hepatitis on conventional therapy (13% of HBV and 26% of HCV cases respectively) than in the vaccine treated groups (0% and 9%). Relapses occurred less frequently in the vaccine treated groups (5% of HBV and 32% of HCV) than in the control groups (9% and 79%), while remissions within one month of treatment were observed more often in the vaccine treated groups (both 50% respectively) than in the control groups (26% of HBV and 21% of HCV patients respectively). The duration of hepatitis was also considerably shortened by MTH-68/B treatment in both HBV (from 7.5 +/- 3.7 to 5.9 +/- 3.0 weeks) and HCV patient groups (from 8.9 +/- 7.4 to 5.3 +/- 4.4 weeks). The data presented suggest that attenuated, non-pathogenic viruses may be of significant benefit for patients with viral hepatitis B and C infections.

Acute Disease↗