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Biomedical subjects

V Thiers

Publications and source records attributed to V Thiers.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Reinfection of liver graft by hepatitis C virus after liver transplantation.

We have investigated hepatitis C virus (HCV) viremia before and after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). 38 patients were examined; 16 were anti-HCV positive and 22 anti-HCV negative pre-OLT in a RIBA-2 test (Ortho Diagnostic Systems Inc., Westwood, MA). HCV-RNA was detected using a modified nested polymerase chain reaction in 14/38 and 10/38 patients before and after OLT, respectively. 7 of these 14 subjects who were HCV-RNA positive before OLT were also positive for serum hepatitis B surface antigen. After OLT, six patients became HCV-RNA positive, likely as a result of transfusions, while four developed a probable recurrence of HCV infection. Infection of the liver graft by the same strain of HCV was indeed demonstrated by sequence analysis of a hypervariable domain (in the envelope region) in two cases. This establishes the possibility of HCV recurrence and shows the usefulness of polymerase chain reaction as the only assay currently capable of identifying HCV infection after OLT.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Hepatitis C virus and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

We report two cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis associated with chronic active hepatitis C virus (HCV). Our data suggest that HCV infection might be involved in this autoimmune disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

An automatic modified polymerase chain reaction procedure for hepatitis B virus DNA detection.

In order to perform an efficient and reproducible diagnostic test for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sixteen primer couples specific for the HBV genome were selected. Primers 15-31 nucleotides in length containing between 31-73% GC permitted amplification of fragments corresponding to the whole HBV genome. The specificity and efficiency of PCR amplification were studied in detail using DNA extracted from either a viral particle preparation or from the liver of a patient with chronic active hepatitis. Three primer couples in the X, C and PreS regions, i.e. MD24/MD26, MD27/MD31 and MD19/MD18, respectively, gave satisfactory results and performed efficiently under highly stringent hybridization conditions. A modified PCR procedure was then developed using only two thermal steps with a temperature shift of 16 degrees C. This simple method was as efficient as conventional PCR and permitted detection of a single HBV DNA molecule with the X region specific primer couple. The automatization of this PCR-based procedure permitted 40 amplification cycles in 105 min.

Autoanalysis↗
PubMed1989

Hepatocellular carcinoma with normal adjacent liver. Hepatitis B virus DNA status.

We investigated hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA status in the liver of 22 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developed on a non-cirrhotic, histologically normal liver tissue. HBV serological markers were present in 2 of the 22 subjects. HBV DNA sequences were identified in the liver of only 5 of the 22 patients with HCC. Evidence for clonal expansion of HBV-infected cells was found for one HBsAg-positive subject. This study indicates a much lower rate of HBV DNA positivity in the group of HCC developed on histologically normal livers as compared to that observed in HCC with liver cirrhosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Comparison of a non-radioactive hybridization assay for detection of hepatitis B virus DNA with the radioactive method.

Biotin and 32P-labelled HBV probes were compared in 150 sera analysed with a spot hybridization test. In 144 cases (96%) results were concordant. The non-isotopic procedure was therefore not only simple and rapid to perform, but also sensitive and specific. Since it overcame the problems associated with 32P, it allowed more diagnostic applications of HBV-DNA determination in serum.

Biotin↗
PubMed1989

[Prevalence of HBs antigen carriers and markers of B virus replication in a population of pregnant women, in France].

To assess the risk of perinatal B virus transmission in a population of French and immigrant women, 1,923 women were tested for HBs antigen and serological markers of B virus replication, i. e. HBe antigen and HBV DNA, during the last trimester of their pregnancy. The patients included in this study were French (n = 1,295 (67.3 per cent] and immigrant women (n = 628 (32.7 per cent] attending consultation in four public Parisian suburb hospitals. The immigrant population was composed of natives of the Mediterranean area or Portugal (64 per cent), West Africa (23 per cent), and South-East Asia (13 per cent). Serum HBsAg was tested by conventional radioimmunoassay. When present, HBeAg and antiHBe were tested by radioimmunoassay, and HBV DNA by the hybridization procedure. The overall HBsAg prevalence was 1.56 per cent. This high prevalence was in part explained by the large proportion of immigrants in whom it varied from 0.8 to 7.5 per cent according to their origin. Prevalence was 0.85 per cent in French women, higher than that usually admitted in France. Serological markers of viral replication (HBeAg and/or HBV-DNA) were more often present in the immigrants (4 out of 19) than in the French women (1 out of 11). Discrepancies between HBe status and HBV DNA were present in 4 out of the 30 HBs antigen positive women. Due to the possible high prevalence of HBV carriage in pregnant women, routine antenatal HBs antigen screening should be recommended in France. Such screening, associated with immunoprophylaxis of newborns at risk of contamination, can help in the prevention of perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Transmission of hepatitis B from hepatitis-B-seronegative subjects.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to identify and characterise serum HBV DNA sequences in 3 patients negative for all HBV serological markers. HBsAg determinants were detected in 1 individual by monoclonal anti-HBsAg immunoradiometric assay. By use of sets of primers on the S and pre-S parts of the HBV genome the presence of HBV DNA was demonstrated in the serum of all 3 patients. Inoculation of human sera to 2 chimpanzees induced acute hepatitis in both animals; 1 became positive for HBsAg and anti-HBcAg and the other only for anti-HBsAg. Cloning of DNA sequences from viral isolates from 1 chimpanzee and 1 patient was accomplished after amplification of the 3' region of the S gene. Comparison of the partial nucleotide sequence with that of known HBV subtypes showed 0 and 1 point mutation, respectively, in the highly conserved 3' end of the S gene. Therefore the results show that PCR with HBV primers may unambigously identify HBV infectious particles among non-A, non-B viruses and is a potentially useful diagnostic test for detection of HBV DNA sequences in serum.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Hepatitis B core antigen in serum during acute hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B core antigen was measured in sera of patients with acute and chronic hepatitis B virus infection by a modified radioimmunoassay based on high molarity treatment of samples to avoid masking of antigen by homologous antibody. A good correlation between hepatitis B core antigen levels and serum HBV-DNA was observed in sera obtained during chronic infection. In contrast, acute phase sera were often HBcAg positive but HBV-DNA negative, particularly when obtained during maximum liver damage. Sequential studies in 5 patients with acute hepatitis B showed that HBcAg positivity persisted beside HBV-DNA clearance and was often enhanced at the time of maximum liver damage, suggesting release of antigen from infected hepatocytes undergoing immunolysis, even after termination of virus replication.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

Rearrangement of a common cellular DNA domain on chromosome 4 in human primary liver tumors.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration has been shown to occur frequently in human hepatocellular carcinomas. We have investigated whether common cellular DNA domains might be rearranged, possibly by HBV integration, in human primary liver tumors. Unique cellular DNA sequences adjacent to an HBV integration site were isolated from a patient with hepatitis B surface antigen-positive hepatocellular carcinoma. These probes detected rearrangement of this cellular region of chromosomal DNA in 3 of 50 additional primary liver tumors studied. Of these three tumor samples, two contained HBV DNA, without an apparent link between the viral DNA and the rearranged allele; HBV DNA sequences were not detected in the third tumor sample. By use of a panel of somatic cell hybrids, these unique cellular DNA sequences were shown to be located on chromosome 4. Therefore, this region of chromosomal DNA might be implicated in the formation of different tumors at one step of liver cell transformation, possibly related to HBV integration.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1987

Non-radioactive hepatitis B virus DNA probe for detection of HBV-DNA in serum.

A diagnostic test has been developed to detect hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in human sera. This test involves a dot-blot technique in which non-radioactive nucleic acid labelled with 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) is used as probe. Two series of human sera from 228 blood donors and 113 HBsAg chronic carriers were tested by hybridization with the same DNA probe labelled either with AAF or with 32P. A correlation between the techniques was observed for 328 sera (96%), and using the non-radioactive test it was possible to detect 56 (86%) of the 65 HBV-DNA-positive patients. A comparative study of the HBeAg/anti-HBe status and the presence of HBV-DNA was carried out on the sera from 113 HBsAg chronic carriers, 65 of which were positive for HBeAg and 29 of which were positive for anti-HBe antibodies. With the AAF test, 44 of the HBeAg-positive sera were positive, while 5 of the anti-HBe-positive sera were positive. This study shows that, although this non-radioactive test is slightly less sensitive than the radioactive hybridization assay (RHA), it can be used for a survey of HBV carriers. Dissociation of the viral multiplication and the HBe/anti-HBe status was identified with the AAF test as well as with the RHA. It would therefore appear that the AAF test described here may be used for the extensive survey of HBV multiplication.

2-Acetylaminofluorene↗
PubMed1987

Sequences of hepatitis B virus DNA in the serum and liver of patients with acute benign and fulminant hepatitis.

We investigated hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in liver samples from 22 patients with acute benign hepatitis (AH) and 26 with acute fulminant hepatitis (FH) and compared the results with those obtained by detection of serum HBV DNA and HBV serological markers. Free HBV DNA forms were detected in 11 patients with AH and one with FH, a reflection of active HBV DNA replication in three patients and the end of viral multiplication in nine. Free monomeric HBV DNA was present in three patients with AH and six with FH, and free oligomers were identified in three patients with AH. Results from two patients with AH and seven with FH suggested the presence of dimeric or multimeric HBV DNA. Thus, the various forms of HBV DNA previously described in chronic HBV carriers may be observed at the acute stage of the viral infection. After comparing serological and hybridization data, we found that nine of 19 patients (one with AH and eight with FH) lacking serum HBV surface antigen might have had acute hepatitis related to infection with HBV or HBV variants.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1987

Monoclonal anti-HBs antibodies radioimmunoassay and serum HBV-DNA hybridization as diagnostic tools of HBV infection: relative prevalence among HBsAg-negative alcoholics, patients with chronic hepatitis or hepatocellular carcinomas and blood donors.

Anti-HBs monoclonal antibodies radioimmunoassay (m-RIA) and HBV-DNA hybridization techniques were used to detect HBs antigen (HBsAg)--associated determinants (evidence of HBV on-going infection) and HBV-DNA sequences (evidence of viral multiplication) in the serum samples of 479 patients who were HBsAg negative by standard solid-phase radioimmunoassay. They included 128 alcoholics, 104 patients with chronic hepatitis, fifty-four with an hepatocellular carcinoma, 100 with coagulation disorders and ninety-three blood donors. The aim of this study was the comparison in these populations of the prevalence of the various HBV markers. m-RIA detected HBsAg-associated determinants in 1% of blood donors, 3% of coagulation disorders, 3.1% of the alcoholics, 21.1% of chronic hepatitis and 16.6% of hepatocellular carcinoma; hybridization identified HBV-DNA sequences in 0.9%, 2.2%, 10.9%, 9.6% and 5.5% of these cases, respectively. The combined prevalence of both markers of an on-going HBV infection (with or without viral multiplication) was 14.16%, 26.9% and 22.2% in the latter groups, respectively, as compared with only 3% in patients with coagulation disorders and 2.1% of blood donors. These results confirm the frequency of HBV or HBV-related virus infection in alcoholics, in chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinomas, despite the absence of HBsAg by standard RIA (or even of any other usual marker); this gives further evidence for variations in the expression of HBV infection. A high and quite similar prevalence of usual serum markers and hybridization results was observed in the alcoholics and in the patients with chronic hepatitis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[High prevalence of infection by hepatitis B virus and HIV in incarcerated French drug addicts].

This clinical and biological study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of infection by HIV, HBV and HDV in male drug abusers entering a prison. One hundred and thirteen drug users accepted to be tested: 14 (12 p. 100) were homosexual; 12 (11 p. 100) consumed more than 80 g per day of alcohol. The mean duration of drug addiction was 5 +/- 2.9 years; 50 (44 p. 100) declared having used a personal syringe while 63 (56 p. 100) usually shared their syringe. Serum activity of transaminases higher than twice the normal value was noted in 36 cases (32 p. 100). One hundred and two (90 p. 100) drug abusers had a HBV marker, 17 (15 p. 100) were HBs Ag carriers, 9 had anti-HBc antibody alone. The prevalence of antibodies to the HDV was 23 p. 100 and was higher among the HBs Ag carriers (65 p. 100). There were no cases of AIDS. Clinical examination showed lymphadenopathy in 49 cases (43 p. 100), a weight loss of more than 10 p. 100 in 47 cases (42 p. 100), and in 69 cases (61 p. 100), HIV positive serology, confirmed by Western blot. The duration of drug addiction was longer in the 102 drug users with HBV markers. Long duration of drug abuse and the use of a shared syringe increased the risk of HIV infection. No relation was noted between the presence of HBV markers and HIV positive serology. In this population the prevalence of HIV, HDV markers and HIV infection was high, but no relation with the duration of previous incarceration or homosexuality was found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1986

[Hepatitis B virus DNA as a marker of viral multiplication: comparison with HBe antigen and anti-HBe antibody].

We have used D A-DNA hybridization techniques with a spot test procedure for the detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in the serum of 156 HBsAg positive patients with chronic active hepatitis and 75 asymptomatic chronic carriers of the virus. The results were compared with those of HBeAg and anti HBe tests. HBV DNA was detected in the serum of 107 of the 132 (81%) HBeAg positive and 6 of the 24 (25%) anti HBe positive patients with chronic hepatitis. A semi-quantitative estimation of the amount of viral particles showed a marked heterogeneity among the positive sera. HBV DNA was not detected in the serum of 25 patients despite HBeAg positivity: serial samples were available for 13 of these subjects and HBe became undetectable in 9 cases after 6 to 12 months. Among the 75 anti HBe positives asymptomatic carriers HBV DNA was detected in 3 (4%). It appears that HBV DNA detection in the serum is a much more sensitive and direct assay for HBV multiplication than the HBeAg and anti HBe tests.

Carrier State↗
PubMed1986

Identification and transmission of hepatitis B virus-related variants.

We have identified long-incubation viral agents that share epitopes with hepatitis B virus (HBV). During chimpanzee infectivity studies, these agents may be recognized in the liver since they possess complementary nucleic acid sequences with HBV DNA; the genomic size was found to be 3.2 kilobases, identical to that of HBV. Liver injury was produced and there was antigen expression in hepatocytes. Chimpanzees were not protected by prior immunization with hepatitis B surface antigen; conversely, they were still susceptible to HBV after recovery from infection with such agents. These findings suggest that these hepatitis B virus-related variants appear to be immunologically distinct from HBV.

Animals↗