SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “HEPATITIS, INFECTIONS”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources

PubMed1998

Hepatitis B virus DNA is frequently found in liver biopsy samples from hepatitis C virus-infected chronic hepatitis patients.

Human hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are two major etiologic agents of chronic hepatitis, which is closely related to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A possible involvement of HBV co-infection was investigated in ongoing HCV-related liver diseases in HCV-infected patients. A prevalence of anti-HBc in anti-HCV-positive/HBsAg-negative chronic hepatitis patients and a low copy number of HBV DNA were found in most of the liver biopsy samples of anti-HCV-positive/HBsAg-negative patients. The present data suggest that HBV co-infects frequently with HCV and may play an important role in the development of HCC in the anti-HCV-positive/HBsAg-negative patients with chronic hepatitis.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Treatment of hepatitis C virus and HIV co-infections.

Hepatitis C coinfection is common in patients with HIV, particularly in injection-drug users. Hepatitis C virus levels tend to be higher in coinfected patients, and histologic progression is more rapid than in patients with HCV alone. The efficacy of interferon monotherapy in HIV patients with an adequate CD4 cell count is comparable to that observed in patients without HIV. The combination of interferon plus ribavirin and pegylated interferon will further improve response rates. Interferon therapy is associated with leukopenia and a decrease in absolute CD4 cell count. Some concern remains that ribavirin might reduce the activity of pyrimidine analogues such as zidovudine and stavudine, and HIV-RNA levels should be followed when these medications are given concurrently. It is hoped that in time, new drug development will make the multiple-drug therapeutic strategy that has been highly successful in the management of HIV feasible for the treatment of HCV.

Antiviral Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Hepatitis A infection in chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus.

By routine screening for serologic markers of hepatitis A and B in patients with acute hepatitis, 30 chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus with serologic evidence of acute hepatitis A and two patients with simultaneous acute infection with hepatitis A virus and hepatitis B virus were detected. For evaluation of clinical data, two major risk groups were distinguished. Nine patients were drug addicts and 17 were children and young adults from Mediterranean countries or southeast Asia. During the acute phase of illness, serum bilirubin and SGPT levels did not differ from those in other patients with acute hepatitis A. In three patients for whom follow-up sera were available, HBsAg concentration decreased during the acute stage of hepatitis A.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

HLA and hepatitis B infection.

The mechanism underlying the development of chronic infection with hepatitis B virus is not known. We have done two independent studies in Qatar, where such infection is common, to determine whether immunity to this virus is influenced by the HLA phenotype of an individual. The first study generated a hypothesis to test in the second. In both studies, there was a significant deficiency of HLA-DR2 and an excess of HLA-DR7 in patients with chronic persistent infection with hepatitis B virus. We conclude that HLA phenotype is one of the factors influencing the response to infection with this virus.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

[Epidemiology of intra-marital infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) among the patients hospitalized in the infectious disease clinics in the Białystok region 1988-1990].

Viral hepatitis B infection is worldwide epidemiological and clinical problem with same prophylactic difficulties concerned first of all married patients. The infection routes could be parenteral or homo/heterosexual contact. During 1988-1990 from hospitalized viral hepatitis B all patients (394), married patients was found 9% (34) persons with epidemiological documented viral hepatitis B infection, from his/her sexual married partner.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Effect of hepatitis G virus infection on chronic hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the effect of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection on chronic hepatitis C. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University hospital in Matsumoto, Japan. PATIENTS: 189 randomly selected patients with histologically proven chronic hepatitis C, including 101 patients receiving interferon-alpha. MEASUREMENTS: Serum levels of HGV RNA were measured by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Clinical features, including liver histologic findings, hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers, and response of HCV to interferon-alpha were compared between HGV RNA-positive and HGV RNA-negative patients. RESULTS: 21 of 189 (11%) patients with chronic hepatitis C were positive for HGV RNA. On average, patients with HGV RNA were younger than those without HGV RNA (mean age +/- SD, 46.6 +/- 13.0 years and 51.7 +/- 10.7 years, respectively); other demographic and clinical features were similar. The HCV genotype and HCV RNA level were distributed similarly between patients with and those without HGV infection. Ten of 101 patients with chronic hepatitis C who received interferon-alpha were positive for HGV RNA. The rate of sustained HCV response to interferon-alpha in patients with HGV infection (30%) was similar to that in patients without HGV infection (36%). The HGV RNA level decreased during therapy in all 9 patients in whom this value was measured. However, only 2 of these patients had a sustained HGV response after discontinuation of therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who only had HCV infection did not differ from patients with HCV and HGV co-infection in clinical presentation, HCV RNA level, or response of HCV to interferon-alpha therapy. Thus, HGV infection had no apparent influence on the clinical or virologic course of HCV infection. Hepatitis G virus was uniformly sensitive to interferon-alpha therapy, but only a few patients had a sustained virologic response.

Antiviral Agents↗

PubMed2002

Correlation of histology, viral load, and in situ viral detection in hepatic biopsies from patients with liver transplants secondary to hepatitis C infection.

The diagnosis of hepatitis C infection in the setting of liver transplantation in based on several variables, including histopathologic changes and the presence of viral RNA in the serum. It may be difficult to differentiate acute rejection from recurrent viral hepatitis in liver biopsies from patients who received liver transplants for end-stage hepatitis C infection. The purpose of this study was to analyzed the histologic features, viral load, and in situ viral detection in 37 biopsies taken from 25 people who underwent liver transplant for end-stage hepatitis C infection. Hepatitis C antigen was detected in 9 of 37 (24%) biopsies using immunohistochemistry; the detection rate increased to 19 of 37 (51%) using reverse transcriptase in situ polymerase chain reaction for viral cDNA. Hepatitis E cDNA was detected in 4 of 37 (11%) cases, hepatitis G cDNA in 3 of 37 (8%) cases and in 1 case cytomegalovirus was noted; with several cases of dual infection, 22 of 37 (59%) of tissues were positive for at least 1 virus. Histologic parameters that significantly correlated with in situ viral detection included single-cell hepatocyte necrosis (P = 0.02), bile duct damage (P = 0.03), lymphoid aggregates (P = 0.02), and cholestasis (P = 0.01). Further, a serum viral load exceeding 1,250,000 viral equivalents/ml was strongly correlated with in situ viral detection in the liver (P = 0.01). We conclude that certain histologic features and an increased viral load are highly correlated with the in situ detection of viral RNA in the liver, which is consistent with recurrent viral infection.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Factors affecting the prevalence of infection with hepatitis B virus among non-pregnant women in the Alexishafen area of Papua New Guinea.

The prevalence of hepatitis B viral markers was studied in 673 women of childbearing age in 17 villages (12 indigenous and five plantation villages) on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. Some 7.9% of women were HBsAg positive and 41.3% were positive for anti-HBs. There was significant variation in prevalence between villages, ranging from 0 to 13.9% for HBsAg and 26.0 to 71.0% for all markers. The 12 indigenous villages were classified into three groups according to language (Austronesian or non-Austronesian), location (inland or coastal), and marriage patterns. The prevalence of hepatitis B was significantly higher in Austronesian than in non-Austronesian villages (P less than 0.01), and it remained significant after controlling for age differences and for possible effects on prevalence caused by women marrying into the three village groups from other areas. Interactions between malaria and hepatitis B were also investigated. Non-Austronesian villages with the highest spleen rates had the lowest prevalence of hepatitis B infection, and there was no correlation with parasitaemia. These results may reflect a lower exposure of women to hepatitis B infection in non-Austronesian villages, or may indicate different genetic or immunological responses to infection between Austronesians and non-Austronesians.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Safety and antiviral activity of emtricitabine (FTC) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection: a two-year study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate long term safety and antiviral activity of different doses of emtricitabine given once daily to patients chronically infected with hepatitis B. METHODS: Eligible patients were randomized in a double-blind, parallel study to evaluate 25, 100 or 200 mg once daily doses of emtricitabine for 48 weeks. Patients were then followed for an additional 48 weeks on open-label 200 mg emtricitabine. Serum HBV DNA, ALT, and hepatitis B serology were measured at regular intervals over the 2 years. Resistance surveillance was performed after 1 and 2 years on viremic samples, i.e. > 4700 copies/mL. RESULTS: Emtricitabine was well tolerated and produced a dose proportional antiviral response. After 2 years, 53% of the patients had serum HBV DNA < or = 4700 copies/mL, 33% seroconverted to anti-HBe and 85% had normal ALT. Eighteen percent of the patients who had received 200 mg emtricitabine for 2 years developed resistance mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Emtricitabine was well tolerated and demonstrated a potent antiviral response for up to 2 years in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. Based on these data, 200 mg emtricitabine once daily was chosen as the optimal dose for future hepatitis B studies.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Prevention of hepatitis A infections: guidelines for use of hepatitis A vaccine and immune globulin. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases.

The licensing of two inactivated hepatitis A vaccines for persons 2 years or older necessitates development of recommendations for pediatric use, as well as a review of the current indications for immune globulin (IG) in hepatitis A prophylaxis. Both vaccines are immunogenic and protective in children and adults. A single dose of vaccine induced antibody in 88% to 96% of subjects by 2 weeks and 97% to 100% by 1 month, and protected against subsequent hepatitis A virus (HAV) disease occurring 21 days after receipt of the dose in a community with endemic hepatitis A infection. However, completion of the full vaccine schedule is recommended to assure high antibody titers and likely long-term protection. The major pediatric indications for vaccine are: (1) travelers to areas with intermediate to high rates of endemic hepatitis A, (2) children living in defined and circumscribed communities with high endemic rates or periodic outbreaks of HAV infection, and (3) patients with chronic liver disease. Immune globulin is recommended for postexposure prophylaxis, as vaccine has not yet been demonstrated to be protective for this purpose. Except for travelers, recommendations for IG use are not changed from those in the current edition of the Red Book, and include contacts of cases in the home, child care centers, and other selected sites.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

The natural history of childhood-acquired hepatitis C infection in patients with inherited bleeding disorders.

BACKGROUND: Although many patients with inherited bleeding disorders have been infected with hepatitis C in early childhood, the natural history of infection in this patient group remains poorly defined. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 212 patients with inherited bleeding disorders born between 1976 and 1992 were evaluated for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, spontaneous clearance, and (by noninvasive tests) progressive liver disease. RESULTS: A total of 120 of 212 patients had been exposed to non-HCV-inactivated clotting products, and 68 of these 120 patients (57%) were anti-HCV-positive. Of these patients, 44 (65%) had chronic hepatitis C (HCV RNA-positive) and 24 (35%) showed spontaneous clearance (HCV RNA-negative). Five patients with hepatitis C were coinfected with hepatitis B virus and/or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Multivariate analysis indicated that hepatitis C infection was independently associated with longer treatment period (odds ratio [OR], 1.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-1.9) and exposure to a larger number of donors (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1-3.9). Spontaneous HCV clearance was associated with a younger age at first exposure to clotting product (p = 0.02). After a mean infection period of 21 years, evidence of cirrhosis was present in 2 patients (5%), both of whom were coinfected with HIV. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous HCV clearance is associated with young age at infection. Despite frequent childhood-acquired hepatitis C infection among patients with inherited bleeding disorders, progression to cirrhosis after 21 years of infection is rare. The diagnosis of cirrhosis without biopsy, however, remains challenging in this population, and new, noninvasive means must be developed to accurately identify cirrhotic patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Individuals with antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen as the only serological marker for hepatitis B infection: high percentage of carriers of hepatitis B and C virus.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several reports have unequivocally demonstrated that some individuals with antibodies against hepatitis B core antigen as the only serological marker for hepatitis B infection are chronic carriers of the hepatitis B virus. Nevertheless, conflicting data exist about the frequency of this phenomenon; its cause is unknown. METHODS: In a prospective study we tested individuals who were positive for anti-HBc alone for HBV-DNA as well as for coexisting infections with human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus. RESULTS: Using polymerase chain reaction with primer pairs from three different regions of the hepatitis B virus genome, we found 54 of 164 individuals (32.9%) with anti-HBc alone to be positive for hepatitis B virus, the majority of them showing very low hepatitis B virus concentrations. 14.3% were human immunodeficiency virus positive; half of them were also hepatitis B virus carriers. Surprisingly, 62 of 153 participants (40.5%) in this study showed antibodies against hepatitis C virus, and about two thirds of the latter were also positive for HCV-RNA. This finding could be confirmed by a retrospective analysis of all people tested for hepatitis B virus markers and anti-HCV in our institution during the 2 years before the prospective study was begun. Again, a high correlation was found between the presence of anti-HCV and anti-HBc alone: 49.2% of individuals with anti-HBc only were anti-HCV positive also, compared to 26.8% of HBsAg carriers and only 10% of individuals showing the serological pattern of past hepatitis B. CONCLUSIONS: Thus our study of individuals positive for anti-HBc alone revealed a high number of carriers of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus among them; furthermore, we found some evidence that hepatitis C virus infection may favour this unusual hepatitis B virus marker pattern.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Hepatitis C infection among drug users in northern Thailand.

Illicit drug users are commonly infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We evaluated the prevalence, incidence, and risk behaviors associated with HCV infection in 1,859 drug users in northern Thailand. The HCV prevalence was 27.3%: 86.0% among drug injectors (IDUs) and 5.3% among those who did not inject. Sexual behavior was not significantly associated with HCV among IDUs or drug users who used but didn't inject illicit drugs; only injection behaviors were independently associated with HCV in multivariate analysis. Among men, a history and increasing frequency of injecting drugs, older age, and a history of incarceration were associated with HCV infection. Among 514 opiate users who were HCV and HIV seronegative at baseline, 41 incident HCV infections and 6 HIV infections occurred on follow-up; the HCV incidence was 5.43/100 person-years; it was 44.3/100 person-years in IDUs and 1.9/100 person-years in non-injectors. HCV and HIV among drug users in Thailand are common and primarily associated with injection behavior.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Childhood infection with hepatitis A and B viruses in England and Wales.

Infection with hepatitis B and A viruses during childhood was studied using serum specimens collected from children aged 13 and 14 years by 12 public health laboratories in England and Wales from 1986 to 1995. Six of the 2025 specimens tested for markers of hepatitis B infection showed evidence of earlier resolved infection, one specimen showed evidence of recent infection, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was detected in three specimens. The HBsAg carriage rate of 0.15% (3/2025) was consistent with that expected from vertical transmission before the introduction of antenatal screening and neonatal hepatitis B vaccination, for which the children in our study would not have been eligible. Five of the six children with earlier resolved hepatitis B infection also showed evidence of hepatitis A infection, whose coexistence raises the possibility that both infections were acquired abroad in areas of high endemicity. At present, by adolescence, about one in 200 children has at some time been infected with hepatitis B virus. The current practice of screening pregnant women for HBsAg and selectively vaccinating neonates at high risk of acquiring hepatitis B infection may reduce this rate in the future. Immunisation of all infants against hepatitis B would prevent very few more childhood infections than the current policy. The incidence of hepatitis A infection has fallen in the past decade, suggesting the potential for an epidemic resurgence in the future as more of the population becomes susceptible. The average annual incidence of hepatitis A infection in children aged 0 to 14 years from 1986 to 1995 was 800 per 100 000, fifty times higher than the reported incidence of laboratory confirmed disease in this age group. Most hepatitis A infections in this age group are therefore likely to be subclinical or very mild.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

[Pre S2: a marker for chronicity and/or liver damage in hepatitis B infection?].

Pre S2 was investigated using a monoclonal ELISA in 100 samples from 52 patients with different forms of infection with Hepatitis B virus. Pre S2 was present in 18 of 19 patients with acute hepatitis. Its persistence for more than 150 days after beginning of symptoms was associated to a chronic hepatitis state. It was also present in 11 patients with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, 15 asymptomatic Hepatitis B carriers and 3 of 4 patients with hepatic carcinoma. Pre S2 became negative in only 1 of 3 patients treated with interferon who had a positive response according to HBe and HBs antigens. Thus, Pre S2 is present in patients with evidence of viral replication. It is more a marker of persistent Hepatitis B infection than of chronic liver damage.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2003

Regular sources of medical care among persons with severe mental illness at risk of hepatitis C infection.

OBJECTIVE: An estimated 19.6 percent of persons with severe mental illness are infected with the hepatitis C virus. Given the pressing need to identify and treat persons with severe mental illness who are at risk of hepatitis C infection and transmission, the authors sought to estimate the proportion of hepatitis C-positive and -negative persons with severe mental illness who have a regular source of medical care. METHOD: S: Data for this study were obtained from 777 adults with severe mental illness at four diverse geographic sites at which respondents with severe mental illness participated in a structured interview and laboratory testing for HIV infection, AIDS, hepatitis B infection, and hepatitis C infection. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, 54.2 percent of hepatitis C-positive and 62.5 percent of hepatitis C-negative study participants with severe mental illness had a regular source of medical care. In multivariate analyses in which potential confounders were statistically controlled for, hepatitis C-positive persons with severe mental illness were less than half as likely as hepatitis C-negative persons to have a regular source of care. Being older, married, insured, or employed or having self-reported health problems increased the likelihood of receiving care. Being black or male or living in a community with high exposure to community violence lowered those odds. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need to improve access to medical care for persons with severe mental illness, especially those who may be at high risk of or are already infected with the hepatitis C virus.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Liver histology and alanine aminotransferase levels in children and adults with chronic hepatitis C infection.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hepatitis C is often a mild disease in children, but whether this is related to younger age or shorter duration of infection is unclear. Histologic severity has been shown to correlate with duration of infection regardless of age. OBJECTIVES: We compared histologic findings in children and adults with chronic hepatitis C while controlling for sex, duration of infection, hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA level, and genotype. METHODS: Twenty-one children and 52 adults whose infection was less than 20 years in duration and who had undergone a liver biopsy were included. Two blinded liver pathologists reviewed the liver biopsies and scored inflammatory activity and fibrosis using the modified Knodell scoring system. RESULTS: The groups were the same with respect to HCV-RNA level (P=0.8), and genotype (P=0.6) but differed in duration of disease (P=0.01) and sex composition (P=0.005). Covariate analysis showed no influence of genotype, duration of infection, or HCV-RNA level on outcome. In controlling for sex, children had significantly milder liver disease and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations. CONCLUSIONS: With equal duration of infection, HCV-RNA level, and genotype, children have lower serum ALT levels and less severe liver disease than adults infected with HCV.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Factors affecting the decision of nursing students in Taiwan to be vaccinated against hepatitis B infection.

Compliance with Hepatitis B vaccination for nurses has been reported to be low in Taiwan. Therefore, a study of nursing students' view was conducted in Taiwan to discover possible reasons. As complex decision-making was involved in taking the vaccine, a four-level utility decision model underpinned by the Multi-Attribute Utility theory was proposed to ascertain the relative contribution of the specific components of attitude and beliefs to the final decision and experience of being vaccinated against Hepatitis B infection. Results indicated that the 'personal value of Hepatitis B vaccination', in particular for 'concern about the efficacy of the Hepatitis B vaccine', 'fear of pain from repeated injections', 'time' and 'money', were the main determinants in relation to the uptake of the Hepatitis B vaccination. Such results were consistent with earlier findings based on the Health Belief Model. It appears that the greater the experience gained in nursing care the lower the rate of vaccination; the important items under the concept of 'Personal value of Hepatitis B vaccination' varied by 'experience in nursing care'. The overall predictive validity was 67%, based on the utility decision model. When stratified by 'experience in nursing care', the prediction improved, ranging from 89% to 100%. Based on these findings, a specific intervention programme should be provided to change behaviour and improve the vaccination rate.

Analysis of Variance↗