Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.6.1.2 (alanine aminotransferase)
 26,722 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The relationship between alcoholic liver disease and hepatitis C virus was studied in 80 patients by searching for hepatitis C virus RNA with the polymerase chain reaction and by measuring hepatitis C virus antibodies. By C-100 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, hepatitis C virus antibodies were found in 2 of 10 patients with fibrosteatosis, 8 of 20 patients with alcoholic hepatitis, 14 of 19 patients with chronic hepatitis and 19 of 31 patients with cirrhosis. Percentages of patients with antibodies found by C-100 radioimmunoassay and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on sequence peptide 42 were lower; of the 16 patients with a low titer by C-100 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, 10 were negative by radioimmunoassay and 6 were negative by sequence peptide 42. By a second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay, hepatitis C virus antibodies were found in 1 of 10 patients with fibrosteatosis, 2 of 20 patients with alcoholic hepatitis, 15 of 19 patients with chronic hepatitis and 18 of 31 patients with cirrhosis. Hepatitis C virus RNA was found in 1 of 10 patients with fibrosteatosis, 3 of 20 patients with alcoholic hepatitis, 13 of 19 patients with chronic hepatitis and 20 of 31 patients with cirrhosis. Of the 37 patients with hepatitis C virus RNA, 31 had antibodies by C-100 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (25 patients at a high titer [cut-off index greater than 6]), and 31 had antibodies by second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay. Patients with cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus RNA had higher ALT activity than such patients without hepatitis C virus RNA (p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:Detection of hepatitis C virus antibodies and hepatitis C virus RNA in patients with alcoholic liver disease. 166 25

The recent cloning of the genome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) has allowed the detection of antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV) in human serum. The presence of serum antibodies to HCV often indicates active infection with HCV. We have assessed the serological and histological features in a group of alcoholic patients with chronic liver disease and have evaluated the possible etiologic role of HCV infection in the development of liver damage. Serum samples and liver biopsy specimens were obtained from 41 consecutive patients, all having a definite history of alcohol abuse and evidence of chronic hypertransaminasemia. Fifteen patients (37%) were positive for anti-HCV by ELISA, and 13 (86.6%) of them were also positive by RIBA. Eleven of these patients had histologic features of chronic active hepatitis (CAH), a lesion which is not known to be induced by excessive alcohol intake. No other possible causes of CAH were found, and CAH was not present in any of the anti-HCV negative patients. In patients with CAH, mean AST to ALT ratio was less than 1 (0.6), a finding which is characteristic of viral rather than alcoholic chronic liver disease. In conclusion, our study suggests that sporadic hepatitis C virus infection plays an etiologic role in the development of chronic active liver disease in a subgroup of alcoholic patients.
 ...
PMID:Serological and histological aspects of hepatitis C virus infection in alcoholic patients. 166 17

In order to evaluate the seroprevalence of anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), where a high prevalence of false-positive anti-HCV reactions is reported, we studied 79 patients affected with RA. In these subjects we recorded some clinical and anamnestic data (history of blood transfusion, risk factors of liver disease, therapy) and determined, besides a few routine laboratory parameters including rheumatoid factor (RF), AST and ALT, the anti-HCV serology using the 1st (EIA, Ortho and Abbott; Neutralization test, Abbott; RIBA, Chiron-Ortho) and the 2nd generation tests (EIA, Ortho; RIBA, Chiron-Ortho). Four patients (of whom three were RF seronegative) were anti-HCV reactive by the 1st generation EIA tests (5.1%). According to the results of the confirmatory tests, and particularly of the 2nd generation, two patients resulted infected by HCV. These results do not confirm the previously reported high prevalence of false-positive anti-HCV reactions in RA, and demonstrated the usefulness of the 2nd generation tests in diagnosing the HCV infection.
 ...
PMID:[Prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis C virus in rheumatoid arthritis. Study using second-generation tests]. 166 11

This paper discusses the progress of enzyme diagnosis by different examples. These include: the requirement for improved enzymological screening, despite the introduction of a test for hepatitis C; the imbalance between the popularity of "unexplained chronic aminotransferase elevations" and efforts to solve the inherent problems; the inadequate attempts to use the metabolic changes in the hepatocytes to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and pathophysiological understanding of viral liver diseases; the remarkable investigations into the 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase for better control of interferon therapy in chronic viral hepatitis; the use of enzymes as markers of etiology, particularly for the detection of alcohol induced liver diseases; the continuing preference for the aminotransferases in this scenario although the ratios of aspartate aminotransferase over alanine aminotransferase, or of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase over total aspartate aminotransferase activity, largely depend on the severity and intralobular localization of damage and the stage of the liver disease.
 ...
PMID:Progress in the enzyme diagnosis of liver disease: reality or illusion? 170 67

Prospective studies have shown that the annual incidence of non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis may be high in haemodialysis patients. To assess whether hepatitis C virus (HCV), the major causative agent of post-transfusion and community-acquired NANB hepatitis, has a role in the pathogenesis of liver disease in dialysed patients, we have studied the prevalence and significance of antibodies to HCV in a cohort of patients with end-stage renal disease on chronic haemodialysis treatment. Seventy-four (30%) had circulating antibodies to HCV. Statistically significant associations with the anti-HCV carrier status were duration of haemodialysis treatment, blood transfusions, and the finding of abnormally elevated ALT on retrospective analysis. In contrast, only one of 103 dialysis staff members showed transient positivity for anti-HCV, suggesting a low risk of professional exposure to HCV. These findings suggests that HCV infection is relatively frequent in haemodialysis patients and may be responsible for a significant proportion of liver disease in this clinical setting.
 ...
PMID:Abnormal alanine aminotransferase activity reflects exposure to hepatitis C virus in haemodialysis patients. 171 92

We produced monoclonal antibodies (mABs) against human integrins. Competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that each mAB bound to different antigenic determinants. We then developed sandwich-type enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) to measure the concentration of fibronectin receptor (FNR) and vitronectin receptor (VNR). Serum immunoreactive integrin levels were measured using these EIAs in various liver and malignant diseases. In almost all cases of liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), serum integrin levels were significantly elevated, but were in the normal range in gastric, colon, lung cancer, and acute hepatitis (AH). The correlation between serum FNR and VNR levels was statistically significant in all cases of liver disease, and no correlation was observed between these integrin levels and conventional biochemical markers such as AST, ALT, and GGT. The serum integrin levels were demonstrated to be a potential diagnostic marker for hepatic fibrogenesis and carcinogenesis, and these sandwich EIAs could be useful for determination of these integrins in clinical laboratory tests.
 ...
PMID:Sandwich enzyme immunoassay for serum integrins using monoclonal antibodies. 172 78

Serial sera were collected prospectively during the clinical course of 13 HBsAg carriers with chronic liver disease and analyzed for ALT levels, pre-S1 and pre-S2 antigens and corresponding antibodies and other serological hepatitis B virus markers. In five patients, anti-pre-S1 and anti-pre-S2 antibodies became detectable in multiple serum samples, whereas in eight patients anti-pre-S was never detected or only appeared transiently during the follow-up. The first pattern was associated with normalization of ALT levels and undetectable pre-S antigens and viral DNA by the polymerase chain reaction assay at final follow-up. HBsAg clearance occurred in two of the five patients. The second pattern was one of persistence of HBsAg and pre-S antigens, associated with the presence of serum HBV DNA detectable by spot hybridization or polymerase chain reaction regardless of clinical outcome. These findings demonstrate the occurrence of anti-pre-S antibodies in chronic hepatitis B virus-induced liver disease and associate anti-pre-S appearance with the clearance of hepatitis B virus from serum.
 ...
PMID:Anti-pre-S responses and viral clearance in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. 172 95

The inability of the 'ethanol/high vitamin A Lieber-DeCarli diet' to induce liver fibrosis in two different rat strains was further evaluated by determining changes in parameters of liver cell damage and of retinoid and lipid metabolism. In the ethanol/vitamin A-treated group, slight but constant hepatic cell damage, as indicated by elevated alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and glutamate dehydrogenase activities in blood, was already observed at 6 months and maintained until the time of death at 16 months. Serum gamma-glutamyl transaminase activities were not raised. Moderate parenchymal liver cell damage was not accompanied by fibrosis. Hypertriglyceridemia or hypercholesterolemia were observed at 6-16 months of chronic alcohol administration. This response was strain dependent. In ethanol-treated rats of both strains, total liver retinoids and serum retinol concentrations were not altered. Therefore, the hypothesis that interaction between alcohol and retinoids is a major factor in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease, needs to be reconsidered.
 ...
PMID:Chronic administration of ethanol with high vitamin A supplementation in a liquid diet to rats does not cause liver fibrosis. 2. Biochemical observations. 174 28

Interferon has profound anti-viral, anti-proliferative and immunomodulatory effects. Future studies should be directed at observing how the immunomodulatory effects predict a response in certain groups of patients. Interferon is very useful in chronic hepatitis B but may require the addition of a steroid pulse. Individuals with low serum ALT appear to benefit most from a steroid pulse. Therapy should be given with a great deal of caution in patients with decompensated liver disease, as one may precipitate the untimely demise of the patient even though viral replication is decreased. One of the patients in the IFN study in fact did have decompensation after prednisone therapy, which subsequently led, a couple of months later, to a variceal haemorrhage. In summary, in treating hepatitis B viral infection, no single agent is totally effective and perhaps the combination of suppressing viral replication and augmenting the immune system is the optimal way to eradicate the virus. At present, an adequate response is found in only about 30-40% of patients even with 'optimal' therapy.
 ...
PMID:Alpha-interferon combined with immunomodulation in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. 175 97

We studied the relations between HBV heterogeneity and different phases of HBV infection and disease in 145 HBsAg-positive carriers followed-up for 28 months (range 24-60 months). Viraemia was characterized for the relative prevalence of wild-type and HBeAg minus HBVs after HBV-DNA amplification by PCR using an oligonucleotide hybridization assay. HBeAg minus HBV was detected in 27% of immunotolerant HBV carriers, in 67% of patients with chronic hepatitis B (immunoelimination phase) and in 17% of HBsAg carriers with latent infection. Serum HBV-DNA and IgM anti-HBc became undetectable and ALT levels normalized, either spontaneously or after interferon therapy in 12 (36.3%) of 33 patients with an exclusive wild-type viraemia, but only in two (5.7%) of 35 patients with homogeneous HBeAg minus HBV (p = 0.005). An HBeAg minus viraemia higher than 20% was associated, in both HBeAg- and anti-HBe-positive patients, with HBV-induced liver disease and an unfavourable outcome of hepatitis. These findings suggest that surgence of HBeAg defective HBV is a virus strategy to survive under peculiar conditions dictated by the interplay between HBV and the host's immune system. The HBeAg/anti-HBe serological status is determined not only by the extent of virus replication and integration of HBV-DNA into cellular DNA but also by heterogeneity of HBV. The study of HBV heterogeneity in baseline sera of patients undergoing antiviral therapy appears to have a predictive value of the outcome of HBV infection in the single patient.
 ...
PMID:'e' antigen defective hepatitis B virus and course of chronic infection. 182 19


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>