Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Pivot Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
Symptom
Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Target Concepts:
Gene/Protein
Disease
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Drug
Enzyme
Compound
Query: EC:2.6.1.2 (
alanine aminotransferase
)
26,722
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
In this pilot study, 12 patients with chronic delta hepatitis were studied. The diagnosis was based on the presence of antibodies to the hepatitis delta antigen in the serum and hepatitis delta virus RNA and hepatitis delta antigen in the serum and liver. All patients were also positive for hepatitis B
surface antigen
. The infection was presumed to have been transmitted by intravenous drug abuse in six of the patients, blood transfusion in one and by sexual contact in four (two had antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus in their serum, but did not show signs of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). In one further patient, the source of infection was unknown. Interferon alfa-2b (INTRON A, Schering-Plough Corporation) was initiated at 5 million units per day subcutaneously for at least 4 months, being reduced by half if side effects occurred. Serum
alanine aminotransferase
levels, hepatitis delta virus RNA and hepatitis delta antigen were measured at monthly intervals for up to 12 months in some patients. Interferon therapy resulted in decreased serum levels of these three markers. On cessation of therapy, most patients experienced a relapse over 6 months, but alanine amino transferase levels could be normalized once more by restarting interferon therapy. In conclusion, interferon decreased hepatic inflammation by the inhibition of hepatitis delta virus replication, although relapse occurred when interferon was stopped and long-term therapy is required to achieve permanent control of the disease. Care will be required when treating patients with advanced or decompensated liver disease.
...
PMID:Therapy of chronic delta hepatitis with interferon alfa-2b. 207 75
Serum DNA polymerase activity (DNA-P) was detected in 27.6 per cent of non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis patients, 8.7 per cent of patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD), 8.6 per cent of hepatitis B
surface antigen
(HBsAg)-positive patients and 19.0 per cent of HBsAg-negative blood donors with elevated serum
glutamic-pyruvic transaminase
(SGPT) concentrations. In contrast, none of the patients with hepatitis A, drug-induced liver injury or non-alcoholic fatty liver had DNA-P in their sera in the acute phase of the illness. All HBsAg-positive samples with detectable DNA-P were strongly positive for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA, but the samples from patients with NANB hepatitis and ALD and HBsAg-negative blood donors had no HBV DNA. Sensitivity to actinomycin D showed the heterogeneity of DNA-Ps in HBsAg-negative blood donors; the enzyme activity of one type was inhibited by 100 micrograms/ml of actinomycin D, whereas the other was not. The preference for exogenous template primers of these DNA-Ps was different to those of HBV and human retroviruses. The results reveal the prevalence of serum DNA-P in NANB hepatitis patients and suggest that two distinct agents are relevant to the aetiology of NANB hepatitis.
...
PMID:Prevalence and heterogeneity of serum DNA polymerase activity in patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis and HBsAg-negative blood donors with elevated SGPT. 212 73
Among 30 consecutive patients diagnosed with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in Taiwan, 27 were females and the median age of symptom onset was 54.5 years. Most had similar clinical manifestations to those reported in the Western countries, but ascites and oesophageal varices as commonly found at the late stages of cirrhosis of liver were noted in nine patients (30%) and 13 patients (43%) respectively. Only one patient was asymptomatic. Hyperbilirubinaemia was noted in 21 patients (70%) and hypoalbuminaemia in 8 patients (27%). All patients had elevated serum alkaline phosphatase and
alanine aminotransferase
and 28 (93%) had antimitochondrial antibodies. Ten out of 21 patients (48%) were positive in antinuclear antibodies, of which most were of speckled type. Sixteen out of 18 patients (89%) had elevated serum IgM levels. Interestingly, only one of 26 patients (3.8%) was positive for hepatitis B
surface antigen
, in contrast to its high prevalence (15%) in the Taiwan population. Special associated diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, malignant lymphoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, were each noted in one patient respectively. Eight patients had a history of gallstones before the diagnosis of PBC. The mean follow-up period was 23.6 +/- 19.8 months, and nine patients died during that period. In conclusion, the clinical manifestations of PBC in Taiwan are similar to those in Western countries, but most of our cases were at later stages.
...
PMID:Primary biliary cirrhosis in Taiwan. 212 28
We have previously described a large municipal obstetrical population in which the carriage rate of hepatitis B (HBV) is 1.2%. The present study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of our immunoprophylaxis regimen (hepatitis B immune globulin at 36-72 h, hepatitis B vaccine at 36-72 h, 1 month and 6 months) in eliciting protective antibody to hepatitis B
surface antigen
(anti-HBs) in the infants of these women, the rate of perinatal transmission of HBV in this population prior to vaccination, the prevalence of anti-hepatitis delta antibody (anti-HD), and the prevalence of liver disease in our hepatitis B
surface antigen
-positive (HBsAg+) population. Four hundred eleven infants of HBsAg+ women were born during the 33-month study period. Of these, only 64 (15.6%) completed the vaccine series and returned for testing at 12 months. Sixty of the 64 had anti-HBs, and one (1.6%) had become HBsAg+. Eighty-nine older siblings of the immunized infants were tested, and 17 (19%) were HBsAg+. Of 54 mothers and eight siblings who were HBsAg+, none had anti-HD. Serum
alanine aminotransferase
(
ALT
) levels were normal in 53 of 54 HBsAg+ mothers tested. These data demonstrate 1) reduction of perinatal transmission of HBV from 19% to 1.6% using our protocol, 2) absence of hepatitis delta infection in this population, and 3) high prevalence of asymptomatic carriage of HBV, rather than clinically significant liver disease, in this population. It is imperative to improve compliance in order to maximize the effectiveness of immunoprophylaxis for newborns of HBsAg+ mothers.
...
PMID:Hepatitis B infection in a large municipal obstetrical population: characterization and prevention of perinatal transmission. 213 61
In 1989, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers was studied by Elisa in 421 healthy teen-agers, 17-19 year old, in Udine, Friuli. The prevalence of any HBV marker was 2.4%, with a male predominance (3.8% vs. 0.5%). The prevalence of hepatitis B
surface antigen
(HBsAg) was 0.5% (2/421); both subjects were anti-Hbc IgM negative, with AST/
ALT
values in the normal levels, and males. The prevalence of any HBV marker was not associated with largest family size, nor with lowest father's years of schooling. These findings suggest a very low exposure to HBV infection in such area.
...
PMID:Prevalence of hepatitis B markers among teen-agers in Friuli. 215 6
Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay for antibody against hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), serial serum samples from 26 non-A, non-B (NANB) posttransfusion hepatitis (PTH) patients were studied in a prospective study in Taiwan. Sixteen (61.5%) of the 26 patients were positive for anti-HCV antibodies. Two of the 16 patients were positive for anti-HCV before transfusion. The remaining 10 patients were negative for anti-HCV antibodies. The rate of anti-HCV seroconversion is, therefore, 58.5%. Of the 14 patients with anti-HCV seroconversion, three were hepatitis B
surface antigen
(HBsAg) carriers. The time of seroconversion for anti-HCV ranges from 2 to 24 weeks after the first elevation of
ALT
(mean: of 8.7 weeks,) or 6-32 weeks from the date of transfusion (mean: 13 weeks). Twelve (85.7%) of the 14 anti-HCV seroconverted patients had persistent abnormal
ALT
6 months after the onset of hepatitis in contrast to 30% of chronicity in the anti-HCV-negative patients. The results suggest that HCV is the major causative agent in NANB PTH in Taiwan, and patients positive for anti-HCV have a higher risk of chronicity.
...
PMID:Hepatitis C virus in a prospective study of posttransfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis in Taiwan. 217 76
The recognition of replicating hepatitis B virus (HBV) may be important to both define the cause of and know how to manage chronic liver disease in multitransfused hemophilic patients. Replicating HBV can be detected at the molecular level by methods for HBV-specific DNA (HBV-DNA), which are much more sensitive than the immunologic methods for detecting hepatitis B
surface antigen
(HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg). Unselected hemophilic patients (260; 6% with HBsAg, 4% with isolated anti-hepatitis B core (anti-HBc), 52% with anti-HBs and anti-HBc, 26% with isolated anti-HBs, and 12% with no HBV marker) were investigated retrospectively with a dot spot hybridization technique that detects serum HBV-DNA down to 0.5 pg and by Southern blot analysis, which tests the specificity of the HBV-DNA reactions. Eighteen patients (7%; five with serum HBsAg and 13 HBsAg seronegative with antibodies to HBV) had serum HBV-DNA. Serum HBV-DNA was detected more frequently in HBsAg carriers than in seronegative patients (33% versus 6%, P less than .01), and had no relationship to serum
alanine aminotransferase
. Serum HBV-DNA was more sensitive than the radioimmunoassay for HBeAg was for detecting replicating HBV (7% versus 1.1%, P less than .01). These findings demonstrate that there is cryptic HBV infection in a number of hemophiliacs and that serum HBV-DNA may coexist with markers thought to reflect immunity against HBV.
...
PMID:Serum hepatitis B virus DNA detects cryptic hepatitis B virus infections in multitransfused hemophilic patients. 232 16
Sixty-four chronic hepatitis B
surface antigen
(HBsAg) carriers with hepatitis B e antibody (anti-HBe) were followed in order to detect reactivations of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and to assess the incidence and specificity of hepatitis B e antigen/hepatitis B e antibody (HBeAg/anti-HBe) immune complexes (ICs). In 18 out of 19 patients who suffered an increase in
alanine transaminase
(
ALT
) values, serum HBV-DNA reappeared co-occurring with the peak(s) of transaminases. HBeAg/Anti-HBe immune complexes were detected in 17/18 (94.4%) patients positive for HBV-DNA. In nine of them, the appearance of immune complexes co-occurred with prednisone therapy, in two following seroconversion after recombinant interferon alpha-2A treatment, and spontaneously in the remaining seven patients. When
ALT
levels dropped to normal values, immune complexes as well as HBV-DNA became undetectable. In conclusion, the detection of HBeAg/anti-HBe immune complexes seems to be a specific method to detect HBV replication among anti-HBe positive patients.
...
PMID:Detection of HBeAg/anti-HBe immune complexes in the reactivation of hepatitis B virus replication among anti-HBe chronic carriers. 235 57
A 33-year-old heterosexual white man underwent a liver biopsy for determination of mild elevation of aminotransferase levels (aspartate aminotransferase, two times;
alanine aminotransferase
, three times). The patient had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (stage IVC2) with tuberculosis of the lymph nodes. Antibody to hepatitis B
surface antigen
and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen were positive. Syphillis tests were positive. Liver architecture was normal; sinusoids were dilated with perisinusoidal, centrilobular, and portal fibrosis. On a 1-micron-thick section and under electron microscopy, perisinusoidal cells appeared to be massively loaded with lipids, while endothelial cells contained numerous dense bodies. Some hepatocytes presented evidence of cell damage. Sinusoids were infiltrated by an increased number of lymphocytes and macrophages. This patient who had recently been treated for tuberculosis was not taking extra vitamin A. He had no disease so far reported as being associated with perisinusoidal cell hypertrophy. This case and others are evidence that acquired immunodeficiency syndrome represents another cause of perisinusoidal cell hypertrophy in which there is no documented hypervitaminosis A.
...
PMID:Perisinusoidal cell hypertrophy in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. 237 62
Seventy-six children aged 1-13 years who were known to be positive for hepatitis B
surface antigen
and hepatitis B e antigen in serum for at least 6 months and who had biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis have been followed longitudinally for 1-12 years (mean, 5 years). Twenty-three of them are now young adults. Eight patients had acute type B hepatitis 12-24 months before entering the study, while 68 patients came to observation during a chronic phase. At the beginning of follow-up, all 76 children were positive in serum for hepatitis B virus DNA, and 44 (58%) had chronic active hepatitis, associated with cirrhosis in two cases. During follow-up, 23 (30%) patients remained hepatitis B e antigen-positive, most with unchanged biochemical and histological features. The other 53 (70%) cases seroconverted to hepatitis B e antibody and cleared hepatitis B virus DNA from serum, including 7 of 8 (87%) patients with acute hepatitis at presentation. After seroconversion,
alanine aminotransferase
levels normalized in all patients and remained normal in 49 patients (92.5%) throughout a mean observation period of 3 years. Five of these children, including 2 of 7 (29%) with previous acute hepatitis, eventually cleared hepatitis B
surface antigen
from their sera. Finally, 4 (7.5%) patients experienced a mild increase of
alanine aminotransferase
levels several months after seroconversion in the absence of hepatitis B virus replication or of delta virus superinfection. Clinical and virological parameters did not significantly differ between patients with or without acute onset; however, seroconversion occurred earlier, and the rate of hepatitis B
surface antigen
clearance was greater in the former than in the latter group. The present data indicate that approximately two thirds of children with hepatitis B e antigen- and hepatitis B virus DNA-positive chronic hepatitis clear hepatitis B virus DNA from their sera before reaching adulthood. After termination of viral replication, most patients achieve a sustained biochemical remission, suggesting the disappearance of disease activity. Reactivation of virus replication after hepatitis B e antibody seroconversion has never been observed in this series, although mild
alanine aminotransferase
level abnormalities could be detected in a minority of cases.
...
PMID:Long-term outcome of chronic type B hepatitis in patients who acquire hepatitis B virus infection in childhood. 237 83
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