Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.7 (DNA polymerase)
 17,007 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of circulating viral markers with ongoing liver disease in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) was significantly more likely to be associated with abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity than was anti-HBe in a group of 102 HBsAg carriers (p less than 0.0001). Within this group, 57 carriers were analyzed for HBeAg, DNA polymerase, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) titer, and the relation of each with abnormal ALT was determined. Both HBeAg and elevated DNA polymerase were much more likely to reflect abnormal ALT (p less than 0.00001 and 0.0006, respectively) than did HBsAg titer. Unlike previous studies, higher titers of HBsAg would not be demonstrated in healthy carriers when compared to HBsAg carriers with chronic elevation of ALT; nor were differences in titer appreciated between chronic active and chronic persistent hepatitis. The potential significance of these findings is discussed.
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PMID:The relationship of hepatitis B e antigen, DNA polymerase activity, and titer of hepatitis B surface antigen with ongoing liver injury in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. 709 Nov 31

8 children, known to have been hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive for more than 6 months and with chronic active hepatitis on biopsy, received 2.5 mg levamisole/kg/day, 2 days a week for 6-18 months. In 6 of the 8 children transaminases normalized within 4-18 months of therapy, with seroconversion to antibody to HBeAg (anti-HBe) and disappearance of HBV-DNA polymerase from serum and of hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) from liver. In these cases liver biopsies taken after treatment showed histological regression to chronic persistent hepatitis. Two distinct patterns of response to levamisole were noted: patients having higher pretreatment transaminase levels and lower expression of HBcAg in the liver showed an early transaminase normalization and anti-HBe seroconversion with therapy, while in patients with less active disease and more diffuse HBcAg positivity in pretreatment liver biopsies, longer treatment periods were necessary to achieve these effects. Our results suggest that long-term levamisole therapy may be beneficial in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis type B.
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PMID:Virological changes in chronic hepatitis type B treated with levamisole. 717

Twenty carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) were followed for two to seven years, and their histologic progression was correlated with HBV core-associated DNA polymerase (DNAP) activity as a marker of viral replication. Seventeen patients were divided into two groups according to their pattern of viral replication: group 1, consistently high levels of DNAP; group 2, low levels of DNAP. Chronic persistent hepatitis predominated in group 1; chronic active hepatitis predominated in group 2. The three remaining patients were consistently negative for DNAP. In two patients in group 2, prominent viral replication preceded a transient increase in transaminase levels, as in acute hepatitis. Although groups 1 and 2 were distinct in their patterns of viral replication, they did not differ significantly in histologic progression. Thus, viral replication is related, at least in part, to hepatic cell necrosis but does not correlate closely with progression to liver cirrhosis.
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PMID:Chronic hepatitis B: correlation between viral replication and clinical course. 728 10

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a small enveloped virus containing partially double-stranded DNA. The DNA and HBV-specific DNA polymerase are surrounded by the HBV core antigen (HBcAg), which in turn is surrounded by a lipoprotein envelope containing the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg). Serum of HBV-infected patients contains complete virus particles, as well as non-infectious spherical or filamentous HBsAg particles. Acute hepatitis is characterized by the appearance of serum HBV markers, including HBsAg and IgM anti-HBc, which then disappear during convalescence. Persistence of HBsAg for more than 6 months indicates a carrier state. Chronic hepatitis develops in 90% of newborns who become infected, compared with 29-40% of children infected and 5-10% of adults infected. The immune status of the infected person also influences the development of chronic hepatitis. Chronic HBV infection can be diagnosed by serology (identification of HBsAg and HBV DNA), biochemistry (elevated aminotransferase levels) and liver biopsy. The last is important to assess the severity of disease, its stage and prognosis, and to exclude other hepatic diseases. The outcome of chronic HBV infection varies between individuals, with estimated 5-year survivals of 97% for chronic persistent hepatitis, 86% for chronic active hepatitis, and 55% for chronic active hepatitis with cirrhosis. Treatment with interferon alpha is effective in up to 40% of cases, but in view of the very large number of infected people worldwide, vaccination to prevent spread of the disease is a more cost-effective option.
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PMID:Clinical course and consequences of hepatitis B infection. 1068 39


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