Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0019158 (hepatitis)
 30,205 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Careful interviewing of alcoholics who wish to undergo alcohol withdrawal programmes reveals that some are past intravenous drug abusers. As these two potentially hepatotoxic types of substance abuse could cause liver disease or influence its clinical course, we studied biological, histological and virological features in 26 alcoholics with a past history of intravenous (i.v.) drug abuse, compared with paired controls (alcoholics without i.v. drug abuse). There were no differences with regard to routine liver test results. In contrast, the former drug abusers had a significantly higher prevalence of serum markers of hepatitis C (76.9%) and hepatitis B viruses (76.9%) than the other patients (16.7 and 12.5%, respectively). Eight patients, all of whom were HBs Ag negative, were positive for serum HBV-DNA; three were former drug abusers and five were not, giving an overall prevalence of HBV markers in the two groups of 80.8 and 25%, respectively. Two former drug abusers had anti-HIV antibodies and one had anti-hepatitis delta virus antibodies. Ten of the 17 former drug abusers who underwent liver biopsy had histological signs of viral infection. These data underline the need for careful interviews of alcoholic patients, together with serological tests for viral infections and histological analysis of the liver, as some will have liver-damaging viral diseases and may be candidates for anti-viral (i.e. interferon) treatment.
 ...
PMID:Clinical impact of drug addiction in alcoholics. 753 99

Spinal cord injury (SCI) has been reported to be associated with viral hepatitis. However, this association may be related to other confounding factors, such as intravenous drug abuse or blood transfusions. Screening for viral hepatitis associated risk factors and serum serologies, including HBsAg, anti-HBc, anti-HBs and anti-HCV testing, were performed in 78 randomly selected SCI patients and 93 non-alcoholic patients attending a general medical clinic. Hepatitis B and C seropositivies in SCI patients were 29.5 percent and 14.1 percent, respectively, and were significantly associated with a history of intravenous drug abuse. In contrast, hepatitis B and C seropositivities in non-alcoholic general medicine clinic patients were 22.6 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively. In the subgroup of patients without known viral hepatitis risk factors, there were no significant differences between SCI and non-alcoholic patients with respect to hepatitis B (21.4 percent vs. 22.1 percent) or hepatitis C (0 percent vs. 1.3 percent) seropositivity. Stepwise logistic regression also failed to detect an association of SCI with viral hepatitis. In conclusion, the increased seroprevalence of hepatitis C in SCI patients is secondary to intravenous drug use and blood transfusions. Further preventive measures such as improved hepatitis screening of blood donors and substance abuse treatment should decrease viral hepatitis exposure in SCI patients.
 ...
PMID:Viral hepatitis in patients with spinal cord injury is explained by known risk factors. 954 84

The authors examined differences between current intravenous (i.v.), past i.v., and no i.v. cocaine use among a sample of cocaine users on measures of drug use, medical history, psychiatric history, and criminal history. Past i.v. cocaine users were older than non-i.v. cocaine users. The current i.v. cocaine-using group included more white participants, and the non-i.v. group included more African Americans. Those with past or current i.v. use had more extensive drug use histories than non-i.v. users. Also, more current and past i.v. cocaine-using groups reported having been tested for HIV and reported testing positive for hepatitis. Former i.v. cocaine users reported more emergency room visits for complications stemming from cocaine use. They also reported more treatment for substance abuse and were convicted of more crimes. These results suggest that the route of administration is important in studying the characteristics of drug users.
 ...
PMID:Comparing i.v. and non-i.v. cocaine users. Characteristics of a sample of cocaine users seeking to participate in research. 980 30

Significant mental and physical morbidity occurs among gay and bisexual men because health care providers are often unaware of their actual or potential health concerns. Mental health problems include anxiety, depression, suicide, and both alcohol and substance abuse. Physical health concerns include HIV disease, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted diseases, as well as an increased risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Health care professionals, who are clinically competent in the care of men who have sex with men, have the opportunity to reduce the risk of disease, while providing unbiased, quality care which recognizes the unique problems of this population of men.
 ...
PMID:Health problems of gay and bisexual men. 1031 26

Despite the fact that non-adherence to medical therapy is one of the major causes of late morbidity and mortality in pediatric liver transplant recipients, little is known of the risk factors involved in this behavior. Three cases of fatal non-adherence are reported. Factors associated with non-adherence were investigated by performing a retrospective chart review of a panel of 27 variables in an age-matched cohort of 15 pediatric liver transplant recipients. The most striking differences between the severely non-adherent group and the age-matched cohort included history of substance abuse, child abuse (physical or sexual), not having two parents at home, having received public assistance, having been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, and history of school dropout. In addition it appeared that a pretransplant diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis was associated with more significant medical sequelae related to non-adherence. These findings are preliminary owing to the retrospective design of this study, but could be used as a starting point for a prospective study of this important phenomenon.
 ...
PMID:Non-adherence in pediatric liver transplant recipients--an assessment of risk factors and natural history. 1093 20

Federal agencies are updating their recommendations for preventing HIV transmission among injection drug users. Reusing and sharing blood-contaminated products play substantial roles in transmitting HIV, hepatitis, and other blood-borne infections, and more than one-third of all new HIV infections are directly or indirectly associated with injection drug use. New recommendations call for increasing substance abuse treatment programs to reduce injection rates, using sterile drug equipment instead of sterilizing used equipment with bleach, and adequately cleaning injection sites to prevent local infections. The agencies also recommend that all drug users be provided with information on preventing HIV transmission.
 ...
PMID:Agencies revise guidelines for IDU transmissions. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 1136 73

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of ulcerative sexually transmissible diseases (STDs) and hepatitis in crack users. We interviewed 435 crack users on site in crack houses in Houston, Texas and took blood for laboratory analysis. There was evidence of syphilis infection in 13%, herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) in 61%, HIV in 12%, hepatitis B in 52%, and hepatitis C in 41% of cases. On DSM-III-R criteria, 12% were crack abusers and 84% crack dependent: over half reported previous treatment. Forty per cent reported also injecting. Sexual behaviour indicated a mean of 2.4 partners in the past month for men, 3.7 for women. Sexual behaviour was largely vaginal, although women also reported more than twice the level of oral sex of men. Significant multivariate predictors for HIV and hepatitis B and C were previous reported STD and injecting drug use (including sharing needles), while female gender for syphilis and HSV-2, and additionally condom use for HSV-2, were significant risks. These data confirm high rates of STDs in a crack house population as inferred from previous clinic-based and community studies, and the link between STDs, injecting and HIV. The high rates of STDs found should lead to considering STDs and substance abuse to be dual diagnoses in crack users and the integration of STD diagnosis and treatment into crack outreach and treatment programmes.
 ...
PMID:Sexual behaviour, STDs and drug use in a crack house population. 1203 74

Management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become increasingly complex since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Patients with HIV have become exposed to an increasing array of drugs to treat HIV, prevent opportunistic infections and immune dysfunction, and manage comorbid illnesses and therapeutic complications. Hepatic complications have become common and may lead to discontinuation of treatment and significant morbidity. Up to 90% of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) receive at least one drug that can cause hepatotoxicity. Clinicians treating patients with HIV frequently face difficulty distinguishing abnormal liver transaminase levels and toxicities in patients receiving several drugs. Some potential causes of hepatic dysfunction are viral infections, alcohol and substance abuse, and hepatotoxic drugs such as HAART. Recent reports have focused on the hepatotoxicity of HAART and the role of hepatitis viruses to the exclusion of many other agents prescribed for patients with HIV. Many of the common antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, and ancillary agents prescribed for patients with HIV are independently associated with hepatotoxicity. Clinicians should be aware of the potential non-antiretroviral hepatotoxic agents that are frequently administered in HIV management.
 ...
PMID:Looking beyond highly active antiretroviral therapy: drug-related hepatotoxicity in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. 1243 73

The aim of this survey was to determine levels and severity of self-reported alcohol and drug misuse and associated physical and mental health problems in Greek male prisoners. The sample consisted of 80 randomly selected convicted and remanded male prisoners in a prison in northern Greece. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used to assess psychiatric disorders including substance abuse and dependence. All prisoners who participated completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Those who reported daily use of opiates and stimulants completed the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS). Information was obtained from medical notes about the prisoners' hepatitis B and HIV status. The MINI identified 27.5% of the prisoners as dependent on opiates, 26.3% on alcohol and 73.8% as cannabis users, while 13.8% were misusing both alcohol and illicit drugs. Severity of dependence was rated, using SDS, as serious for all opiate and stimulant users. In terms of physical health examination of medical records indicated that no prisoner was HIV-positive but 26.5% were hepatitis-B-positive. Of those who had a previous history of substance misuse, 31.2% fulfilled the criteria for depression and 37.5% for antisocial personality disorder. Similarly, 15% of those misusing substances had a previous history of deliberate self-harm and 16% were assessed to have moderate to high suicide risk.
 ...
PMID:Self-reported substance misuse in Greek male prisoners. 1500 48

The aim of this study was to examine the association between active, concomitant cocaine and alcohol dependence and the prevalence and patterns of comorbid physical disorders in a sample of substance abusing hospitalized psychiatric patients. Three groups of patients (concomitant cocaine and alcohol dependence (AD + CD) (N = 38), alcohol dependence (AD) only (N = 38), and cocaine dependence (CD) only (N = 25)) consecutively admitted to a psychiatric-substance abuse dual diagnosis unit were comparatively examined for the frequency of comorbid physical disorders diagnoses, including viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and on liver function tests and electrocardiographic abnormalities. The results indicated that the concomitant alcohol and cocaine dependence group had higher rates of multiple physical disorders and also of multiple hepatitis infections than either the alcohol-only or the cocaine-only groups.
 ...
PMID:Concurrent alcohol and cocaine dependence impact on physical health among psychiatric patients. 1513 43


1 2 3 4 Next >>