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

Hepatitis-B infections can be prevented by vaccination. Although a safe and efficacious plasma-derived vaccine has been available in Denmark since 1983, only approximately 7,000 persons have been vaccinated. This was among other things due to an unwarranted suspicion that the vaccine could harbour HIV. A new hepatitis B vaccine produced by a recombinant yeast cell is without this stigma and the vaccine is cheaper. It is now time for an assessment of hepatitis B vaccination of employees and intensification of vaccination programs for high-risk persons. Screening procedures, vaccination schedules, efficacy studies and follow up programs are reviewed. Prospectives for new hepatitis B vaccines are described.
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PMID:[Immune prophylaxis against hepatitis B virus]. 253 85

Methadone maintenance has been evaluated since its development in 1964 as a medical response to the post-World War II heroin epidemic in New York City. The findings of major early studies have been consistent. Methadone maintenance reduces and/or eliminates the use of heroin, reduces the death rates and criminality associated with heroin use, and allows patients to improve their health and social productivity. In addition, enrollment in methadone maintenance has the potential toreduce the transmission of infectious diseases associated with heroin injection, such as hepatitis and HIV. The principal effects of methadone maintenance are to relieve narcotic craving, suppress the abstinence syndrome, and block the euphoric effects associated with heroin. A majority of patients require 80-120 mg/d of methadone, or more, to achieve these effects and require treatment for an indefinite period of time, since methadone maintenance is a corrective but not a curative treatment for heroin addiction. Lower doses may not be as effective or provide the blockade effect. Methadone maintenance has been found to be medically safe and nonsedating. It is also indicated for pregnant women addicted to heroin. Reviews issued by the Institute of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health have defined narcotic addiction as a chronic medical disorder and have claimed that methadone maintenance coupled with social services is the most effective treatment for this condition. These agencies recommend reducing governmental regulation to facilitate patients access to treatment. In addition, they recommend that the number of programs be expanded, and that new models of treatment be implemented,if the nationwide problem of addiction is to be brought under control. The National Institutes of Health also recommend that methadone maintenance be available to persons under legal supervision, such as probationers, parolees and the incarcerated. However, stigma and bias directed at the programs and the patients have hindered expansion and the effective delivery of services. Professional community leadership is necessary to educate the general public if these impediments are to be overcome.
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PMID:Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT): a review of historical and clinical issues. 1106 85

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a condition characterized by hepatomegaly, elevated serum aminotransferase levels, and a histologic picture similar to alcoholic hepatitis in the absence of alcohol abuse. Most patients with NASH are obese women, and many have diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, or hypertriglyceridemia. NASH has also been associated with a number of metabolic conditions, surgical procedures, and drug treatments. Most patients are asymptomatic. The most common sign of NASH is hepatomegaly. Stigmata of chronic liver disease are rare. Laboratory abnormalities include a 2-4-fold elevation of serum aminotransferase levels; other liver function test results are usually normal. Histologically, there is moderate to severe macrovesicular steatosis and lobular hepatitis with necrosis or ballooning degeneration and/or fibrosis. The pathogenesis of NASH is poorly understood, but lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress are the leading culprits. The natural history of NASH is unknown, but NASH seems to be a stable disease in most patients. Treatment of NASH is unproven, but weight reduction is recommended in obese patients. Small pilot studies of several drugs have shown promise, but large randomized clinical trials are awaited. Orthotopic liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage liver disease secondary to NASH.
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PMID:Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. 1152 55

The MLF since its inception in 1996 has endeavored to develop a coordinated approach towards the improved care and treatment of liver diseases in Malaysia. Its close liaison with the Malaysian MOH, local medical associations, and corporate bodies has contributed to the success of its many programs. Educating the public, research, and training have been important elements of successful hepatitis disease control programs. Hepatitis Days have been proven to be very successful in raising the awareness of the general public to hepatitis disease. Rapid screening and vaccination has also helped to remove the social stigma associated with the disease, eliminated the need for numerous clinic appointments, and rendered vaccination more accessible to the public. The MLF perspective emphasizes the need for collaborative effort between Government bodies and other agencies, such as non-governmental organizations, laboratories, and the medical fraternity, to ensure the overall success of hepatitis disease management programs.
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PMID:Hepatitis disease management programs in Malaysia. 1515 29

A number of different studies have shown a clear reduction in the quality of life of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver-disease patients. Quality of life can be assessed by means of both generic and specific instruments, depending on the aim of the study and the population being studied. The application of a specific instrument to patients with liver diseases provides a broader assessment of different parameters related to hepatic disorders. In hepatitis C, alterations such as the stigma of liver disease, concerns about the disease and symptoms of the disease could be demonstrated with this type of instrument. The impact of the diagnosis of hepatitis C, a potentially serious disease, and the presence of comorbidities such as alcohol and drugs may lead to lower quality of life. Longitudinal studies have proved that, following diagnosis, the stigma of liver disease becomes more apparent over time. Women report worse quality of life than men, supporting that gender differences in hepatitis are also important when assessing quality of life. Alterations in the quality of life of patients submitted to treatment are mainly related to the somatic side effects of Interferon and Ribavirin and are most noticeable in the first weeks of therapy. Early improvement in the quality of life of patients who become HCV-RNA negative suggests that the virus itself plays a biological role. There is no doubt that liver transplantation leads to an improvement in quality of life. Nevertheless, a major concern is the relapse of HCV, with the associated lower quality of life.
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PMID:Quality of life in hepatitis C. 1691 56

We examined stigma in persons with hepatitis C and its relationship with mood and adjustment to illness. We studied 87 persons awaiting interferon treatment for hepatitis C at St James's Hospital, Dublin. Stigma was assessed using Fife's Experience of Illness scale. A structured clinical interview was used to establish DSM-IV diagnosis. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were also used as measures of mood. Factor analysis and clustering around latent variables analysis were used to assess scale structure and reliability. The stigma scale had an overall reliability of 0.94. A strong dimension of fear of disclosure emerged, from item analysis, together with dimensions of social isolation and social rejection. Stigma was higher in those in manual occupations and the unemployed than in those in non-manual occupation. There were high levels in those with disease associated with injecting drug use and iatrogenic disease caused by transfusion or anti-D blood products, and low levels in those who had been treated for haemophilia with contaminated products or whose hepatitis was of unknown origin. Adjusted for confounders, a 1-decile increase in stigma score had an odds ratio of 1.4 for DSM-IV depression and similar associations with depression on the HADS and BDI. Stigma was also associated with poorer work and social adjustment, lower acceptance of illness, higher subjective levels of symptoms and greater subjective impairment of memory and concentration. These associations were replicated in the non-depressed subsample. The results underline the strong link between stigma and well-being in hepatitis C. However, they also suggest that stigma is a complex construct that will require further research to elucidate.
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PMID:Illness-related stigma, mood and adjustment to illness in persons with hepatitis C. 1701 Apr 90

This article explored the notion that media depictions of health concerns come in one of two formats: challenge and stigma. After explicating the five features that should appear in challenge format and the seven features of stigma formats, we analyzed the content of health messages in magazines, brochures, and posters (n = 75) in a metropolitan area. The results of a two-factor confirmatory factor model showed that the five suggested features for challenge formats did, indeed, appear together (alpha = .76), and the seven features for stigma formats, also, appeared together (alpha = .90), and showed no residual relationship. In other words, the results suggest that media depictions of health topics appear in either challenge or stigma formats (r = - .87). Health issues appearing in magazine advertisements and articles presented messages in challenge formats, while brochures and posters from largely nonprofit and government groups depicted health issues in stigma formats. Some health topics appeared most often in challenge formats (including cancer, heart disease, and scoliosis), while others appeared in stigma formats (including tuberculosis, hepatitis, smoking, and sexually transmitted diseases [STDs]). Findings suggest that media depictions of health differ, and the implications of stigma and challenge formats are discussed.
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PMID:Media depictions of health topics: challenge and stigma formats. 1749 78

HIV and hepatitis C virus infection are serious and prevalent health conditions among many women who inject drugs. Qualitative interviews with 20 injection drug using women at a short term drug treatment center in Rhode Island revealed six primary barriers and facilitators for testing and receiving results and treatment for hepatitis and HIV, as well as for hepatitis vaccination. The primary barriers were prioritization of drug use; low level of disease-specific knowledge; stigmatization; accessibility of testing, results and treatment; and psychological factors. The primary facilitator was interest in promoting one's health. Our findings indicate that injection drug using women experience multiple barriers to HIV and hepatitis testing, results, treatment and vaccination. Methods for improving the motivators for health, facilitating infectious disease prevention, and decreasing unnecessary disease complications of injection drug using women need to be utilized. These methods should include strategies that minimize stigma and facilitate accessibility of health care.
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PMID:A qualitative study among injection drug using women in Rhode Island: attitudes toward testing, treatment, and vaccination for hepatitis and HIV. 1809 39

Between 1999 and 2003, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in the US experienced more rapid growth in the number of AIDS cases than any other racial or ethnic group. In addition, the prevalence of HBV and HIV co-infection is estimated to be significantly higher among APIs in the US than in other racial/ethnic groups. High rates of HIV and hepatitis B or C (HBV and/or HCV) co-infection, in concert with language and cultural barriers, create significant challenges to effective coordination of treatment. The purpose of this study is to identify barriers to care and treatment in APIs with HIV with and without hepatitis co-infection. Specifically, we analyze results from semi-structured interviews with health care providers (N=23) and Asian Americans who are HIV and hepatitis (HBV and/or HCV) co-infected (N =17) in order to clarify how stigma in particular may impede/limit access to coordinated health care provision. Providers and clients recognize the need for integrated, culturally and linguistically appropriate access to care while simultaneously acknowledging that stigma is a severe barrier to access to care. This article sheds light on the complexities of the stigma experienced by HIV and hepatitis co-infected Asian Americans and suggests a need for further research and renewed efforts by caregivers to reduce stigma in these communities.
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PMID:Examining barriers to care: provider and client perspectives on the stigmatization of HIV-positive Asian Americans with and without viral hepatitis co-infection. 2244 43

The advent of highly effective antiviral regimens will make the eradication of hepatitis C in high-income countries such as the United States technically feasible. But eradicating hepatitis C will require escalating our response to the epidemic in key domains, including surveillance and epidemiology, prevention, screening, care and treatment, policy, research, and advocacy. Surveillance must be nimble enough to quickly assess the magnitude of new transmission patterns as they emerge. Basic prevention strategies - community-based outreach and education, testing and counseling, and access to sterile injection equipment and opioid substitution therapies - must be scaled up and adapted to target groups in which new epidemics are emerging. All adults should be screened for hepatitis C, but special efforts must focus on groups with increased prevalence through community outreach and rapid testing. Government, industry, and payers must work together to assure full access to health services and antiviral drugs for everyone who is infected. Access to the new regimens must not be compromised by excessively high prices or arbitrary payer restrictions. Partnerships must be forged between hepatitis providers and programs that serve people who inject illicit drugs. Healthcare providers and systems, especially primary care practitioners, need education and training in treating hepatitis C and caring for substance-using populations. Services must be provided to the disadvantaged and stigmatized members of society who bear a disproportionate burden of the epidemic. Environments must be created where people who use drugs can receive prevention and treatment services without shame or stigma. Action is needed to end the policy of mass incarceration of people who use drugs, reduce the stigma associated with substance use, support the human rights of people who use drugs, expand social safety net services for the poor and the homeless, remove the legal barriers to hepatitis C prevention, and build public health infrastructure to reach, engage, and serve marginalized populations. Governments must take action to bring about these changes. Public health agencies must work with penal institutions to provide prevention and treatment services, including antiviral therapy, to those in need in jails and prisons or on probation or parole. Research is needed to guide efforts in each of these domains. Strong and sustained political advocacy will be needed to build and sustain support for these measures. Leadership must be provided by physicians, scientists, and the public health community in partnership with community advocates and people living with or at risk for hepatitis C. Eliminating hepatitis C from the United States is possible, but will require a sustained national commitment to reach, test, treat, cure, and prevent every case. With strong political leadership, societal commitment, and community support, hepatitis C can be eradicated in the United States. If this is to happen in our lifetimes, the time for action is now. This article forms part of a symposium in Antiviral Research on "Hepatitis C: next steps toward global eradication."
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PMID:Can hepatitis C be eradicated in the United States? 2511 Feb 2


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