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)

The archives of the blood bank of the hospital of Dr. Louis Manual Morillo King, in the city of La Vega, Dominican Republic, were reviewed to identify all children who had been given blood transfusion during the period of July 1983 to July 1987 in order to identify HIV and the surface antigen of hepatitis B (HBsAg). Those who were released were visited in their homes for administration of HIV and hepatitis tests. Positive tests were confirmed by another test (AUSYME MONOCLONAL and Western Blot). Mothers were also tested to detect vertical transmission. 256 patients had been transfused, of whom 61 died. 80 of the 195 remaining patients could not be located. Of the 115 patients located, 52 had died in their homes after release from the hospital. Thus, the sample comprised 63 patients: 36 were 0-3 years old, 21 were 4-7 years old, and 6 were 8-11 years old. 50 lived in rural and 13 in urban areas. 56 patients had one transfusion and 4 had two transfusions. 28 patients had transfusion for anemia, 19 for malnutrition, 7 for sepsis, 6 for various reasons (meningitis, pleuritis, pneumonia), and 3 for sickle cell disease. 47 patients had been transfused at the hospital using the blood bank, 13 used blood from relatives, and 3 received blood from friends. Out of the 63 samples processed, 2 patients presented seropositivity for hepatitis B, while none were seropositive for HIV. Among the 2 patients who were seropositive for hepatitis B, the mother of one of them was also seropositive.
Arch Domin Pediatr
PMID:[Human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis B virus in children transfused in the Dr. Luis Manuel Morillo King Hospital]. 1234 60

Hepatitis C refers to the portion of non-A, non-B hepatitis that is parenterally transmitted. No formal classification of the virus has yet been achieved, but it is known to be heterogeneous, a trait with implications for both antiviral therapy and vaccine development. Hepatitis C virus has a nearly uniform distribution around the world. The highest infection rates are found in patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis associated with transfusion, hemophiliacs receiving coagulation factors, intravenous drug users, and renal dialysis patients. Screening for hepatitis C, even using third generation ELISA tests, has not completely eliminated risk of transmission during blood transfusions. Nonpercutaneous routes of transmission have been poorly defined. There is evidence that hepatitis C virus is sexually transmitted, but less efficiently than hepatitis B or HIV. Hepatitis C infections have been found in newborns and in children receiving transfusions, undergoing renal dialysis, or hospitalized. The high percentage of hepatitis C in persons with no history of parenteral exposure has stimulated search for nonparenteral forms of transmission, especially vertical transmission. The resulting data have been contradictory. Results of recent studies using polymerase chain reaction appear to indicate that perinatal transmission occurs, but an elevated viral load of hepatitis C is required to produce infection. The majority of hepatitis C cases are asymptomatic. Normal serum aminotransferase levels may mask persistent infection and progression to cirrhosis. More serious consequences of chronic infection may include persistent acute or chronic hepatitis, with cirrhosis developing in 20-30% of cases, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The most effective treatment of chronic infection, alpha interferon, is associated with a relapse rate of 80-90%. Prevention is thus the most effective intervention to combat hepatitis C.
Arch Domin Pediatr
PMID:[Some considerations about hepatitus C virus]. 1234 30