Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0019163 (hepatitis B)
 38,309 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A substantial number of cases of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) are related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Different treatment strategies are reported in the literature. The aim of this study was to review 15 years of literature (1988-2002) to determine the optimal treatment for HBV-related PAN at present, and to discuss the indications and mechanism of action of corticosteroids in HBV-related PAN, as many physicians are reluctant to use these in the presence of HBV infection. The first patient stopped his initial treatment, relapsed and died of cerebral infarction. The second case illustrates the favorable outcome with the standard treatment: corticosteroids, lamivudine and plasma exchanges. If adequate follow-up is possible, antiviral agents as well as corticosteroids are indicated in HBV-related PAN. Corticosteroids diminish inflammation and corticosteroid withdrawal induces an alanine aminotransferase (ALT) rebound in patients with a low baseline ALT level. Antiviral agents are essential, as they reduce the production of HBV antigens and help to achieve hepatitis B early antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion. Plasma exchanges reduce the level of circulating immune complexes and are included in the treatment protocol of all recent studies. However, their effect has not been evaluated in controlled trials. We concluded that if adequate follow-up is possible, antiviral agents as well as corticosteroids are indicated in HBV-related PAN.
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PMID:Treatment of hepatitis B virus-related polyarteritis nodosa: two case reports and a review of the literature. 1504 36

A 35-year-old patient with hemophilia A presented with rapidly progressive polyarteritis nodosa (PAN). He had been infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) by repeated transfusion and was positive for hepatitis B surface antigen but negative for hepatitis B surface antibody. The patient presented symptoms of acute epididymitis followed by emergency admission because of acute appendicitis. On day 7 of admission, he complained of severe back pain, and computerized tomography (CT) showed massive perirenal hematoma. On day 49, mild monoplegia in the left arm suddenly developed, and CT and magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple cerebral infarctions. Factor VIII replacement therapy was attenuated; however, cerebral infarction was progressive and extended throughout the cerebral hemispheres. He was diagnosed with classic polyarteritis nodosa (cPAN), and pulse methylprednisolone was continued. The patient died of supratentorial herniation, and autopsy revealed that vasculitis associated with intimal thickening was present in the liver, pancreas, intestine, kidneys, and larger-sized cerebral arteries. The development of cPAN appeared to have originated from chronic HBV infection, and this is the first report of cPAN in hemophilia patients. Concomitant hemorrhagic and thrombotic manifestations of cPAN are hardly treatable in patients with coagulation disorders, and the current case may represent a rare transfusion-related complication in hemophilia patients.
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PMID:Classic polyarteritis nodosa presenting rare clinical manifestations in a patient with hemophilia A. 1678 73