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Query: UMLS:C0019163 (hepatitis B)
 38,309 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The etiology of viral hepatitis is well known, since the hepatitis A virus and the hepatitis B virus were detected. There is, however, no specific treatment of the disease. Steroids should not be used, since a therapeutical value in viral hepatitis is not definitely proven and since they may contribute to the development of chronic hepatitis. The application of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG), interferon or interferon inducers in hepatitis B infections has yielded some interesting results, which, however, do not yet justify general recommendations for therapeutical use. Specific preventive measures against viral hepatitis B have been rendered possible by demonstration of HBS-Ag. In selected cases the application of standard gamma-globulin or HBIG is recommended for prophylaxis of viral hepatitis A or viral hepatitis B, respectively. Active immunization against hepatitis B is still in an experimental stage.
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PMID:[New aspects of therapy and prophylaxis of virus hepatitis (author's transl)]. 7 14

Persistent carriage of hepatitis B virus in extremely high titre was identified in 5 out of 9 chimpanzees kept at the London Zoo. Antibody to this virus was present in the other 4 chimpanzees. Serological survey of the other primates in the Regent's Park collection did not reveal the presence of the surface antigen in 2 gorillas, 11 orang-utans, and 2 gibbons, although surface antibody was present in the serum of 1 gorilla and 2 orang-utans. 3 of the carrier chimpanzees were born at the Zoo and were the offspring of either a carrier mother or a carrier father, and perinatal transmission may have occurred. A strict safety code of practice was introduced and hepatitis B immunoglobulin was given at intervals to designated staff members. Sero-conversion did not occur in any of the 38 staff members under surveillance for more than 2 years. Treatment of the carrier state in the chimpanzees was attempted with human leucocyte interferon, with and without ribavirin ('Virazole'), and with adenine arabinoside, but the effects were mostly temporary.
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PMID:Hepatitis B outbreak among chimpanzees at the London Zoo. 8 May 78

The development of antiviral agents has been hindered by a variety of problems. There are fundamental biological differences between viruses and other infectious agents. Viruses are strictly dependent on cellular metabolic processes and possess very limited intrinsic enzyme systems and building blocks which may serve as targets for drugs. Antiviral drugs must also possess the ability to enter the host cell. Viral replication consists of a series of events, each of which can be interfered with, leading to interruption of the viral replication cycle. Currently, the major antiviral agents in therapeutic use are amantadine, idoxuridine and vidarabine. Methisazone and isoprinosine are also used in some areas. Immunoglobulins have some antiviral activity. Immune serum globulin and high titred hepatitis B immune globulin have both been used in prophylaxis of viral hepatitis. However, studies in this area have not been well controlled and results in some areas are conflicting. Interferon appears to be the most exciting antiviral agent yet discovered. However, its potential is limited by its availability, which remains dependent on biological method. Significant progress has been made recently, though, which may lead to the chemical synthesis of interferon and thus to an antiviral agent active against many viruses.
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PMID:Antiviral agents: action and clinical use. 9 98

Six patients with hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B 'e' antigen positive chronic active hepatitis, and elevated hepatitis B specific DNA polymerase activity were treated sequentially with fibroblast and leucocyte interferon. Fibroblast interferon induced a fall in serum transaminase activities in all patients, whereas a consistent decline in DNA polymerase activity was observed during leucocyte interferon administration only. After treatment one patient remained persistently DNA polymerase and hepatitis B 'e' antigen negative, whereas relapse to initial values occurred in others. Side effects included severe but reversible granulocytopenia, and chills responding to promethazine treatment. The differential biologies with their non-identity in in vitro studies.
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PMID:Differential effects of fibroblast and leucocyte interferon in HBsAg positive chronic active hepatitis. 11 47

Sufficient quantities of human leukocyte interferon have become available for small-scale clinical studies during the past years. The present status of the interferon treatment of respiratory infections, herpes keratitis, hepatitis B, osteogenic sarcoma, and some other tumours is surveyed. The pharmaco-kinetic and toxicological data obtained are summarized. The first clinical experiments with human fibroblast interferon have also been started. The prospects for mass production of human interferons for clinical use are discussed briefly.
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PMID:Prospects for the clinical use of exogenous interferon. 19 14

A 23 year old woman with chronic active hepatitis documented by liver biopsy demonstrated persistent hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B virus specific DNA polymerase hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg), for approximately one year. The number of circulating T lymphocytes that rosetted with sheep erythrocytes was decreased, and a rosette-inhibitory factor was present in her peripheral blood. Interferon treatment (1 X 10(6) U/day intramuscularly for 82 days) resulted in a decrease of HBsAg and disappearance of HBcAg, (HBeAg) and specific DNA polymerase. In addition, the number of T lymphocytes increased to normal, and the rosette-inhibitory factor disappeared from the circulation. These findings suggest that the effect of interferon in chronic active hepatitis is mediated in part through its action on the immune system.
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PMID:Fibroblast interferon treatment of a patient with chronic active hepatitis. Increased number of circulating T lymphocytes and elimination of rosette-inhibitory factor. 31 5

The general decline in breastfeeding in most parts of the world has become a major health concern in view of the many physiological, biochemical, psychological, cultural, and economic benefits of breastfeeding for a few months after birth. A review of the immunologic aspect of breastfeeding shows that a spectrum of interacting specific and nonspecific antimicrobial resistance factors found in the human milk (e.g., physicochemical properties, immunoglobulins, iron-binding protein, interferon, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and macrophages) are responsible for the lowered incidence of infections, particularly gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, allergic disorders (e.g., infantile eczema), necrotizing enterocolitis, and sudden infant death syndrome among breastfed babies. Possible disadvantages of breastfeeding are 1) poliovirus antibodies in human milk may interfere with live attenuated poliovirus vaccine; and 2) possible infection of breastfed infant with microorganisms found in human milk (e.g., Hepatitis B surface antigen and rubella virus). In view of the significant advantages of breastfeeding for the infant, breastfeeding all newborns during the 1st year of life is recommended.
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PMID:Immunological aspects of human milk. 36 48

Different forms of prophylaxis and therapy of HBsAg positive hepatitis are discussed. Prevention of HBsAg positive hepatitis has been attempted by passive and active immunisation. For passive immunisation against parenteral infections hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) of high titer has to be used. However, the protection provided by HBIG is incomplete and temporary. Therefore active immunisation is to be preferred for protection of high risk groups. Experiments using the 22 nm spheric particles prepared from plasma of chronic carriers showed the efficacy of this type of vaccine. The direct way to treat the different forms of hepatitis B is the eradication of the virus from the body. Success has been claimed with the use of interferon and adenine arabinoside. However, this antiviral therapy is still in an experimental stage. In some forms of HBsAg positive hepatitis the liver damage is supposed to be the result of an immune response against the virus. Immunosuppression in these conditions failed, however, to show a beneficial effect. Corticosteroids turned out to be harmful in all forms of acute hepatitis and are therefore contraindicated. Chronic hepatitis B seems to be caused by the inability of the immune system to clear the virus. Successful results have been claimed employing immune stimulative agents like BCG, levamisole, and transfer factor. Most of these reports, however, are anecdotycal and the more comprehensive studies are uncontrolled.
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PMID:Prophylaxis and therapy of HBsAg positive hepatitis. 48 86

Eight patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (seven with chronic active hepatitis and one with chronic persistent hepatitis) were treated with daily intramuscular injections of human leucocyte interferon for periods of 5 to 8 weeks and in one case for 5 months. In one patient there was a marked fall in virus-associated DNA polymerase activity and in the number of DNA containing viral particles during each of two courses of interferon. Hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) also disappeared, the aspartate transaminase levels fell and liver histology improved. In the four other patients with detectable DNA polymerase activity there was an early fall but this was transient and in one of these patients there was a continuing rise in activity despite treatment. One other patient became HBeAg negative but hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) titres were mostly unaffected by treatment. A marked decrease in T-lymphocyte mediated cytotoxicity towards HBsAg coated target cells was demonstrated and raises the possibility that an immunosuppressant action of interferon may offsets its direct anti-viral action but may also account for the improvement in liver function which occurred in some patients.
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PMID:Effects of human leucocyte interferon on hepatitis B virus replication and immune responses in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. 50 26

Human interferon from normal diploid fibroblasts, purified by sequential chromatography on concanavalin A-agarose and phenyl-sepharose, was administered parenterally in 4 subjects. Fever, marked skin hypersensitivity reactions and suppression of marrow stem cells (estimated by the count of myeloid colony-forming cells), side-effects common for less purified fibroblast and leukocyte interferons, were absent. Purified fibroblast interferon retained antiviral and immunomodulatory activity, evidenced by reduction of the blastogenic response of peripheral lymphocytes and decrease of hepatitis B virus markers in a patient with chronic hepatitis B infection treated with this substance.
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PMID:Purified human fibroblast interferon in vivo: skin reactions and effect on bone marrow precursor cells. 50 7


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