Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0023890 (cirrhosis)
 42,195 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Clinical and immunological findings of 74 patients with chronic hepatitis C have been reported and experiences with interferon-alpha treatment of 31 patients are summarized. In addition, the first results of anti-HCV screening of blood donors are also briefly described. Transfusion in the history was noted in 69% of patients and the time, elapsed from the transfusion to the diagnosis was a mean of 7.15 +/- 8.1 years. Concerning the severity of the liver disease, chronic persistent hepatitis was established in 40%, active hepatitis in 45% and cirrhosis in 15% of the patients, respectively. Cholestasis was recorded in 32% of the cases. A significant elevation of serum immunoglobulin levels was noted in 83%, an antibody to liver specific protein (anti-LSP) has occurred in 80%, cryoglobulinaemia in 44% and circulating immune complexes in 33% of the patients. Natural killer cell activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells significantly decreased. HLA B8 and DR3 antigens were found with elevated frequency (36.6% and 42.1%). Recombinant interferon-alpha at a weekly dose of 3MU thrice, for six months, has normalized serum alanine aminotransferase in 45% of patients and a sustained remission was found in 26%. The treatment resulted in the clearance of HCV-RNS from the serum in 40% of patients and that well correlated with the complete remission. In the good responders, a decrease in CD4+ cell count and a moderate decrease in CD8+ cell count as well as a transient rise in B cell count were seen during the treatment. Mitogen-induced lymphoproliferative response and natural killer cell activity increased. Predictors of response were as follows: female sex, shorter time elapsed from transfusion, absence of HLA, A1, B8, DR3 and serum anti-HBc negativity. Anti-HCV has been found in 0.33--0.38% of blood donors screened, and it is suggested, that a liver disease accompanied with elevated serum alanine aminotransferase, may be present in about 25-30% of anti-HCV positive symptom-free persons.
 ...
PMID:[Clinical immunological features and interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C]. 784 65

In a prospective, non-randomized, pilot study, we evaluated the efficacy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination in inhibiting HBV replication of chronic hepatitis B. Fourteen consecutive chronic HBs antigen carriers received standard vaccination with three injections of the GenHevac B vaccine, one month apart. All the patients had active HBV replication with chronic hepatitis but not cirrhosis. They were compared to a historical group of 34 patients who fulfilled the same inclusion criteria. Over the 6-month follow-up period after the first injection, serum HBV DNA became undetectable in 3 patients (21.4%). Four additional patients (28.6%) showed a significant decrease in HBV replication. In 4 cases, the disappearance of or decrease in HBV DNA was preceded by an increase in transaminase activities, which was also observed in one patient who did not modify his viral replication. Vaccination was otherwise uneventful. By contrast, during a mean follow-up of 40 months, only 3 (9%) of the 34 unvaccinated patients who served as controls lost serum HBV DNA, giving a 6-month HBV DNA disappearance rate of 1%. In sum, vaccination appeared able to reduce or stop HBV replication in half of the chronic HBsAg carriers with chronic hepatitis. This additional therapeutic tool may enhance the rate of response to interferon-alpha therapy, which is dependent on the level of HBV replication. Thus, immunotherapy should be considered of potential importance for the treatment of HBV infection.
 ...
PMID:[Efficacy of immunotherapy with vaccination against hepatitis B virus on virus B multiplication]. 801 91

Hepatic expression of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) was examined by immunohistochemistry in 90 Chinese patients (M/F 67:23, age: 14-69) with a spectrum of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related chronic liver diseases. Immunoreactive IFN-alpha was detected in sinusoidal cells in 79 patients (88%) and in mononuclear cells in 59 patients (65.6%). Patients with active liver diseases (chronic active hepatitis, active cirrhosis, N = 55) had a higher level of IFN-alpha expression compared to patients with inactive histology (N = 35; sinusoidal cells, P < 0.01; mononuclear cells, P < 0.01). Cytoplasmic HBsAg, nuclear HBcAg, and cytoplasmic HBcAg were detected in 79 (88%), 42 (47%), and 23 (27%) patients respectively. Expression of IFN-alpha in mononuclear cells correlated with the expression of cytoplasmic HBcAg (P < 0.05) but not with nuclear HBcAg or cytoplasmic HBsAg. When the patients were divided into four different phases according to the natural history of chronic HBV infection, patients in the active liver disease phase had higher IFN-alpha expression compared to the immunotolerant and late phase patients (P < 0.01). Using double immunohistochemical staining, both IFN-alpha and cytoplasmic HBcAg were frequently detected near inflammatory infiltrates but no correlation existed between the hepatic expression of HBsAg and IFN-alpha. These data indicate that IFN-alpha is expressed in the liver in HBV-related active liver diseases and that the reported suboptimal production of IFN-alpha by PBMC in HBV-related chronic active liver diseases may be due to a redistribution of the IFN-alpha-producing mononuclear cells into the liver, the site of inflammation.
 ...
PMID:Hepatic expression of interferon-alpha in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. 808 12

Orthotopic liver transplantation in patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis is commonly complicated by reinfection with the hepatitis B virus, with rapidly progressive liver disease and poor survival rate. We assessed the efficacy of prior therapy with recombinant interferon-alpha on the prevention of posttransplantation hepatitis B virus reinfection. Twenty-two patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis waiting for liver transplantation received 3 MU (decreased to 1.5 MU in cases of intolerance) of recombinant interferon-alpha until transplantation. The rates of posttransplantation hepatitis B virus reinfection and survival in this group were compared with those in a group of 26 patients previously given transplants for the same disease but not given interferon therapy. The same protocol of HBs antibody passive immunoprophylaxis was applied after transplantation in both groups. Recombinant interferon-alpha was administered for 14 +/- 7 wk. The treatment had an antiviral effect, with disappearance of serum hepatitis B virus DNA in seven of the eight patients initially positive for hepatitis B virus DNA and disappearance of HBeAg in two of the three patients initially positive for HBeAg. Serum hepatitis B virus DNA remained detectable with polymerase chain reaction at transplantation in 56% of the interferon-treated patients. After transplantation, hepatitis B virus reinfection was more frequent in polymerase chain reaction-positive than in polymerase chain reaction-negative patients (78% vs. 17%, p < 0.05). One patient's condition deteriorated during interferon treatment; this patient was not given a transplant. Two patients (in whom hepatitis B virus DNA disappeared from serum) improved so markedly during treatment that they were not given transplants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:Pretransplantation interferon treatment and recurrence of hepatitis B virus infection after liver transplantation for hepatitis B-related end-stage liver disease. 827 68

We assessed the pattern of hepatitis C viremia in chronic liver disease by studying 100 hepatitis C virus antibody-positive patients: 48 with chronic hepatitis, 21 with cirrhosis and 31 with hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. Serum hepatitis C virus RNA was detected by means of both the conventional nested polymerase chain reaction and a newly developed assay based on branched DNA that can also quantify viremia. Hepatitis C virus RNA was found in 94 of 100 patients with polymerase chain reaction and in 71 of 100 patients with branched-DNA (p < 0.001). Mean viremia level (x 10(3) genome equivalents/ml +/- S.D.), as assessed with the branched-DNA test, was 5,700 +/- 7,618 in the 48 patients with chronic hepatitis, 3,340 +/- 3,633 in the 21 patients with cirrhosis and 1,768 +/- 2,770 in the 31 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (p < 0.02). We also analyzed retrospectively the relationship between viremia and treatment. Fifty-five patients (41 chronic hepatitis, 14 cirrhosis) underwent interferon-alpha treatment. Mean viremia level was comparable among the 30 responders (5,644 +/- 8,207) and the 25 nonresponders (5,519 +/- 6,208) to interferon, but it was significantly lower (1,841 +/- 1,864) in the 12 of 30 responders (11 chronic hepatitis, 1 cirrhosis) who maintained remission up to 1 yr after cessation of interferon treatment. Fourteen patients (7 chronic hepatitis, 7 cirrhosis) with autoantibodies (12 antinuclear, 2 anti-liver-kidney microsomal) were treated with prednisone. The mean viremia level significantly increased after 3 mo of treatment, even in face of ALT decrease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
 ...
PMID:Hepatitis C viremia in chronic liver disease: relationship to interferon-alpha or corticosteroid treatment. 829 85

Eleven patients with chronic hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection who had chronic active hepatitis and HDV antigen on liver biopsy were randomised in a crossover therapeutic trial of interferon-alpha 2b vs. no therapy. Nine patients had a history of intravenous drug use (drug free > 6 months before therapy), 8 had histological evidence of cirrhosis, and 7 out of 10 tested were found to be seropositive for antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV). Six patients were randomised to receive interferon-alpha 2b therapy for 1 year, and 5 patients received no therapy for 1 year followed by the same regime of interferon-alpha 2b treatment. All patients with a history of intravenous drug use found self-injection stressful, 3 patients restarted using illicit drugs, and 2 patients with active cirrhosis developed severe thrombocytopenia during therapy and treatment was stopped in these patients. Of the 6 patients who completed at least 11 months of treatment, 4 lost serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) with 3 developing antibody to HBsAg and one patient completing treatment. Among the 6 patients who had posttreatment liver biopsy, 5 showed an improvement in liver histology (3 of them lost serum HBsAg). These results provide further evidence that interferon-alpha is beneficial in chronic HDV infection although the psychological stress associated with the treatment, especially in patients with a previous history of intravenous drug use, is not inconceivable.
 ...
PMID:Loss of HBsAg with interferon-alpha therapy in chronic hepatitis D virus infection. 849 1

Two hundred and thirty-four patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis, 86% positive for anti-HCV by ELISA, were treated with recombinant interferon-alpha 2a or with natural (human-leukocytes-derived) interferon-alpha using different dosage and periods of administration. Interim analysis of follow-up data indicate that 65-70% of patients treated initially with 6 MU, thrice weekly, of recombinant interferon-alpha 2a achieved a complete biochemical response (normalization of alanine aminotransferase: ALT) during therapy compared to 56-58% of those treated with 3 MU, thrice weekly, of recombinant or natural interferon-alpha. A 12-month schedule of interferon administration appeared superior to a 6-month schedule in reducing the probability of reactivation of liver disease after therapy withdrawal, although further data are needed to confirm such a conclusion. The probability of response to interferon in terms of maintaining normal ALT after withdrawal did not appear to be influenced by sex, while it was significantly higher in patients aged below 45 years and in those without cirrhosis.
 ...
PMID:Treatment with interferon(s) of community-acquired chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis type C. The TVVH Study Group. 850 27

Molecular methods for the absolute quantitation of nucleic acids present in biological samples have recently been developed and applied in basic and in medical virology; these studies indicated that competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and competitive reverse transcription PCR (cRT-PCR)-based methodologies are currently the methods of choice for quantifying DNA and RNA species present in clinical samples at low concentration. Recently, quantitative molecular techniques were developed to study the hepatitis C virus (HCV) pathogenic potential, the natural history of HCV-infected patients and the efficiency of antiviral therapies in real time. The pilot study reported here was carried out using a cRT-PCR application for the direct quantitation of HCV RNA molecules in plasma samples of infected individuals which was recently developed in our laboratory. Although sharp individual variability of viral load was documented in this study, the mean HCV RNA copy number detected in samples from untreated HCV-infected patients with various clinical conditions (chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, cryoglobulinaemia and chronic hepatitis) was substantially similar, with only one exception: in samples from patients tested positive for anti-liver-kidney microsomal (anti LKM1) auto-antibodies, a significantly lower HCV viraemia level was revealed. Additionally, HCV viraemia was monitored in four patients with sustained biochemical and histological response (at least 12 months) following interferon-alpha discontinuation.
 ...
PMID:Viral load in samples from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with various clinical conditions. 853 90

Interferons have been used to treat chronic hepatitis owing to their antiviral properties. However, now interferons are recognized to inhibit collagen production. Because fibrosis has been associated with liver damage and dysfunction, the effects of interferon-alpha 2b on biliary obstruction-induced cirrhosis were investigated. Obstructive jaundice was induced in male Wistar rats (ca. 200 g) by double ligation and division of the common bile duct. Control rats were sham operated. Interferon-alpha 2b (IFN-alpha; 1000 000 IU per rat) was administered subcutaneously daily after surgery. The animals were sacrificed after 4 weeks of bile duct ligation (BDL) or sham operation. Bilirubins and serum enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (determined as markers of liver damage) increased several-fold after BDL. Erythrocyte and hepatocyte plasma membrane Na+/K+- and Ca2+-ATPase activities decreased significantly in the BDL group. Administration of IFN-alpha to BDL rats resulted in a partial normalization of serum markers of liver damage. The normal activity of both ATPases on erythrocyte and hepatocyte plasma membranes was completely preserved by IFN-alpha. It is concluded that interferons possess interesting hepatoprotective effects not related to their antiviral properties but probably associated with their antifibrogenic effect.
 ...
PMID:Interferon-alpha preserves erythrocyte and hepatocyte ATPase activities from liver damage induced by prolonged bile duct ligation in the rat. 860 32

We investigated the long-term effect of interferon-alpha treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B with regard to the response status during treatment. 97 patients with chronic hepatitis B, including 18 patients with active cirrhosis Child A, were followed for 12-110 months (mean: 40.5 months) after interferon-alpha treatment. At the end of treatment complete response with loss of HBeAg and HBV-DNA was observed in 32 patients, partial response with loss of HBV-DNA in 30 patients and non-response with persistence of HBeAg and HBV-DNA in 35 patients. Overall, delayed virological improvement was observed in 43% of the 97 patients during follow-up. Delayed clearance of HBsAg occurred more frequently in complete responders (25%) than in partial responders (13%, P = n. s.) and non-responders (3% p = 0.0217). 39% of the partial and non-responders lost HBeAg during the follow-up period. HBsAg and HBeAg clearance rates were increased in female patients compared to males (HBsAg: 21% vs. 12%, p = n. s.; HBeAg: 47% vs. 32%, p = 0.0045). Reactivation of the disease was seen in 28% of the complete responders. In the 18 patients with active cirrhosis, short- and long-term response rates were impaired. Only, 4/18 patients had a complete response during treatment and two of these patients suffered reactivation during follow-up. One patient underwent liver transplantation and five patients died due to complications of cirrhosis. Thus, in patients without apparent cirrhosis interferon-alpha treatment has a considerable long-term effect with regard to the enhanced rate of HBsAg and HBeAg clearance during prolonged follow-up.
 ...
PMID:Long-term follow-up of patients with chronic hepatitis B after interferon treatment. 868 50


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>