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)

Seven carriers of the Hepatitis B surface antigen who had acquired a form of chronic hepatitis D in the recent past were treated with lymphoblastoid alpha interferon (IFN) (10 MU three times weekly for 4 months, 6 MU three times weekly for other 8 months, with a 12 month follow-up after treatment). At the beginning of the study, these patients had a chronic active hepatitis with intrahepatic hepatitis D antigen but without signs of cirrhosis. By the end of therapy, five had normal amino-transferases and no trace of HDV-RNA in the serum. In two patients the liver enzymes and viremia relapsed during follow up; biochemical and virologic remission persisted after discontinuation of therapy in the other three patients. In the early non-cirrhotic stage of chronic hepatitis D, IFN may play a more consistent therapeutic role than in the average advanced case of the disease. Cytokine should be used as soon as a diagnosis of progressive hepatitis D is reached.
 ...
PMID:Treatment of early chronic delta hepatitis with lymphoblastoid alpha interferon: a pilot study. 156 48

The basal level of secretion of hypophyseal (ACTH, STH) and peripheral glucocorticoid (cortisol, corticosterone) hormones as related to the immune status (lymphocyte subpopulations, serum immunoglobulins, circulating immune complexes, macrophagal component) and specific marker profiles of viruses B and delta was measured in 142 children with different forms of chronic virus hepatitis B and delta (D). The patients with chronic persistent hepatitis was characterized by the "cortisol" type response of stressor adaptation hormones in parallel with the genetically determined weak immune response, demanding no correction. The patients with chronic active hepatitis B and D demonstrated the "central" type of hormonal response with a primary increase in the content of ACTH and CTH and a moderate rise of the cortisol level, which correlated with pronounced secondary immunodeficiency of the T cell and macrophagal components of immune response. In the patients with chronic virus hepatitis B and D, the hormonal profile, as liver cirrhosis develops, is characterized by an increase in corticosterone and blood somatotropin and by a relatively low cortisol content. This reflects depletion of the mechanisms of adaptation and correlates with deep insufficiency of all the three components of immune response. The use of human leukocytic interferon and T-activin exert a well-defined effect on hormonal adaptation of immune response, promotes completion of HB-virus infection replication and the onset of a stable remission.
 ...
PMID:[Clinico-pathogenetic role of hormones of the pituitary-adrenal system and somatotropin in the development of immunosuppression in chronic hepatitis B and delta infection in children and the approach to its correction]. 166 32

Antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B virus infection can result in clearance of replicating virus from the liver and prevention of progression to cirrhosis in a substantial proportion of patients. Adenosine arabinoside monophosphate, a potent inhibitor of HBV replication, is of limited usefulness because it causes significant neuromuscular toxicity. Acyclovir alone is relatively nontoxic, but is clinically ineffective in eliminating HBV from the liver. Lymphoblastoid or recombinant alpha-interferons are the best option at present and offer up to a 50% chance of long-term inhibition of HBV replication (with only minor side-effects) in patients who acquire the infection in adulthood. However alpha-interferon therapy alone is not effective when infection is acquired from birth. In this latter group of patients, prednisolone pre-treatment followed by alpha-interferon is currently under evaluation.
 ...
PMID:Antiviral therapy: hepatitis B. 169 58

The distribution and quantitative expression of HBcAg in relation to serum HBeAg and liver histology before and after a trial of interferon in 50 patients with chronic type B hepatitis were evaluated using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. In general, both antisera showed a similar pattern in terms of the distribution of HBcAg, with predominant localisation of HBcAg in the cytoplasm in HBeAg positive patients with chronic active hepatitis. Semiquantitative analysis showed, however, that there was a higher degree of cytoplasmic expression of HBcAg with polyclonal than with monoclonal anti-HBc. Some of the HBeAg positive patients with only a focal expression of HBcAg in the cytoplasm by polyclonal anti-HBc showed no expression of HBcAg with monoclonal anti-HBc. The expression of HBcAg with polyclonal anti-HBc correlated better with the histological features of chronic active hepatitis or the persistence of serum HBeAg on follow up, suggesting that it did not result from non-specific or false positive staining. All of the HBeAg negative patients with minimal histological changes or inactive cirrhosis were HBcAg negative with both antisera. In conclusion, though both polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies produced a quite similar distribution of HBcAg in patients with chronic type B hepatitis, polyclonal antibody seemed to be more sensitive in detecting HBcAg in the cytoplasm than did monoclonal anti-HBc, and the expression of HBcAg with polyclonal anti-HBc correlated better with the clinical and histological outcome.
 ...
PMID:Hepatocyte expression of HBcAg and serum HBeAg in hepatitis B: comparison of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies during a trial of interferon. 170 60

Prognosis of chronic viral hepatitis can be severe. One have to keep in mind the possibility of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Thanks to anatomopathological and immunological tests, it is possible nowadays to evaluate the extent of chronic viral hepatitis and its prognosis. The most efficient therapies are actually the antiviral drugs (vidarabine, interferon): against chronic viral hepatitis B: vidarabine or interferon preceded by a cure of corticoids lead to about 35% of H Be seroconversion--against chronic viral hepatitis B-Delta: interferon Has a suppressive effect in about 50% of the cases with an inevitable relapse when the treatment is stopped--against chronic viral hepatitis C: interferon is efficient in about 50% of the case when given for six months. The high proportion of relapse justified some treatments expended up to 12 or 18 months.
 ...
PMID:[Prognosis and treatment of chronic viral hepatitis]. 171 89

In order to assess the efficacy of alpha-2b interferon (r-IFN) in the treatment of non-A non-B chronic hepatitis, 30 patients were randomised to receive r-IFN (3 MU subcutaneously three times a week for 24 weeks) or no therapy. A total of 21 males and 9 females, aged between 24-66 years old and who had had increased transaminase levels for at least one year, were included in the study. Three patients were ex-drug addicts and 6 had received blood transfusions whereas the cause of the infection in the remaining 21 patients was unknown. Hepatic biopsies performed prior to the study revealed persistent chronic hepatitis in 7 patients, active chronic hepatitis (ACH) in 19 patients and ACH with hepatic cirrhosis in 4 patients. Anti-HCV antibodies were present in 21 patients (70%). Transaminase values returned to normal in 11 (73%) of the 15 patients treated and remained unchanged in controls after 6 months of therapy. During the 18-month follow-up following the suspension of r-IFN treatment, transaminase values rose again to pre-treatment levels in 4 patients. Anti-HCV antibodies did not disappear in any of the patients who responded to therapy.
 ...
PMID:[Therapy of chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis with interferon alfa-2B. A controlled clinical study and long-term follow-up]. 174

The behaviour of drug addicts and alcoholics leads to the cooperation of risk factors concerning the development of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. The authors evaluate the prevalence of infections from B, C and Delta virus among a group of 40 intravenous drug users and 40 alcoholics affering to a territorial centre for drug dependence located in Valtellina (Italy). The prevalence of at least one serum marker of virus B, C or Delta hepatitis results to be 85% among drug addicts and 17% among alcoholics. The prevalence of Anti-HCV in alcoholics results to be much lower than found in former works. For what concerns the hepatitis B virus, 68% of the drug addicts and 10% of the alcoholics had at least one positive serum marker. The hepatitis B seronegative patients underwent vaccination with a recombinant-DNA vaccine. Those affected by chronic C hepatitis have been treated with alpha-recombinant interferon. All of the patients underwent health education, psychotherapy and drug-addiction therapy for a period of 8 months. These strategies in prevention and therapy aim to the reduction over the years of the incidence of chronic hepatitis liver cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma among intravenous drug users and alcoholics.
 ...
PMID:[Prevalence of liver damage in alcoholics and drug addicts]. 176 28

Alcoholic hepatitis is associated with progressive hepatic fibrosis and the development of cirrhosis. The increased fibrosis is principally the result of increased collagen synthesis which exceeds lesser increases in collagen degradation. No proven therapy exists for progressive hepatic fibrosis in alcoholic liver disease. Sobriety increases long-term survival, but there is no evidence that it affects the process of fibrogenesis once initiated. Corticosteroids increase hospital survival in severe alcoholic hepatitis, while long-term propylthiouracil therapy increased survival in moderately severe alcoholic hepatitis. However, neither therapy was found to decrease hepatic fibrosis. By contrast, long-term therapy with colchicine improved survival and decreased hepatic fibrosis in a few patients with cirrhosis. Potential new therapies which have been shown to decrease fibrosis in animals or by cells in vitro include prostaglandin E2, gamma interferon, and inhibitors of proline hydroxylation.
 ...
PMID:Approaches to treatment of fibrogenesis in alcoholic liver disease. 184 64

Since demonstration of causative relationship of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, nation-wide preventive measures have made remarkable progress in Japan. This will contribute to minimizing the probability to create new sources for HBV infection resulting in reduction of the incidence with liver cirrhosis and HCC due to HBV infection in the next generation. Currently, however, HCC not due to HBV increased twice in the pastdecade up to three quarters of total HCC cases and 30-40% of them had previous history of blood transfusion. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody test revealed that at least three quarters of them are due to HCV infection. Seroepidemiological studies demonstrated that transmission route of HCV in mainly blood borne horizontal infection and partly by sexual contact. Transfusion of blood or blood products is major route in Japan. Elimination of HCV infected blood for blood transfusion and improvement of sanitary condition especially in health care system will be most effective counter measures for prevention of HCV infection. Antiviral therapy specially with interferon will be the most promising measure to intervene clinical progression of HCV infected cases to HCV related liver cirrhosis or HCC.
 ...
PMID:[Breakthrough in human hepatocellular carcinogenesis--from hepatitis B virus to hepatitis C virus]. 184 17

Chronic hepatitis may take the form of a hepatitis B infection, a delta virus infection, or a non-A, non-B hepatitis including hepatitis C. All the viruses involved are transmitted predominantly by parenteral or sexual routes. New insights into the structure of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the immune response mechanisms of the organism permit a clear definition of the replicative state of the virus, and allow predictions to be made about the outcome of the disease. Development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma are the major complications associated with impaired life expectancy. Recently, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) was identified as the agent responsible for most cases of chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. The development of an assay for the detection of HCV-antibodies facilitated the diagnosis of this type of hepatitis. Moreover, the use of screening tests for hepatitis B and hepatitis C in blood donors will decrease the risk of acquiring hepatitis via contaminated blood products. Treatment of chronic hepatitis B and C with alpha-interferon has shown promising results. However, the dosage schedule, the period of treatment, and the selection of patients needs to be evaluated in further studies.
 ...
PMID:Epidemiology, clinical course and treatment of chronic viral hepatitis. 185 Nov 29


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