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

Flow cytometric DNA analysis was performed in 50 paraffin-embedded specimens of clinical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatic resections. The DNA distribution pattern was classified in two types, diploid and aneuploid, according to the degree of dispersion on the DNA histogram. The major DNA pattern of HCC in this report proved to be aneuploid (78%), although 22% of tumors revealed a diploid pattern. The serum alpha-fetoprotein level exceeded 40 ng/ml in 86.1% of the aneuploid tumors and in 13.9% of the diploid tumors (p less than 0.05). We found no correlation between DNA distribution and hepatitis B surface antigen positivity, the presence of liver cirrhosis or tumor size. Additionally we noted no significant correlation between the DNA pattern and survival rates in patients with HCC who underwent hepatic resection.
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PMID:Flow cytometric DNA analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma: preliminary report. 170 92

(1) Liver cirrhosis was induced in male rats by treatment with carbon tetrachloride and phenobarbitone for 130-142 days. Detailed histological examination showed all livers from rats treated with carbon tetrachloride had annular fibrosis, necrosis, loss of normal hepatic architecture and other features that were consistent with an established micronodular cirrhosis. (2) Plasma biochemical analysis showed a significant reduction in total protein concentration (13%), which was due entirely to a reduction in plasma albumin (29%). There were also large increases in the plasma activities of alkaline phosphatase (110%) and aspartate aminotransferase (159%), when compared to phenobarbitone-treated controls. Plasma cholesterol was also increased (67%), but other plasma analytes were not significantly altered. (3) The soleus (Type I), plantaris (Type II) and gastrocnemius (Types I and II) muscles were dissected and examined for possible differential effects. There were minor reductions in all three muscle weights, but these changes did not reach statistical significance. The protein, RNA and DNA concentrations, total muscle content and content relative to body weight in cirrhotic rats were also not significantly altered in any of the muscles. Cirrhosis did not cause any perturbations in derived parameters, i.e. amount of synthetic apparatus per cell, RNA/DNA ratio, apparent cell size, protein/DNA ratio and the capacity for protein synthesis or RNA/protein ratio. (4) The gastrocnemius was fractionated into soluble, stromal and myofibrillar proteins. The concentrations and contents of all three proteins were unaltered in cirrhotic animals, compared to controls. (5) It is concluded that in this experimental model of cirrhosis there were no effects on those skeletal muscle variables which are strikingly altered by chronic alcohol feeding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Liver histology, blood biochemistry and RNA, DNA and subcellular protein composition of various skeletal muscles of rats with experimental cirrhosis: implications for alcoholic muscle disease. 170 23

The interferons (IFN) act too slowly to arrest acute viral infections, but interferon-alpha (IFN alpha) preparations have proved useful in some chronic infections and will clearly be used increasingly in these in the future. In the preparations derived from human leucocytes or cultured B lymphoblastoid cells, which are in routine clinical use, mixtures of a number of distinct subtypes of human IFN alpha have been identified. There are also 3 slightly different versions of the same single subtype, IFN alpha-2, made by recombinant DNA procedures in bacteria. IFN alpha preparations are injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously. Dose-related side effects are common but usually tolerable, but prolonged treatment may cause increasing fatigue and depression. Some patients form neutralising antibodies which block the effects of the IFN; these appear to be relatively more common after recombinant IFN alpha-2 than after IFN derived from human cells. Given intranasally, IFN alpha can prevent a subsequent experimental rhinovirus infection, or the spread of natural colds within a family. Repeated administration progressively damages the nasal mucosa, so that long term prophylaxis is not possible. IFN alpha has proved useful in patients with papillomavirus warts of the larynx, ano-genital region (condyloma acuminata) and skin (common warts). Treatment regimens remain to be optimised and are likely to include surgery or other treatments. IFN alpha and zidovudine (azidothymidine) synergistically inhibit the growth of HIV in vitro, and combination are on trial in patients with early AIDS. Very large doses of IFN alpha are effective against Kaposi's sarcoma in some AIDS patients. In chronic hepatitis B, continuing virus replication may lead to cirrhosis or primary liver cancer. Earlier clinical trials with IFN alpha gave inconclusive results, but recent large studies have confirmed that 25 to 40% of patients obtain benefit; this probably results from both the antiviral and the immunomodulatory effects of IFN alpha. In patients with chronic hepatitis C, the biochemical markers usually improve rapidly during IFN alpha administration, but relapse if treatment is stopped after only a few months; to increase the chances of sustained cure, the treatment period is now being prolonged.
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PMID:The use of interferon-alpha in virus infections. 172 72

Individuals with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are generally divided into asymptomatic healthy carriers and patients with chronic liver disease. Several studies have suggested that the hepatitis B core antigen could be an immunological target of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). To investigate the possible pressure site from CTL, the entire core region of HBV DNA was sequenced in 30 subjects (10 asymptomatic healthy carriers and 20 patients with chronic liver disease). No significant changes in the nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid residue were noted in the 10 healthy carriers. In contrast, a cluster of changes in a small segment of 18 amino acids (codons 84-101 from the start of the core gene) was found in 15 of the 20 chronic liver disease patients. All these 15 patients had advanced liver diseases (chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis), whereas only mild liver disease (chronic persistent hepatitis) was found in the five patients without mutations. These data suggest that the region with mutation clustering is the major target of CTL, and that the mutations evolve under the pressure of immune selection.
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PMID:Variations in codons 84-101 in the core nucleotide sequence correlate with hepatocellular injury in chronic hepatitis B virus infection. 172 79

Liver transplantation remains a problem for end stage liver disease due to chronic viral hepatitis, in contrast to the success with fulminant hepatitis B, D and C in which recurrence of viraemia is relatively rare. Following transplantation for chronic HCV disease recurrence of hepatitis C is infrequent and does not appear to be an important clinical problem. The complete picture will only be described when a suitable HCV-RNA test becomes routinely available. Patients with cirrhosis due to hepatitis B, with low levels of viraemia, or patients with hepatitis D are less likely to develop reinfection than those with high levels of HBV viraemia. The use of hepatitis B immunoglobulin in high doses for prolonged periods delays rather than prevents recurrence. It is a very expensive ancillary treatment. Patients with chronic hepatitis D related cirrhosis in whom levels of hepatitis B replication are suppressed, have a low recurrence rate even without immunoglobulin prophylaxis although HDAg remains in the liver. Hepatitis only reoccurs with recurrence of HBV infection. Unfortunately transplantation of HBV DNA and HBeAg positive patients has many shortcomings, and reinfection of the engrafted liver and subsequent development of hepatitis B is common. Survival rates are reduced in this latter group. At present there are no firm recommendations that can be given to prevent recurrence: HBIG in large doses and for prolonged periods would appear to be insufficient to prevent reinfection and these patients often die of recurrent disease. A major challenge for transplant groups will be the prevention of viral reinfection particularly in this latter group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Liver transplantation for chronic viral hepatitis. 174 98

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.
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PMID:[Prevalence of liver damage in alcoholics and drug addicts]. 176 28

We have investigated, by "in situ" hibridisation, the presence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 45 patients with acute and chronic hepatic disorders directly related with HBV or with some seric HBV marker. Results has been related with serological markers and the different types of hepatopaties. The HBV-DNA was detected in PBMC more frequently in patients with hepatic alterations more prolongated (chronic active hepatitis, chronic persistent hepatitis and cirrhosis) than in acute hepatitis patients. It was not detected in any asymptomatic patient with HBV serological markers. As regards HBV serological markers, HBV-DNA was detected in PBMC in 8/11 HBsAg positive patients and in 11/34 HBsAg negative patients: 3 antiHBc positive, 5 antiHBc and antiHBs positive and 3 without conventional seric markers. The detection of HBV-DNA in antiHBc and/or antiHBs positive subjects means the virus may persist after recovery of infection and suggests PMBC could serve as additional reservoirs for reinfection of hepatocytes leading to a reactivation of the liver disease. Our results suggest that HBV infection of PBMC is a frequent event during HBV infection and can have important consequences fundamentally with respect to pathogenic mechanisms of HBV induced liver disease and to the transmission of the virus.
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PMID:[Detection of hepatitis B virus DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with various hepatopathies using in situ hybridization]. 176 45

The polymerase chain reaction was used to search for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA sequences in the sera of HBsAg-negative Senegalese patients suffering from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer. Amplified HBV-DNA sequences were detected by hybridization with a digoxigenin-labelled HBV-DNA probe. HBV-DNA was detected in 17% of HBsAg negative Senegalese subjects from the general population and in 44% and 58% of the patients suffering from cirrhosis or primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHCC) respectively. In the control group, amplified HBV-DNA was detected in 25% of the subjects without HBsAg and anti-HBs antibodies, and in 6% of subjects positive for anti-HBs antibodies. This study confirmed the hypothesis that there is an etiologic link between HBV and PHCC in HBsAg-negative patients.
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PMID:Detection of hepatitis B virus DNA by polymerase chain reaction in HBsAg negative Senegalese patients suffering from cirrhosis or primary liver cancer. 177 20

Viral replication seric markers (VRSM), (BeHAg, BcHAg, and DNA-VHB) and the hepatic tissue BcHAg of thirty four patients suffering from chronic hepatopathies (6 PCH, 18 ACH, and 10 cirrhosis) were investigated. The greatest incidence of RVSM was observed in PCH. The combined study using all the markers demonstrated a positive correlation: DNA-VHB and BeHAg (p less than 0,001); DNA-VHB and BcHAg (p less than 0,001); BeHAg and BcHAg (p less than 0,001). The same result was obtained when comparing BcHAg (n) with the rest of RVSM: DNA-VHB (p less than 0,001), BeHAg (p less than 0,001) and seric BcHAg (p less than 0,01). Patients with a most intense histologic activity according to the Knodell index, presented a higher ratio of positive nuclei for BcHAg. The conclusion is that there is a good correlation amongst replication markers, specially hepatic BcHAg and DNA-VHB.
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PMID:[Study of viral replication in HbsAg positive chronic hepatitis]. 178 40

Four hundred and four patients (273 men, 131 women) aged 3 to 85 years with chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection seen during a five year period were analysed. At presentation, 177 patients (44%) were Hepatitis B e Antigen (HBeAg) positive (mean age 32 years) and 217 patients (54%) were anti-HBe-positive (mean age 40 years). Ten patients (2%) were negative for HBeAg and anti-HBe. Serum HBV-DNA was detected in 169 patients (42%). 85% of the HBeAg-positive patients had detectable serum HBV-DNA and 9% of the HBeAg-negative patients were positive for serum HBV-DNA. The mean serum Alanine amino-transferase (ALT) and Aspartate amino-transferase (AST) levels were higher in HBeAg-positive patients (75 and 52 iu/l) than in HBeAg negative patients (46 and 37 iu/l) (P less than 0.001). Liver biopsies were performed in 135 patients. Fifty-three (39%) had minimal changes, 61 (45%) chronic hepatitis (CPH, CLH & CAH) and 21 (16%) cirrhosis. There was no significant difference in the histologic distribution between HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative groups. Two hundred and fifty eight patients were followed up for a mean duration of 2 years (range 3 to 108 months). The cumulative probability of clearing HBeAg at the end of the first, second and third year were 14%, 16% and 18% respectively. Of these, the cumulative probability of developing anti-HBe over one, two and three years were 8%, 9% and 11% respectively. Reversion to HBeAg occurred in 1.5% of patients who were HBeAg-negative at presentation and 11% of HBeAg-positive patients who cleared HBeAg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Chronic hepatitis B infection in Singapore. 179 64


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