Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:Q14254 (surface antigen)
 12,846 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The chief causes of liver disease in Ethiopia are reviewed, considering hospital data on admissions for hepatitis, cirrhosis, ascites and hepatoma. Liver diseases account for 11.4% of all medical admissions in 3 medical wards in Addis Ababa. The causes are viral hepatitis, post- hepatic and post necrotic and mixed cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Alcoholic cirrhosis is rare. Viral hepatitis with shivering, rigor and fever and elevated direct bilirubin levels are common in Ethiopians, especially in child-bearing women. The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is often associated with hepatitis. The disease may be transmitted by several species of mosquitoes, placental transmission, or feces, urine, saliva or semen. Blood products are not screened for hepatitis B. Cirrhosis is common, and causes significant mortality, usually from esophageal varices and hepatic coma. Chronic active hepatitis patients may live for a time, especially if they are near a hospital and are treated with steroids. In Ethiopia presenting symptoms for hepatoma are anorexia, weight loss, persistent, burning, right upper quadrant pain, and a hard, nodular, tender RUQ mass. Over 5% of malignancies seen are primary hepatocellular carcinomas. 50% have HBsAG, compared to 3.8% of controls. 65% have alpha-fetoglobulins. It is suggested that some viral hepatitis cases progress to cirrhosis, of which some go on to hepatocellular carcinoma. Herbal medicines, aflatoxins and other toxins may also contribute to liver disease.
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PMID:Current views on liver diseases in Ethiopia. 20 62

We conducted a clinical trial to study the effects of a 10-week course of prednisone therapy and its withdrawal on serum aminotransferase levels and on hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers in patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive chronic active hepatitis (CAH-B). Eighteen patients with CAH-B were treated with prednisone, while another 18 patients matched for age, sex, race and sexual preference were followed simultaneously without treatment for the same duration. Nine of 18 prednisone-treated patients became transiently DNA polymerase positive. All nine patients developed a transient rise in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels of greater than 300 U/L above baseline values, which was associated with a drop in HBsAg levels from a mean of 186 micrograms/ml prior to therapy to 92 micrograms/ml at 6 months following treatment. Six of these patients developed fatigue, anorexia and dark urine, and four also developed either ascites or hemorrhage from esophageal varices, which was accompanied by hepatic encephalopathy. All six of these patients had histologic evidence of CAH with cirrhosis. In comparison, none of the control, untreated patients with CAH-B had any change in either HBV markers or serum ALT levels. Therefore, even a short course of prednisone in patients with CAH-B with cirrhosis is detrimental and its use should be discouraged.
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PMID:Effects of short-term, high-dose prednisone treatment of patients with HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis. 388 51

Subacute, nonsuppurative hepatitis was diagnosed in a cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) based on histopathologic examination of a liver biopsy specimen. Clinical signs of illness included anorexia, lethargy and hepatomegaly. Abnormal laboratory findings included elevations of serum liver enzymes, bilirubin and a monocytosis. Circulating antibody (anti-HBs) against Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was present in serum and antigens reactive with anti-HBsAg antiserum were found in the liver using an immunoperoxidase technique. Of the remaining 18 healthy monkeys in the same room, another cynomolgus monkey was HBsAg seropositive. Both of the seropositive monkeys involved arrived on the same shipment from Indonesia and had been quarantined and housed together continuously during the preceding two years.
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PMID:Subacute nonsuppurative hepatitis associated with hepatitis B virus infection in two cynomolgus monkeys. 404 51

Diagnostic and prognostic characteristics of 121 North American patients with hepatocellular carcinoma seen in one metropolitan area over a 6-year period were assessed using multivariate analysis. Presenting symptoms commonly included abdominal pain (53%) or mass (34%), anorexia (31%), and ascites (20%); however, the ability to make an early diagnosis was complicated by a variety of unusual symptoms accounting for 25% of presentations. While cirrhosis (63%) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity (52%) were common associated findings, the majority of patients (67%) had no prior diagnosis of liver disease. Despite the vascular nature of these malignancies, percutaneous biopsy procedures performed in 66 patients provided diagnostic material in over 85% of cases with little morbidity. Histologic diagnosis was made by blind percutaneous biopsy (41 done, 83% positive), peritoneoscopy with directed percutaneous biopsy (25 done, 88% positive), laparotomy (42 done, 98% positive), or autopsy (19). Percutaneous hepatic biopsy procedures were associated with no mortality and rare bleeding (three cases). Overall median survival was only 18 weeks; multivariate analysis indicated increased bilirubin or presence of pulmonary metastases adversely influenced outcome. Unexpectedly, patients younger than 45 years of age had a significantly (P less than 0.01) greater survival (median, 40 versus 9 weeks) than did older patients with this disease. We conclude: (1) hepatocellular carcinoma can be rapidly and safely diagnosed using percutaneous biopsy procedures; (2) North American patients with hepatocellular carcinoma younger than 45 years of age have a more favorable prognosis.
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PMID:Hepatocellular carcinoma. Diagnostic and prognostic features in North American patients. 632 91

A total of 133 children aged between less than a month to 14 years presenting consecutively with hepatitis were prospectively studied over a 6-year period. Most cases were acute and presented at the icteric phase. The peak incidence was in very young infants whose illness had to be differentiated from congenital biliary tract obstruction. The older children exhibited the usual manifestations of lethargy, anorexia and tenderness over the liver area to varying degrees. There were 2 cases of chronic active hepatitis in children aged 13 and 14 years, one a female and the other a male. Their illness was controlled with steroid therapy. The serum biochemistry was characteristic in all cases. Serological tests revealed that about 55% of the children had antibody to hepatitis A virus but only 4% demonstrated HAV-specific IgM, while 15% had hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 23% demonstrated antibody to core antigen (HBcAg). While most of the children with acute hepatitis made a full clinical and biochemical recovery, 2 have persistent HBs antigenaemia. There were 3 deaths in children who had fulminant hepatitis. Our results show that exposure to hepatitis A virus appears to be prevalent in Nigerian children and probably occurs quite early in life, and infections with hepatitis B virus and perhaps other hepatotropic viruses are also not uncommon. The surveillance of such children and long-term follow-up are necessary. There is already compelling evidence to indicate that hepatocellular carcinoma, prevalent among young adults in our environment, may be related to hepatitis B antigenaemia persisting over several years. The need for an effective vaccine against hepatitis B virus infection cannot, therefore, be over-emphasized.
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PMID:Patterns of childhood hepatitis in the Nigerian African. 653 16

Interferon-alpha-2a is a recombinant interferon with antiviral, antitumour and immunomodulatory properties. Clinical studies have demonstrated that the drug offers therapeutic benefit in patients with some forms of chronic viral hepatitis. Remission, as measured by clearance of viral DNA and hepatitis B 'e' antigen (HBeAg), and normalisation of serum alanine aminotransferase levels, is observed in approximately 30 to 45% of patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving interferon-alpha-2a (2.5 to 18MU administered 3 times/week); about 5 to 15% of untreated controls remit spontaneously every year. Complete recovery [with loss of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)] is usually noted in < 20% of treated individuals. Similar response rates have been reported in the relatively small number of children evaluated to date. Although numerous studies have shown that interferon-alpha-2a (at various dosages) induces biochemical amelioration of chronic hepatitis C in approximately 50 to 75% of patients, relapse is common. Thus, long term remission may only be observed in about 15 to 30% of treated patients. On the other hand, this disorder remits spontaneously in only a few patients. The role of interferon-alpha-2a in the treatment of chronic hepatitis D remains unclear. Although preliminary data suggest it may be beneficial, cessation of therapy is generally followed by relapse. As with other types of interferons, most patients receiving interferon-alpha-2a experience an 'influenza-like' syndrome, which tends to diminish with continuing therapy. Other effects such as fatigue, lethargy, anorexia and weight loss are usually dose-limiting. Serum neutralising antibodies develop in approximately 10 to 20% of treated patients. Thus, although response rates are less than optimal, interferon-alpha-2a is a drug of first choice amongst the limited therapeutic options available for the management of well-compensated chronic viral hepatitis B or C.
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PMID:Interferon-alpha-2a. A review of its pharmacological properties and therapeutic use in the management of viral hepatitis. 858 31

A benign, transient proliferation of atypical lymphocytes and a monoclonal rearrangement of the T-cell receptor beta (TRB) locus was found in a 60-year-old woman who presented with low-grade fever, anorexia and fatigue. A marked and transient atypical lymphocytosis (white blood cell count 90.5 x 10(9)/l) with CD8 surface antigen improved without specific treatment. Although tests for IgM antibodies to hepatitis A, varicella zoster, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV) were all negative, a monoclonal gene rearrangement of TRB locus was observed in the DNA of the proliferated atypical lymphocytes by Southern blotting. The clonal rearrangement and the atypical lymphocytes disappeared after 14 d, and the patient has remained well for 7 years. These results suggest that monoclonal proliferation of CD8 lymphocytes can occur based on a non-neoplastic aetiology.
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PMID:Transient appearance of CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes with monoclonal gene rearrangement of T-cell receptor beta locus. 948 37

We studied 30 patients with diagnosis of liver cirrhosis (clinical, biochemical, pathologyc and images diagnosis); each patients was evaluated for hepatitis C antbodies (Elisa 2rd/3rd generation) and 27 patients were evaluated for hepatitis B surface antigen. The most characteristic symptoms and signs were ascitis (60%), anorexia (63.65%) and asthenia (66.65%). Hypo albuminemia in 82% of cases; 65.5% with serum aminotransferasas high level; 84% with trombocytopenia. Two patients were positive of hepatitis C antiboides (6.65%) and two patients olso were hepatitis B surface antigen positive. One patients was positive for anti-HVC and HBsAg.
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PMID:[ANTI HCV PREVALENCE IN CIRRHOTIC PATIENTS] 1213 84

The case-control study was conducted among addicts in Alexandria to determine the different health problems among them, as well as to study the correlation between addiction and these problems. One hundred drug addicts and eighty apparently healthy controls were included in this study. The whole sample was subjected to the following: filling a predesigned questionnaire sheet, clinical and electrocardiogram (ECG) examination, measurements of Body Mass Index (BMI), complete blood picture and antistreptolysin O titre (ASO), testing for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti HBc), skin scrapings from superficial fungal lesions in addition to complete urine and stool examination. The results revealed that chest rhonchi, hepatomegaly, central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities, skin lesions lymphadenopathy, underweight and anaemia were significantly higher among addicts than the controls. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) exposure and HBsAg seropositivity were found 48.0% and 21.0%, respectively among addicts compared to 26.3% and 5.0%, respectively among the controls. The intravenous injections and tattooing were the most risky routes for HBV infection among addicts. A positive correlation was revealed between HBV exposure and both the duration and the number of daily injections. Chest X-ray suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis were found in 7.0% of the addicts. Addiction potentiated the risk of fungal infection among low social class, but it had no effect on the relationship between anaemia and social class nor on that between loss of appetite and underweight.
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PMID:Health status assessment of drug addicts in Alexandria. 1721 25