Chronic Viral Hepatitis B (chronic + viral_hepatitis_b)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


HFE C282Y gene variant is a risk factor for the progression to decompensated liver disease in chronic viral hepatitis C subjects in the Czech population

HEPATOLOGY RESEARCH, Issue 9 2007
Pácal
Aim:, To determine the prevalence of selected HFE polymorphisms (C282Y, H63D and S65C) among patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and C and to investigate their role in the progression of liver disease. Methods:, A total of 207 subjects with chronic B or C viral hepatitis and 243 healthy controls were enrolled in the case,control study. Cases were further classified into three groups according to the clinical stage of liver disease: (A) virus carriers; (B) compensated liver disease; and (C) decompensated liver disease. HFE polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction-based methodology. Fisher's exact test, ,2 and Kruskal,Wallis tests were used to test for differences in variables studied between groups. Haplotypes were inferred in silico and their distribution compared by permutation test. Modified survival (time-to-event) analysis was used to test for the differences in the progression to the decompensated liver disease in carriers of C282Y wild-type versus mutated genotypes. Results:, The frequency of HFE genotypes, alleles and haplotypes differed neither between HBV nor HCV patients versus controls. In HCV subjects: (i) the frequency of the 282Y allele was significantly higher in the (C) group compared to (B) group (12.5 vs 2.2%, respectively, P = 0.002, Fisher's exact test); and (ii) carriers of the 282Y mutation exhibited significantly faster progression to decompensated liver disease than wild-type carriers (P = 0.044, log,rank test). Conclusion:, Carriage of the minor HFE C282Y polymorphism is associated with decompensated liver disease and its earlier onset in the subjects with chronic viral hepatitis C in the Czech population. [source]


Surveillance programme for hepatocellular carcinoma improves the survival of patients with chronic viral hepatitis

LIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2008
Grace Lai-Hung Wong
Abstract Background: The survival benefit of surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial. Aim: We aimed to examine the survival benefit of HCC surveillance in chronic viral hepatitis. Methods: Survivals of HCC patients related to chronic viral hepatitis from the Hepatology Clinic (surveillance group) were compared with those referred from other hospitals/clinics (no-surveillance group). Lead-time and length-time biases were adjusted based on tumour volume doubling times. Results: Among 579 patients (91% hepatitis B), 472 (82%) patients had HCC and 79 (17%) of these patients were referred from the surveillance programme. HCC was smaller (4.2 vs. 7.7 cm; P<0.001) and fewer in numbers (2.6 vs. 3.8, P=0.03) in the surveillance group vs. the no-surveillance group. Treatment by surgery (20 vs. 10%, P=0.007) and local ablative therapy (46 vs. 19%, P<0.001) were more frequent in the surveillance group than that in the no-surveillance group. The median survival of the surveillance group (88 weeks) was significantly longer than that of the no-surveillance group (26 weeks) (P<0.001). The adjusted cumulative survival at 2 years was significantly longer in the surveillance group if the tumour volume doubling time was <90 days (P=0.0352). Conclusions: HCC surveillance can improve the survival of patients with chronic viral hepatitis B. [source]


A concise update on the status of liver transplantation for hepatitis B virus: The challenges in 2002

LIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 1 2002
Hugo E. Vargas
Significant improvements in both patient and graft survival after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver failure have been made during the last decade. Recurrence of HBV infection has decreased, even in high-risk patients. Despite ongoing progress, challenges remain for the next millennium, including the determination of cost-effective dosing strategies, treatment of HBV infection in liver transplant recipients, and ramifications of the use of new antiviral agents, specifically, the appearance of resistant strains. This review summarizes the relevant history of OLT for chronic viral hepatitis B, details accepted preventive and therapeutic treatments, and discusses ongoing experimental trials. Emphasis also is placed on new approaches in transplantation as they impact on the care of HBV-infected patients. [source]


Role of iron in carcinogenesis: Cancer as a ferrotoxic disease

CANCER SCIENCE, Issue 1 2009
Shinya Toyokuni
Iron is abundant universally. During the evolutionary processes, humans have selected iron as a carrier of oxygen inside the body. However, iron works as a double-edged sword, and its excess is a risk for cancer, presumably via generation of reactive oxygen species. Thus far, pathological conditions such as hemochromatosis, chronic viral hepatitis B and C, exposure to asbestos fibers, as well as endometriosis have been recognized as iron overload-associated risks for human cancer. Indeed, iron is carcinogenic in animal experiments. These reports unexpectedly revealed that there are target genes in iron-induced carcinogenesis and that iron-catalyzed oxidative DNA damage is not random in vivo. Several iron transporters and hepcidin, a peptide hormone regulating iron metabolism, were discovered in the past decade. Furthermore, a recent epidemiological study reported that iron reduction by phlebotomy decreased cancer risk in the apparently normal population. These results warrant reconsideration of the role of iron in carcinogenesis and suggest that fine control of body iron stores would be a wise strategy for cancer prevention. (Cancer Sci 2009; 100: 9,16) [source]