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Virus DNA Levels (virus + dna_level)
Kinds of Virus DNA Levels Selected AbstractsLong-term entecavir therapy results in the reversal of fibrosis/cirrhosis and continued histological improvement in patients with chronic hepatitis B,,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Ting-Tsung Chang One year of treatment with entecavir (0.5 mg daily) in nucleoside-naive patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive or HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) resulted in significantly improved liver histology and virological and biochemical endpoints in comparison with lamivudine. Patients who received at least 3 years of cumulative entecavir therapy in phase 3 studies and a long-term rollover study and underwent long-term liver biopsy were evaluated for improvements in histological appearance. Sixty-nine patients [50 HBeAg-positive and 19 HBeAg-negative] receiving entecavir therapy underwent long-term liver biopsy (median time of biopsy = 6 years, range = 3-7 years). Histological improvement was analyzed for 57 patients who had adequate baseline biopsy samples, baseline Knodell necroinflammatory scores ,2, and adequate long-term biopsy samples. At the time of long-term biopsy, all patients in the cohort had a hepatitis B virus DNA level <300 copies/mL, and 86% had a normalized alanine aminotransferase level. Histological improvement (,2-point decrease in the Knodell necroinflammatory score and no worsening of the Knodell fibrosis score) was observed in 96% of patients, and a ,1-point improvement in the Ishak fibrosis score was found in 88% of patients, including all 10 patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis at the phase 3 baseline. Conclusion: The majority of nucleoside-naive patients with CHB who were treated with entecavir in this long-term cohort achieved substantial histological improvement and regression of fibrosis or cirrhosis. (HEPATOLOGY 2010) [source] Hepatitis B virus DNA levels, precore mutations, genotypes and histological activity in chronic hepatitis BJOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 4 2000Lindh The present study aimed to clarify how viraemia levels reflect the clinical stages of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, in particular studying whether ,healthy carriers' can be identified by analysing HBV DNA levels with a highly sensitive quantitative assay. Histology activity index (HAI), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level, genotype and precore mutations were compared with the HBV DNA level, as measured using the Amplicor HBV Monitor assay in a prospective study. In 124 hepatitis B e antigen-negative (HBeAg,) patients, the majority with mild liver disease, log HBV DNA levels showed a Gaussian distribution around a geometric mean of 33 000 genome copies ml,1, and increasing HBV DNA level was associated with significantly higher inflammation (HAIinfl) and fibrosis (HAIfibr) scores and higher ALTi (ALT ÷ the upper reference value). Severe inflammation (HAIinfl , 7) was seen in 83% (five of six), 36% (eight of 22) and 3% (one of 37) of HBeAg, patients with HBV DNA > 107, > 2 × 105 and < 104 copies ml,1, respectively. In severe HBeAg, hepatitis, patients with precore wild-type infection had lower HBV DNA levels than those with precore mutants. In 36 HBeAg-positive (HBeAg+) patients, no correlation between HBV DNA level and liver damage was seen. Ninety-six per cent of HBeAg, patients with ALTi < 0.5 had HAIinfl , 3. In HBeAg, carriers with ALTi 0.5,1.0, the relative risk for severe inflammation, comparing HBV DNA > 2 × 105 copies ml,1vs < 2 × 105 copies ml,1, was 14.7. In conclusion, in HBeAg, carriers, HBV DNA < 104 copies ml,1 or ALTi < 0.5 indicates mild inflammation, while > 2 × 105 copies ml,1 of HBV DNA may justify further investigations. Precore status may be relevant for the interpretation of viraemia. [source] Prognostic analysis in chronic hepatitis B patients: a retrospective study of 216 cases about Scheuer scores, in situ expression of viral antigens and tissue hepatitis B virus DNA levelsLIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2006Rong Zhu Abstract: Background: Most of the previous studies of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection concentrated on serum samples. Liver biopsy specimens for HBV have not been systematically analyzed. This study was performed to analyze some histopathological indicators (Scheuer scores, the expression of HBV antigens in situ, HBV DNA quantification) in the biopsy samples and showed the relationship among them and the prognosis of chronic hepatitis. Methods: A total of 216 consecutive chronic HBV-infected patients were followed up by clinical and laboratory data and classified into two groups at first: carcinogenesis and non-carcinogenesis. The non-carcinogenesis also included two groups: cirrhosis and non-cirrhosis. The non-cirrhosis was still divided into fluctuation and normalization at last. Histological activity index was described by Scheuer scores. Two-step immunohistochemical staining showed the expression of viral antigens in situ. Tissue HBV DNA levels were determined by fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Regression analysis revealed significant positive correlations between the expression of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and grading, as well as between hepatitis Bx (HBx) protein and grading or staging of Scheuer scores. Positive correlations between grading or staging and prognosis were statistically significant. The expressions of HBeAg and HBx protein were higher in patients with cirrhosis than those without cirrhosis. Scheuer score was the most important indicator of prognosis. Conclusions: HBeAg and HBx protein can be used as indicators of hepatitis activity and their positive expressions increase the risk for cirrhosis remarkably. In addition to be a marker of liver damage, Scheuer score is the most reliable indicator of the prognosis. [source] Does Cerumen Have a Risk for Transmission of Hepatitis B?,THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 3 2004M. Tayyar Kalcioglu MD Abstract Objectives/Hypothesis Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is a significant worldwide health problem. It affects 350 to 400 million people. The patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection have a significant risk for the development of cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Full awareness of the mechanisms of transmission can allows susceptible individuals to refrain from this infection. Cerumen has never been studied as a route for hepatitis B transmission. The aim of the study was evaluate the importance of cerumen in transmission of hepatitis B virus infection. Study Design This study was performed on forty patients with confirmed hepatitis B virus infection. Methods Forty cerumen specimens collected from the patients with hepatitis B virus DNA in their sera were prospectively analyzed for the presence of hepatitis B virus DNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results Eleven of 40 cerumen specimens (27.5%) were positive for hepatitis B virus DNA, with counts ranging from 4.2 × 102 to 4.7 × 106 copies per sample. There was positive correlation between hepatitis B virus DNA concentrations of serum and cerumen. Half of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg),positive patients had detectable hepatitis B virus DNA levels (5.7 × 102 to 4.7 × 106 copies) in cerumen specimens, whereas 12.5% of cerumen specimens from anti-HBe,positive patients had hepatitis B virus DNA levels (4.2 × 102 to 7.0 × 103 copies). Conclusion Cerumen can be a potential source of transmission. Therefore, this route should be investigated in further studies for horizontal, nosocomial, and occupational transmission of hepatitis B. [source] |