HBV-infected Patients (HBV-infect + patient)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Impact of the hepatitis B virus genotype and genotype mixtures on the course of liver disease in Vietnam,

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2006
Nguyen L. Toan
Eight genotypes (A-H) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) have been identified. However, the impact of different genotypes on the clinical course of hepatitis B infection remains controversial. We investigated the frequency and clinical outcome of HBV genotypes and genotype mixtures in HBV-infected patients from Vietnam, Europe, and Africa. In addition, we analyzed the effects of genotype mixtures on alterations in in vitro viral replication. In Asian patients, seven genotypes (A-G) were detected, with A, C, and D predominating. In European and African patients, only genotypes A, C, D, and G were identified. Genotype mixtures were more frequently encountered in African than in Asian (P = .01) and European patients (P = .06). In Asian patients, the predominant genotype mixtures included A/C and C/D, compared to C/D in European and A/D in African patients. Genotype A was more frequent in asymptomatic compared with symptomatic patients (P < .0001). Genotype C was more frequent in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; P = .02). Genotype mixtures were more frequently encountered in patients with chronic hepatitis in comparison to patients with acute hepatitis B (P = .015), liver cirrhosis (P = .013), and HCC (P = .002). Viral loads in patients infected with genotype mixtures were significantly higher in comparison to patients with a single genotype (P = .019). Genotype mixtures were also associated with increased in vitro HBV replication. In conclusion, infection with mixtures of HBV genotypes is frequent in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Differences in the replication-phenotype of single genotypes compared to genotype-mixtures suggest that co-infection with different HBV-genotypes is associated with altered pathogenesis and clinical outcome. (HEPATOLOGY 2006;43:1375,1384.) [source]


A study on sequence variations in pre-S/surface, X and enhancer II/core promoter/precore regions of occult hepatitis B virus in non-B, non-C hepatocellular carcinoma patients in Taiwan

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 3 2009
Chien-Hung Chen
Abstract This study was to investigate the clinical significance and virologic factors of occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients without hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or anti-hepatitis C virus (non-B, non-C) in Taiwan. Serum HBV DNA (occult HBV) was detected in 90 of 222 non-B, non-C HCC patients and 24 of 300 non-B, non-C controls without HCC. Of 90 occult HBV-infected HCC patients, the sequences of HBV pre-S/surface, X and enhancer II/core promoter/precore genes were analyzed from 40 patients. Direct sequencing of such genes was also performed in 24 non-B, non-C controls without HCC and 40 HBsAg-positive HCC controls. Compared with non-B, non-C controls without HCC, non-B, non-C subjects with HCC had significantly higher prevalence of occult HBV (p < 0.0001). Moreover, M1I and Q2K in pre-S2 gene and G1721A were more common in occult HBV-infected patients with HCC than in those without HCC. Compared with the HBsAg-positive HCC controls, occult HBV-infected HCC patients had higher frequencies of M1I and Q2K in pre-S2 gene, G185R and S210N in surface gene, A36T and A44L in X gene, and G1721A in enhancer II gene, and had lower rates of pre-S deletions and A1762T/G1764A, A1846T, G1896A and G1899A in core promoter/precore genes. Multivariate analysis showed Q2K in pre-S2 gene, G1721A and A1846T were independent factors for occult HBV-infected HCC. Our study suggested that the virological factors of HBV related to HCC were different between occult HBV-infected and HBsAg-positive patients. The G1721A, M1I and Q2K in pre-S2 gene may be useful viral markers for HCC in occult HBV carriers. © 2009 UICC [source]


The correlation of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha and 3 beta with hepatitis B virus replication in the liver of chronic hepatitis B patients

JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS, Issue 8 2009
Y. Long
Summary., Hepatocyte nuclear factors 4 alpha (HNF4,) and 3 beta (HNF3,) are members of a group of liver-enriched transcription factors (LETFs) that play important roles in regulating the replication of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Using cell culture and animal models, we showed that HNF4, supports HBV replication in nonhepatic cells and HNF3, inhibits HBV replication. However, the expression of HNF4, and HNF3, in the liver tissue of chronic HBV-infected patients and the relationship between the levels of HNF4, and HNF3, and HBV replication are unclear. In this study, liver biopsy specimens from 86 chronic HBV-infected patients were collected. The expression levels of HNF4,, HNF3,, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) were detected by an immunohistochemical technique and the level of HBV DNA was checked by in situ hybridization with serial sections from liver biopsy tissue samples. We show here that samples with higher levels of HNF4, expression also have higher levels of HBsAg, HBcAg and HBV DNA. In contrast, in samples with higher levels of HNF3, expression, levels of HBsAg, HBcAg and HBV DNA were lower. There was a positive correlation between HNF4, expression and HBV replication, and a negative correlation between HNF3, expression and HBV replication, in the liver of chronic HBV-infected patients. This suggests that HNF4, and HNF3, likely participate in HBV replication in patients with HBV infection, or that HBV replication may somehow influence the expression of HNF4, and HNF3, in the liver. [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 levels

LIVER INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2006
Rong 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]


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]