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Serum Alanine Aminotransferase Levels (serum + alanine_aminotransferase_level)
Selected AbstractsAngiographic subsegmentectomy for the treatment of patients with small hepatocellular carcinomaCANCER, Issue 4 2003Shozo Iwamoto M.D. Abstract BACKGROUND The therapeutic results of nonsurgical treatment for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been poor, and improved treatments are needed. The authors recently developed a new technique called angiographic subsegmentectomy for the treatment of patients with small HCC. METHODS The technique includes confirming the diagnosis of small HCC using a helical computed tomography (CT) scan combined with an angiography system for identifying the tumor-feeding subsegmental hepatic artery, injecting lipiodol containing farmorubicin until it enters the portal vein in sufficient amounts, and injecting sponge particles into the hepatic artery for embolization. Occlusion of the hepatic artery with gel particles and occlusion of the portal vein by lipiodol induce infarction necrosis, which encompasses the entire tumor and the surrounding liver parenchyma. RESULTS The treatment was given to 23 patients with 30 HCC tumors that measured < 20 mm in greatest dimension. It was successful in all 23 patients. Serum alanine aminotransferase levels were elevated to a significant level in the majority of patients after treatment, mild ascites developed in three patients, and the patients complained of pain and fever posttreatment that were controlled readily. No patients developed hepatic failure. Only one patient developed recurrent disease posttreatment at 1.5 years, for a recurrence rate of 5% at 1 year and 6.6% at 1.5 years, a rate that has never been achieved with other treatment modalities. CONCLUSIONS Angiographic subsegmentectomy is a novel treatment for patients with small HCC. The results indicated that it is equivalent to undergoing small resection and is superior to conventional arterial chemoembolization. Cancer 2003;97:1051,6. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11106 [source] Serum alanine aminotransferase levels and survival after hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis C virus-associated liver cirrhosisCANCER SCIENCE, Issue 12 2003Kazuo Tarao We examined whether sustained alleviation of inflammation as monitored by serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels was associated with longer survival in hepatectomized hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with hepatitis C virus-associated liver cirrhosis (HCV-LC). Thirty-four hepatectomized patients with HCV-LC and HCC as a single nodule, and for whom more than 5 years had elapsed after the hepatectomy, were studied. They had no histologic evidence of portal or hepatic vein invasion. They were subdivided into two groups according to their serum ALT levels in the 2 years after hepatectomy: the low ALT group comprised 13 patients whose serum ALT levels showed a sustained low level below 80 IU, and the high ALT group comprised 21 patients whose serum ALT levels showed several peaks or plateaus above 80 IU. The patients had been followed-up prospectively with frequent ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography for recurrence for >5 years. The survival period, non-recurrence interval and number of recurrences were observed. Recurrences were treated with transcatheter chemoembolization in all cases. The cumulative survival rate in the low ALT group was significantly better than that in the high ALT group (P<0.05). The 5-year survival in the low ALT group was as high as 92.3% (12 of 13) compared with 33.3% (7 of 21) in the high ALT group (P<0.05). The cumulative non-recurrence rate in the low ALT group was also significantly better than that in the high ALT group (P<0.01). The survival period correlated well with the interval until the first recurrence (r=0.545, P=0.006). There was a tendency for the number of recurrences in the low ALT group (1.5±0.4, mean±SE) to be fewer than that in the high ALT group (2.2±0.4), although this was not significant. Sustained alleviation of inflammation, as indicated by low ALT levels, provides a survival advantage mainly due to the longer non-recurrence interval, and possibly because of fewer recurrences, in hepatectomized HCC patients with HCV-LC. [source] Prospective study on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma among hepatitis C virus-positive blood donors focusing on demographic factors, alanine aminotransferase level at donation and interaction with hepatitis B virusINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 6 2004Hideo Tanaka Abstract The risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among asymptomatic hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers is not well understood. A community-based prospective study was conducted for over 8 years by record linkage to the Osaka Cancer Registry. The subjects were 1,927 individuals who were positive for anti-HCV through screening for second-generation HCV antibody (passive hemagglutination assay: , 212) in voluntary blood donation. The risk factors for HCC and interaction between HCV and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were evaluated by including additional blood donors: 2,519 individuals positive for hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) alone, 25 positive for both anti-HCV and HBsAg, 150,379 negative for both anti-HCV and HBsAg. The incidence of HCC (/105 person-years) among the HCV-positive individuals increased with age in both genders, ranging from 68 to 1,306 among those aged 45,74 years. In the HCV-positive individuals, the cumulative risk of developing HCC between the ages of 40 and 74 year was 21.6% among males and 8.7% among females. A stepwise increase in risk was noted as the serum alanine aminotransferase level increased or serum cholesterol level at baseline decreased in multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis. The 9-year cumulative incidence of HCC among individuals positive for HCV alone, those positive for HBsAg alone and those positive for both was 3.0%, 2.0% and 12.0%, respectively. The age-and-sex-adjusted rate ratio was 126, 102 and 572, respectively, when those negative for both were used as a reference. The results demonstrate an increased risk for HCC among asymptomatic HCV-positive individuals in Japan. Coinfection with HBV and HCV carried a superadditive risk for HCC. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Prevalence and etiology of elevated serum alanine aminotransferase level in an adult population in TaiwanJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 9 2007Chien-Hua Chen Abstract Background:, The prevalence and etiologies of elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) have geographic variations and they are rarely reported in Taiwan. Through a population-based screening study, the prevalence and etiologies of elevated ALT in an adult population of Taiwan were assessed. Methods:, A cross-sectional community study in a rural village of Taiwan was conducted in 3260 Chinese adults (age ,18 years) undergoing ultrasonography (US), blood tests, and interviews with a structured questionnaire. The diagnostic criteria of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) included alcohol intake <20 g/week for women or <30 g/week for men, negative hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, no known etiologies of liver disease, and US consistent with fatty liver. Results:, The prevalence of elevated ALT was 11.4% (372/3260). The probable cause of this elevation was excess alcohol consumption in 0.8%, HBV in 28.5%, HCV in 13.2%, both HBV and HCV in 2.2%, NAFLD in 33.6%, and unexplained cause in 21.8%. The etiologic distribution of elevated ALT was similar in both genders, although elevation was more common in men compared to women (17.3%vs 6.1%, P < 0.05). The prevalence of elevated ALT in NAFLD was 18.1% (125/691), and the positive predictive value was 33.6% (125/372). The development of NAFLD was related to increasing age (age between 40 years and 64 years, odds ratio [OR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25,2.01; age , 65 years, OR 1.46, 95%CI: 1.08,1.96), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) , 126 mg/dL (OR 1.54, 95%CI: 1.11,2.14), bodymass index (BMI) , 25 kg/m2 (OR 5.01, 95%CI: 4.13,6.26), triglyceridemia , 150 mg/dL (OR 1.96, 95%CI: 1.58,2.42), and hyperuricemia (OR 1.50, 95%CI: 1.22,1.84). Elevated ALT was related to male gender, BMI , 25 kg/m2, and triglyceridemia , 150 mg/dL in subjects without known etiologies of liver disease (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease appears to be the commonest cause of elevated ALT and presumed liver injury in Taiwan. The development of NAFLD is closely associated with many metabolic disorders. Metabolic disorders are also related to elevated ALT in subjects without known etiologies of liver disease. [source] Effect of interferon therapy on Japanese chronic hepatitis C virus patients with anti-liver/kidney microsome autoantibody type 1JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 7 2001Yoshihiko Iijima Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-liver/kidney microsome autoantibody type 1 (anti-LKM-1) among hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected Japanese patients at various stages (chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma), and to assess the influence of anti-LKM-1 on interferon therapy. Methods: A total of 390 serum samples from 215 HCV-infected patients with chronic hepatitis (HCV-CH), 81 HCV-infected patients with liver cirrhosis (HCV-LC), and 94 HCV-HCC infected patients were subjected to examination. Ninety-one HBsAg-positive patients and 137 healthy subjects served as controls. Anti-liver/kidney microsome autoantibody type 1 was determined by using a newly developed ELISA using recombinant cytochrome P450 IID6 as the antigen. Results: Anti-liver/kidney microsome autoantibody type 1 was detected in six of the 390 (1.5%) chronic HCV-infected patients (four were HCV-CH and two were HCV-LC); in contrast, it was not detected in control groups. Among the 110 HCV-CH patients treated with interferon (IFN), four were positive for anti-LKM-1. No change in anti-LKM-1 immunoreactivity from negative to positive during interferon therapy was observed. Moreover, no increase in the serum alanine aminotransferase level was observed in these four patients with anti-LKM-1. Conclusion: Our study indicates that: (i) anti-LKM-1 does not aggravate the liver disease associated with HCV infection; and (ii) no change in anti-LKM-1 immunoreactivity from negative to positive or no aggravations of liver dysfunction were observed among HCV-CH patients during the IFN therapy for Japanese patients with liver disease. [source] Hepatitis B virus genotypes and spontaneous hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion in Taiwanese hepatitis B carriersJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 3 2004Jia-Horng Kao MD Abstract Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is classified into eight genotypes (A,H), and genotype C is associated with more aggressive liver disease compared to genotype B. However, the mechanisms responsible for the clinical differences remain unclear. To test whether genotype C patients had with lower rates of spontaneous hepatitis B ge antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion than genotype B patients, stored serum samples from 146 Taiwanese adult HBeAg-positive hepatitis B carriers followed-up for a mean of 52 months (range, 12,120 months) were tested for HBV genotype by a molecular method. Genotype C patients were significantly older than genotype B patients (mean age, 37,±,12 vs. 29,±,10 years, P,<,0.001). During the follow-up period, genotype C patients had a significantly lower rate of spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion than genotype B patients (27 vs. 47%, P,<,0.025). Spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion occurred one decade later in genotype C patients compared with genotype B patients. Multivariate analyses identified age ,35 years (odds ratio: 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07,4.0; P,<,0.05), high baseline serum alanine aminotransferase level (odds ratio: 2.34; 95%CI, 1.39,4.09; P,<,0.005), and HBV genotype B (odds ratio: 1.94; 95%CI, 1.03,3.63; P,<,0.05) as independent factors associated with spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion. In conclusion, genotype C patients, compared to genotype B patients, have a delayed HBeAg seroconversion in the immune clearance phase of chronic HBV infection, which may contribute to a more progressive liver disease and more refractory to antiviral therapy. J. Med. Virol. 72:363,369, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Increased frequency of IFN-,-producing peripheral CD8+ T cells with memory-phenotype in patients with chronic hepatitis CJOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY, Issue 2 2002Masayuki Murata Abstract To identify the capacity for cytokine production and the phenotypic characteristics of peripheral CD8+ T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C, 31 patients with chronic hepatitis C and 22 healthy controls were studied at the single cell level by three-color flow cytometry. Whole blood was stained with surface CD8, intracellular interferon-, (IFN-,), and interleukin-4 (IL-4), surface CD8, CD28, and intracellular IFN-, after stimulation with PMA plus ionomycin, and then surface CD8, CD45RA, and CD28. IFN-,-producing peripheral CD8+ T cells were found frequently in patients than in controls (P,<,0.05), whereas IL-4-producing peripheral CD8+ T cells were not. Although the frequency of peripheral CD28+CD8+ and CD28,CD8+ T cells in patients was not different from that of controls, CD28+CD8+ T cells exceeded CD28,CD8+ T cells in the capacity for IFN-,-production after mitogenic stimulation (P,<,0.01). In a more detailed analysis of the CD28+CD8+ T cells, CD45RA,CD28+CD8+ T cells, defined phenotypically as memory cells, were found frequently in patients than in controls (P,<,0.05). There were no significant correlations between the frequency of IFN-,-producing peripheral CD8+ T cells and hepatitis C virus RNA level or serum alanine aminotransferase level in patients. These data suggest that functionally T cytotoxic type 1 and memory CD8+ T cells are predominant in the peripheral blood of chronic hepatitis C patients and that such activated CD8+ T cells are associated with liver damage. J. Med. Virol. 67:162,170, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Variability in the upper limit of normal for serum alanine aminotransferase levels: A statewide study,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2009Anand Dutta We conducted a study to characterize the variability in the upper limit of normal (ULN) for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) across different laboratories (labs) in Indiana and to understand factors leading to such variability. A survey was mailed to all eligible labs (n = 108) in Indiana, and the response rate was 62%. The survey queried for ALT ULN, the type of chemical analyzer used, five College of American Pathologists (CAP) sample results, and methods used to establish the reference interval. There was a wide variability in the ALT ULN for both men and women. Eighty-five percent of labs used chemical analyzers belonging to one of the four brands. For all five CAP samples, there was a statistically significant difference in ALT values measured by different analyzers (P < 0.0001), but these differences were not clinically significant. The majority of labs used the manufacturers' recommendations for establishing their ALT ULN rather than in-house healthy volunteer testing (only 17%). When healthy volunteers were tested, the process for testing was haphazard in terms of the number of individuals tested, frequency of testing, and criteria for choosing the reference population. After controlling for chemical analyzer type, there was no significant relationship between ALT ULN values and the method used for its establishment. Conclusion: Wide variability in ALT ULN across different labs is more likely due to variable reference intervals of different chemical analyzers. It may be possible to minimize variability in ALT ULN by (1) each lab solely following the manufacturers' recommendations and (2) manufacturers of different analyzers following consistent and rigorous methodology in establishing the reference range. Alternatively, studies should be undertaken to identify outcome-based reference intervals for ALT. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.) [source] The effects of discontinuing pioglitazone in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis,HEPATOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Glen Lutchman A pilot study of a 48-week course of pioglitazone demonstrated significant improvements in the biochemical and histological features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The aim of the study was to assess the effects of stopping pioglitazone. Twenty-one patients with NASH were treated with pioglitazone (30 mg/day) for 48 weeks and underwent baseline and end-of-treatment evaluation including liver biopsy. Thirteen patients were followed for at least 48 weeks after stopping therapy and 9 underwent repeat liver biopsy. Statistical comparisons were made to evaluate whether discontinuation of pioglitazone resulted in a reversal of improvements seen on therapy. Stopping pioglitazone was associated with subsequent elevation in serum alanine aminotransferase levels (from 34 ± 13 to 70 ± 39 IU/l), decrease in adiponectin (from 9.7 ± 9.1 to 5.1 ± 4.5 ,g/ml), worsening insulin sensitivity (HOMA Index: from 2.9 ± 1.8 to 5.5 ± 5.4), and increase in total hepatic fat (from 30% ± 32% to 71% ± 33%) despite no change in average body weight compared to the end of treatment. Repeat liver biopsy in 9 patients revealed significant worsening of parenchymal inflammation (from 1.2 ± 0.7 to 2.9 ± 1.1) and steatosis (from 0.9 ± 0.6 to 2.1 ± 1.3) but no change in fibrosis (from 1.1 ± 1.2 to 1.2 ± 1.3). NASH was again present on liver biopsy in 7 patients. Conclusion: These findings suggest that long-term therapy with pioglitazone may be necessary to maintain improvements in disease activity in patients with NASH, although weight gain during treatment may ultimately limit its beneficial effects. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.) [source] A pilot study of interferon alfa and ribavirin combination in liver transplant recipients with recurrent hepatitis CHEPATOLOGY, Issue 5 2002A. Obaid Shakil Although interferon alfa (IFN-,) and ribavirin are widely used in the treatment of hepatitis C, their role in the transplant recipient is unclear. We conducted a pilot study to determine the efficacy and safety of this therapy in transplant recipients with recurrent hepatitis C. Patients at least 6 months posttransplantation were treated with IFN-, 3 million units 3 times a week subcutaneously and ribavirin 800 mg daily by mouth for 48 weeks followed by ribavirin monotherapy for 24 weeks. The primary end point was sustained virologic response, and secondary end points included biochemical, virologic, and histologic responses at the end of combination treatment. Thirty-eight patients initiated therapy but 16 withdrew due to adverse effects, including 2 with myocardial infarction. Median age was 50 years; 74% were men, and 91% had genotype 1. The median interval between transplantation and enrollment was 23 months. On an intention-to-treat basis, 7 patients (18%) had a biochemical and 5 (13%) had a virologic response at the end of combination treatment. Inflammatory activity did not change, but fibrosis worsened in virologic nonresponders. Ribavirin maintenance caused a further decrease in serum alanine aminotransferase levels, but hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels increased. Only 2 of the 38 patients (5%) had a sustained virologic response. Several patients required treatment with erythropoietin for anemia. In conclusion, IFN-, and ribavirin are effective in a small proportion of liver allograft recipients with recurrent hepatitis C. Adverse effects occur commonly, requiring dose reductions and treatment withdrawal. [source] Human leukocyte antigen DR status and clinical features in Japanese patients with type 1 autoimmune hepatitisHEPATOLOGY RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008Yasuhiro Miyake Aim:, Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DR status affects the clinical features of autoimmune hepatitis. In Caucasians, patients with DR3 have poorer outcomes. In Japan, the relationship between HLA DR status and clinical features has yet to be fully examined. Methods:, We investigated 79 patients with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis who underwent liver biopsy and were screened for HLA DR status by the polymerase chain reaction sequence specific oligonucleotide hybridization method. Results:, Fifty-five patients had DR4 and 23 had DR2. Thirteen patients had both DR2 and DR4. None had DR3. Of patients aged <30 years, 70% did not have DR4. A tendency toward higher serum levels of immunoglobulin G was seen in patients with DR4 compared to those without, while patients with neither DR2 nor DR4 had lower serum levels of immunoglobulin G than those with only DR2 and those with only DR4. Patients with DR2 had a lower frequency of concurrentautoimmune disease. Concurrence of thyroid disease was seen only in patients with DR4. The cumulative incidental rate of the normalization of serum alanine aminotransferase levels within six months after the introduction of corticosteroid treatment was not associated with HLA DR status. Conclusion:, HLA DR status is considered to affect the clinical features of Japanese patients with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis. Japanese patients with DR2 may have different clinical features from others. In addition, diagnoses of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis should be made carefully in Japanese patients with neither DR2 nor DR4 and in those aged <30 years. [source] The existence of a relationship between increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels detected in premarketing clinical trials and postmarketing published hepatotoxicity case reportsALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 12 2010L. LLANOS Aliment Pharmacol Ther,31, 1337,1345 Summary Background, Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) profile in most drugs' available information is based on both the incidence of alanine aminotansferase (ALT) elevations in clinical trials and published case reports. Aim, To assess the relationship between ALT elevations in clinical trials and the number of published case reports in the postmarketing setting. Methods, Hepatotoxic drugs were identified from product labelling and classified in high-medium risk (Black Box Warning or Precautions section) or low risk (a statement in the Adverse Reactions section). Incidence of ALT elevations (,3 × ULN) for drug (ID) and placebo (IC) treated patients in premarketing clinical trials and DILI published case reports were retrieved from product labelling and MEDLINE. Results, The median IC was 10/1000. The high-medium-risk drugs' median ID was significantly higher compared with low-risk drugs (17/1000 vs. 10/1000; P = 0.046). Chi-squared test, absolute difference and odds ratio comparing ID and IC identified 35%, 51% and 77% of high-medium-risk drugs respectively. Less number of case reports were associated with low- than high-medium-risk drugs (1 vs. 7; P = 0.001). A high odds ratio in clinical trials (ID vs. IC) was the strongest predictor of published DILI case reports. Conclusion, A relationship between increased ALT incidence in premarketing clinical trials and postmarketing published case reports exists. [source] Metabolic and histological features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients with different serum alanine aminotransferase levelsALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 4 2009V. W.-S. Summary Background, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in affluent countries. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level is commonly performed to monitor NAFLD patients, but its clinical relevance is unclear. Aim, To evaluate the metabolic and histological features of NAFLD patients with different ALT levels. Methods, A total of 173 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD were studied. Patients with persistently normal ALT and those with abnormal ALT were compared. Results, Patients with persistently normal ALT had lower steatosis grade than patients with abnormal ALT, but they had similar degree of lobular inflammation, ballooning and fibrosis. Among 19 patients with ALT below 0.5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) at the time of liver biopsies, 8 (42%) and 3 (16%) had steatohepatitis and significant fibrosis respectively. The within-patient coefficient of variance was similarly high in patients with simple steatosis and steatohepatitis (33.5). Age and glucose, but not ALT, were independent factors associated with significant fibrosis. Discussion, Metabolic factors, but not ALT, are associated with histological severity. Patients with ALT < 0.5 × ULN may still have non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and significant fibrosis. Evaluation of NAFLD patients should be based on metabolic risk factors, but not ALT level. [source] Liver graft exposure to carbon monoxide during cold storage protects sinusoidal endothelial cells and ameliorates reperfusion injury in ratsLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 11 2009Atsushi Ikeda Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury significantly influences short-term and long-term outcomes after liver transplantation (LTx). The critical step initiating the injury is known to include sinusoidal endothelial cell (SEC) alteration during the cold preservation period. As carbon monoxide (CO) has potent cytoprotective functions on vascular endothelial cells, this study examined if CO treatment of excised liver grafts during cold storage could protect SECs and ameliorate hepatic I/R injury. Rat liver grafts were preserved in University of Wisconsin (UW) solution containing 5% CO (CO-UW solution) for 18 to 24 hours and were transplanted into syngeneic Lewis rats. After 18 hours of cold preservation, SEC damage was evident with propidium iodide (PI) nuclear staining on SECs, and the frequency of PI+ SECs was significantly lower in grafts stored in CO-UW solution versus those stored in control UW solution. SEC protection with CO was associated with decreased intercellular cell adhesion molecule translocation and less matrix metalloproteinase release during cold preservation. After LTx with 18 hours of cold preservation, serum alanine aminotransferase levels and hepatic necrosis were significantly less in the CO-UW group than in the control UW group. With 24 hours of cold storage, 35% (7/20) survived with control UW solution, whereas the survival with CO-UW solution improved to 80% (8/10). These beneficial effects of CO-UW solution were associated with a significant reduction of neutrophil extravasation, down-regulation of hepatic messenger RNA for tumor necrosis factor alpha and intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1, and less hepatic extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation. Liver grafts from Kupffer cell,depleted donors or pseudogerm-free donors showed less SEC death during cold preservation, and CO-UW solution further reduced SEC death. In conclusion, CO delivery to excised liver grafts during cold preservation efficiently ameliorates SEC damage and hepatic I/R injury. Liver Transpl 15:1458,1468, 2009. © 2009 AASLD. [source] Clinical significance of TT virus infection in children with chronic hepatitis BPEDIATRICS INTERNATIONAL, Issue 3 2005Erhun Kasirga AbstractBackground:,The pathogenic role of TT virus (TTV) is not clear in patients with chronic hepatitis B. The aims of the present study were to determine the frequency of TTV positivity in serum and saliva samples and the possible role of TTV in children with chronic hepatitis B. Methods:,Sera and saliva from 29 healthy children and 25 children with chronic hepatitis B were tested for TTV-DNA by means of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results:,Fifty-two percent (13/25) of the serum samples and 32% (8/25) of the saliva samples were positive for TTV-DNA in children with chronic hepatitis B. In healthy non-transfused children, TTV-DNA was detected in 58% (17/29) of the serum samples and 41% (12/29) of the saliva samples. Six (46%) of 13 children with chronic hepatitis and 10 (59%) of 17 healthy children had TTV-DNA positivity both in serum and saliva samples. Two serum samples were negative for TTV-DNA while the saliva samples were positive for TTV-DNA in chronic hepatitis B and control groups. Mean age, sex, serum alanine aminotransferase levels, hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA values were similar in TTV-positive and -negative children with chronic hepatitis B. However, total histologic activity index (HAI), periportal necrosis and portal inflammation scores were significantly higher in children with HBV-DNA and TTV-DNA viremia (P = 0.013, P = 0.008, P = 0.015, respectively). Conclusions:,Because total HAI, periportal necrosis and portal inflammation scores were higher in children with TTV coinfection, TTV infection may contribute to the progression of liver damage in children with chronic hepatitis B. [source] Disrupted galectin-3 causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in male miceTHE JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2006K Nomoto Abstract Galectin-3, a ,-galactoside-binding animal lectin, is a multifunctional protein. Previous studies have suggested that galectin-3 may play an important role in inflammatory responses. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly recognized as a liver condition that may progress to end-stage liver disease and based on the known functions of galectin-3, it was hypothesized that galectin-3 might play a role in the development of NAFLD. Thus, this study investigated the role of galectin-3 in NAFLD by comparing galectin-3 knockout (gal3,/,) mice and wild-type (gal3+/+) mice. The livers of gal3,/, male mice at 6 months of age histologically displayed mild to severe fatty change. The liver weight per body weight ratio, serum alanine aminotransferase levels, liver triglyceride levels, and liver lipid peroxide in gal3,/, mice were significantly increased compared with those in gal3+/+ mice. Furthermore, the hepatic protein levels of advanced glycation end-products (AGE), receptor for AGE (RAGE), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor , (PPAR,) were increased in gal3,/, mice relative to gal3+/+ mice. In conclusion, this study suggests that the absence of gal3 can cause clinico-pathological features in male mice similar to those of NAFLD. Copyright © 2006 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Initiation of alcoholic fatty liver and hepatic inflammation with a specific recall immune response in alcohol-consuming C57Bl/6 miceCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 1 2001I. I. Slukvin Whether immunological responses are involved in initiation and progression of alcoholic liver disease is unclear. We describe a mouse model of alcoholic liver injury characterized by steatosis and hepatic inflammation initiated by a recall immune response. Mice immune to Listeria monocytogenes fed a liquid diet containing ethanol and challenged with viable bacteria developed steatosis within 24 h and, at a later time, elevated serum alanine aminotransferase levels, indicating more liver damage in this group. Listeria antigen also induced steatosis and increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels in immune ethanol-consuming mice. The production of tumour necrosis factor by a recall immune response in this model is a major, but not the only, component in initiation of alcoholic liver disease. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||