Robert Perrillo – 27 April 2009 – Alpha interferon is the only licensed drug for hepatitis B with immunomodulatory as well as viral inhibitory properties. Potential advantages of interferon compared to nucleoside analogs include a lack of drug resistance, a finite and defined treatment course, and a higher likelihood for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance.
Jay H. Hoofnagle – 27 April 2009 – Reactivation of hepatitis B refers to the abrupt increase in hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication in a patient with inactive or resolved hepatitis B. Reactivation can occur spontaneously, but more typically is triggered by immunosuppressive therapy of cancer, autoimmune disease, or organ transplantation. Reactivation can be transient and clinically silent, but often causes a flare of disease that can be severe resulting in acute hepatic failure.
Agustin Castiella, Eva Zapata, Pedro Otazua – 27 April 2009
Jules L. Dienstag – 27 April 2009 – Five oral agents have been approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, ranging in virological potency, clinical efficacy, barrier to resistance, and side‐effect profile. The degree of histological, biochemical, and serological improvement with therapy generally corresponds to the degree of suppression of serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA achieved with therapy. Conversely, for agents with a low barrier to resistance, the profundity of HBV DNA suppression in individual patients correlates inversely with the likelihood of resistance.
Xing‐Xiang Wang, Ze‐Zhou Song – 27 April 2009
Harel Dahari, Scott J. Cotler, Thomas J. Layden, Alan S. Perelson – 27 April 2009
Yousri M. Barri, Edmund Q. Sanchez, Linda W. Jennings, Larry B. Melton, Steven Hays, Marlon F. Levy, Goran B. Klintmalm – 27 April 2009 – The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) has been reported to vary between 17% and 95% post–orthotopic liver transplantation. This variability may be related to the absence of a uniform definition of AKI in this setting. The purpose of this study was to identify the degree of AKI that is associated with long‐term adverse outcome.
M. Isabel Lucena, Carmen Martínez, Raúl J. Andrade, Elena García‐Martín, Eugenia Ulzurrun, José A. G. Agúndez – 27 April 2009
Virginia Leiro Fernández, Alberto Fernández‐Villar, Rafael Vázquez Gallardo, Diana Valverde Pérez – 27 April 2009
Wei‐Chih Tsai, Paul Wei‐Che Hsu, Tsung‐Ching Lai, Gar‐Yang Chau, Ching‐Wen Lin, Chun‐Ming Chen, Chien‐Der Lin, Yu‐Lun Liao, Jui‐Ling Wang, Yat‐Pang Chau, Ming‐Ta Hsu, Michael Hsiao, Hsien‐Da Huang, Ann‐Ping Tsou – 27 April 2009 – MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are inhibitors of gene expression, participate in diverse biological functions and in carcinogenesis. In this study, we show that liver‐specific microRNA‐122 (miR‐122) is significantly down‐regulated in liver cancers with intrahepatic metastastasis and negatively regulates tumorigenesis.