Viral dynamics and response differences in HCV‐infected African American and white patients treated with IFN and ribavirin

Jennifer E. Layden‐Almer, Ruy M. Ribeiro, Thelma Wiley, Alan S. Perelson, Thomas J. Layden – 30 December 2003 – Studies have suggested that African American patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) do not respond as well to treatment with interferon (IFN) as white patients. Here we analyzed the difference in the viral kinetic response between genotype 1 HCV‐infected African American patients (n = 19) and white patients (n = 16). Patients were treated with 10 mIU IFN‐α2b daily with or without ribavirin for 1 month followed by 3 mIU IFN‐α2b 3 times a week with ribavirin.

Active immunization against de novo hepatitis B virus infection in pediatric patients after liver transplantation

Seong‐Hwan Chang, Kyung‐Suk Suh, Nam‐Joon Yi, Seok Ho Choi, Hoan Jong Lee, Jeong Kee Seo, Kuhn Uk Lee – 30 December 2003 – The shortage of donor organs occasionally mandates the use of hepatic allografts from anti‐HBc (+) donors. HBIG and/or lamivudine are recommended for the prevention of de novo HBV infection in naive patients, but there are attendant problems, such as mutant strain emergence and high cost. Active immunization presents a better alternative than the use of HBIG or lamivudine, if it can be proven to be effective.

Portal cavernoma‐associated cholangiopathy: A clinical and MR cholangiography coupled with MR portography imaging study

Bertrand Condat, Valérie Vilgrain, Tarik Asselah, Dermot O'Toole, Pierre Rufat, Magali Zappa, Richard Moreau, Dominique Valla – 30 December 2003 – Although biliary symptoms appear to be uncommon in patients with portal cavernoma, almost all of them have endoscopic retrograde cholangiographic abnormalities. The mechanisms underlying the biliary changes are explained poorly.

Inhibition of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein: Another mechanism for drug‐induced steatosis in mice

Philippe Lettéron, Angela Sutton, Abdellah Mansouri, Bernard Fromenty, Dominique Pessayre – 30 December 2003 – Although many steatogenic drugs inhibit mitochondrial fatty acid β‐oxidation, limited information is available on possible effects on hepatic lipoprotein secretion.

Ursodeoxycholic acid therapy and the risk of colorectal adenoma in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis: An observational study

Lawrence Serfaty, Antoine De Leusse, Olivier Rosmorduc, Benoit Desaint, Jean‐Francois Flejou, Olivier Chazouilleres, Renée E. Poupon, Raoul Poupon – 30 December 2003 – Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the first‐line treatment for primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The long‐term administration of UDCA might indirectly favor colon carcinogenesis by increasing the fecal excretion of secondary bile acids or, in contrast, it might inhibit colon carcinogenesis, as demonstrated in animal models.

Determinants for sustained HBeAg response to lamivudine therapy

Rong‐Nan Chien, Chau‐Ting Yeh, Sun‐Lung Tsai, Chia‐Ming Chu, Yun‐Fan Liaw – 30 December 2003 – There are inconsistent data on the durability of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion after lamivudine is discontinued. The aim of this study was to examine the determinants for sustained HBeAg response to lamivudine therapy. Both host and viral factors as well as the drug factor were compared between 43 patients with sustained HBeAg response and 39 patients whose response was not sustained.

Subscribe to