Hepatitis Weekly articles from April 2001

Hepatitis Weekly archives from April 2001

Viral Hepatitis Main Cause Of Liver Changes In Children On Maintenance Therapy.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - A joint study of liver dysfunction in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) pediatric patients in Egypt and Saudi Arabia has shown viral hepatitis is a major...

Transfusion Study Shows Hepatitis G Prevalent In Brazil.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - The results of a Brazilian study show GB virus-C/hepatitis G virus (GBV-C/HGV) is highly prevalent in that country. Nevertheless, there is no evidence...

Hepatitis C Infection Linked To Obstructive Bile Disorder After Liver Transplant.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Scientists say hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one reason for cholestatic hepatitis onset after liver transplantation. Cholestatic hepatitis, a...

Paraformaldehyde Preserves HCV Virions Usually Destroyed During Centrifugation.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Researchers in Japan have discovered treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles with paraformaldehyde prior to ultracentrifugation protects them during the...

Quantitative Liver Function Predicts Development Of HCV-Related Cirrhosis.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Quantitative testing of liver function (QTLF) positively correlates with progression in hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients who have liver cirrhosis. A new...

Immunization Finance Policies and Practices Addressed In Report.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vaccination rates in the United States are at a record high, but the system is starting to show signs of strain. Federal funds dedicated to supporting the immunization network are shrinking. State...

Serum Marker Correlates With Hepatitis C Prevalence In Taiwan Communities.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - The liver function marker ALT is useful for identifying communities where hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are high among its residents, according to...

Pre-Dialysis Hepatitis Virus Levels Influence Prevalence In Dialysis Units.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Pre-dialysis virus infection rates are a good indicator for overall virus prevalence in dialysis units, researchers say. Patients with chronic kidney...

Factors Identified That Predict Survival After Surgery for HCV-Related Cancer.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Several factors, including retreatment of recurrent tumors, predict survival after surgery for hepatitis C-associated hepatocellular carcinoma. ...

HCV A Risk Factor For Cancer Recurrence After Curative Treatments.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - A new report indicates hepatitis C virus is one of two primary causes for liver cancer recurrence after treatments with newer, less invasive cancer...

Hepatitis A Initiative Improves Health Worker/Patient Dialogue In Gay Population.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - A hepatitis A vaccine initiative meant to stem a hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreak among gay males in Canada significantly improved communications between...

Effectiveness of Lamivudine in European Patients Reviewed.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Medical researchers in Germany say European patients profit from taking lamivudine therapy for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV). According to...

Interferon Treatments Generate Autoantibodies In Adrenal Cortex.
April 2, 2001... 2001 APR 2 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - New research performed in Germany indicates interferon-alpha therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) generates a low level of adrenal autoantibodies in some...

Hepatitis B Virus X Protein Mediates Toxin-Induced Liver Cancer.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Experiments performed on double-transgenic mice indicate the hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein acts as a cofactor for carcinogen-induced liver cancers by...

Mild and Chronic Hepatitis Patients Respond Alike To Interferon.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Patients with mild chronic hepatitis C respond at the same rates to interferon therapy as patients with more active chronic disease, researchers suggest. ...

Compounds Demonstrate Strong HBV-Specific Antiviral Activity In Vitro.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers with Mitsubishi-Tokyo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., in Japan reported that certain trifluoroethyl esters of phosphonomethoxyethyl purine derivatives demonstrate strong and specific antiviral...

Peptides Blocking HCV Genome Translation May Have Therapeutic Value.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A team of researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center is trying to identify poly-cationic peptides that bind to the internal...

Thalidomide Sparks Hepatitis Onset In Leukemia Patient.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Doctors in Canada say thalidomide is potentially toxic to the liver. Physicians in Toronto, Ontario, reported a case study in which a patient being...

Teen Injection Drug Users In Dublin, Ireland, Practice High-Risk Behaviors.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Injection drug use by teenagers is on the rise in Dublin, Ireland, and causing young people, especially females, to participate in high-risk behaviors,...

Grafts In EBV-Infected Patients Rejected Due To Immunosuppression.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Although liver transplant patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can be treated with immunosuppressive therapies, their long-term prospects for graft...

Pasteurized Clotting Factor Effective, Virus-Free.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - A current study reports Monoclate-P, a pasteurized factor VIII (FVIII) protein used for treating type A hemophiliacs, is effective and free of common...

Aflatoxin Exposure Increases Disease Risk Among Population In Asia.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - New research indicates exposure to the liver toxin aflatoxin is high among some populations in Asia, suggesting a need to limit aflatoxin exposure to reduce...

Dual Procedures Increase Survival When Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus Is Present.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Chemoembolization followed by hepatectomy may be the best approach for increasing survival in liver cancer patients with a portal vein tumor thrombus. ...

Survival Rates Low After Surgery For Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Disease-free survival rate in patients treated for liver cancer recurrence is low, according to medical researchers at Japan's Nara Medical University. ...

Study Examines Outcomes Of Using Older Cadaveric Donors.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - With the increasing rise of chronic liver disease, the need for liver donors has become critical. A new study suggests livers from older cadaveric donors are...

Hepatitis C Rate Among Health Care Workers In Lebanon Is Low.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - The hepatitis C virus infection rate among health care workers in Lebanon is the same as that of area blood donors, researchers at Arabian Gulf University...

Clinical Trial For Albumin Fusion Protein Drug To Start.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (HGSI) announced March 23, 2001, that it has begun a Phase I human clinical trial of Albuferon(TM) in patients infected with hepatitis C. Albuferon is created by...

U.S. FDA Assigns HCV Drug Priority Review Status.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ICN) and Schering-Plough Corporation (SGP) reported on March 23, 2001, that the companies have been notified verbally by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that...

Infection, Interferon Interrupt Growth In Children With Chronic Hepatitis.
April 9, 2001... 2001 APR 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Chronic hepatitis B and its treatment, interferon-alpha, compromise the growth of pediatric patients, researchers report in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis....

Thiamine Clears Hepatitis B In Three Case Studies.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Scientists at Dartmouth Medical School have reported that vitamin B[1], thiamine, improved liver function and decreased virus levels in three case studies...

HBV DNA-Positive, Antigen-Negative Blood May Not Be Infectious.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Blood that is hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA-positive but surface antigen negative may not be infectious, researchers suggest. Alfred M. Prince, at the...

Preventing Hepatitis C Is A Factor In Stemming Organ Demand.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - A Stanford University researcher says preventing hepatitis C virus infections is just one of several ways to tackle the problem of too few livers for too...

Hepatitis E Carries Highest Risk For Morbidity, Mortality In Pregnancy.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - A study of acute viral hepatitis in pregnant women shows hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes the most morbidity and mortality in this population. Previous...

Lamivudine Effective In The Presence Of Acute Liver Failure.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Clinical trial results show lamivudine therapy is as effective for acute episodes of hepatitis B as it is for chronic hepatitis B. Several studies have...

Study Finds Tattooing A Major Route Of Hepatitis C Infection.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Getting a tattoo could be a key infection route for hepatitis C, the most common chronic viral infection affecting almost 2% of the United States population, according to a study by a University of...

Researchers Use Silicon Chips To Sustain Liver Cells In Mice.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists have coaxed liver cells into thriving on a specially machined silicon chip, a melding of biology and technology that could lead to the creation of artificial liver device that would...

Routine PCR Testing Best For Detecting Early Hepatitis C Virus In Donated Blood.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Routine use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) may be best for testing donor blood for hepatitis C virus (HCV), researchers in Germany indicate. Walter...

GB Virus C/Hepatitis G Prevalence Remains High In Italian Population.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - The incidence of GB virus C/hepatitis G virus continues to persist in the Italian population, according to a new report published in Infection. A study...

Teaching Hospitals in Japan Rarely A Source Of Hepatitis C Transmission.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - The results of a multi-center study show hepatitis C virus (HCV) is rarely transmitted at Japanese university hospitals. The transmission of bloodborne...

VA Hospital Will Test Apoptosis-Inducing Drug.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (TTP) announced on March 28, 2001, that it has initiated a clinical study of its Pivanex product for the treatment of liver tumors. The Phase I/II clinical study is...

Obesity Increases Costs, Length Of Hospitalization.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Severe obesity in liver transplant patients means higher costs and lengthier hospital stays than for their leaner counterparts. A new study conducted...

Famciclovir Less Effective For HBV-Associated Infections After Grafts.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Researchers in Spain propose famciclovir monotherapy is of no benefit to most patients with new or recurrent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections after liver...

Travelers Head Out Armed Against Malaria, But Not Gonorrhea.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - When travel clinic services ignore the potential for sexual activity among their patients, they leave the door open for sexually transmitted diseases...

Combination Therapy Gets Marketing Clearance In EU.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ICN), announced on March 28, 2001, that the European Commission of the European Union (EU) granted centralized marketing authorization to Pegintron(TM) (peginterferon...

Pre-1990 Blood Products Most Likely To Infect Hemophiliacs With Hepatitis Viruses.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Males with hemophilia are more likely to acquire hepatitis C or B virus (HCV, HBV) infections from blood products made prior to 1990, U.S. Centers for...

Studies Reunite Two Families Of Major Insect-Borne Viruses.
April 16, 2001... 2001 APR 16 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Two families of viruses, which were previously thought to be related and later were considered unrelated, are celebrating a scientific family reunion of sorts. In a study published in the...

Oral Mucosal DNA Vaccine Good Candidate For Chronic HBV.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - A new vaccine for hepatitis B virus (HBV) that combines naked DNA carrying hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) with live attenuated Salmonella typhimurium...

Infant Hepatitis B Vaccination Rate Still Down Two Years After Thimerosal Policy Statement.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Public health officials in Wisconsin report infant vaccination rates for hepatitis B fell after a major policy statement on vaccine preservatives was...

Study Evaluates Hepatitis Viruses Among Myanmar Population.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - The results of an epidemiological study indicate viral hepatitis infections are common in the population of Myanmar (Burma). Epidemiologists at Nihon...

Two-Dose Hepatitis B Vaccine Regimen Effective And Safe In Adolescents.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Adolescents can be safely and effectively vaccinated with two doses of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine instead of three, authors of a multi-center trial...

Interferon Therapy Reduces Risk In Patients With HCV-Related Cirrhosis.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Patients with hepatitis-C-related liver cirrhosis can reduce their chances of developing liver cancer by taking long-term interferon (IFN) therapy. A...

Potentially Fatal Heart Disorder Linked To More Than 50 Common Prescription Medications.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recently released survey results, many doctors may not have enough information about Long QT Syndrome, a potentially fatal disorder of the heart's electrical system, to protect...

Hepatitis Is A Feature In Pediatric Patients With Viral Hemorrhagic Infection.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - An examination of livers acquired from children who died of dengue fever suggests liver cells are central targets for the virus. "The liver seems to be...

MRI and MRC Reveals Distinct Features In Rare Type Of Liver Cancer.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) can reveal distinct features in icteric-type liver cancers, researchers report...

New Assay Detects Hepatitis B Mutants In Liver Transplant Recipients.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Scientists in England have developed a new immunoassay that can detect hepatitis B virus (HBV) escape mutants in liver transplant recipients. "HBV...

Socioeconomics A Factor In TT Virus And Hepatitis A In Brazil.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Education levels and finances may influence the prevalence of TT virus (TTV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) among some sectors of Brazilian society. TTV,...

Nature Of HCV infections Acquired At Brazilian Center Analyzed.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Researchers in Brazil have determined five hemodialysis patients acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV) at the same center, even though their HCV antibody tests...

UNICEF Launches Worldwide Childhood Vaccination Program.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Three-month-old Esperanca let out a sharp, high-pitched scream as she became the first baby to be vaccinated in an international drive launched April 6, 2001, to immunize thousands of the world's...

Treatment May Enable Drug Resistance.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The influenza virus may be developing resistance to a drug recently approved for the prevention and treatment of the disease, say researchers from Japan. They reported their findings in the...

African Americans Retain Immune Response While On Immunosuppressive Drugs.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Despite the use of immunosuppressive therapies after liver and kidney transplants, African Americans suffer worse graft survival rates than white patients....

NewsRx Announces Launch of Stem Cell Week as Part of Healthcare Database and Information Offerings.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, announced April 11, 2001, the launch of Stem Cell Week, a new database product. Stem Cell Week is...

Genotype, Early Viral Reduction Best Indicators For Treatment Response.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Early viral clearance is a key factor for whether or not chronic hepatitis C patients will show a sustained response to interferon/ribavirin therapy. ...

Pegylated Interferon, Better Molecular Tools Improve Outcomes.
April 23, 2001... 2001 APR 23 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Treatment and outcomes for patients with chronic hepatitis (HCV) continue to improve with the recent approval of pegylated interferon. An expert panel, convened by the American College of...