Hepatitis Weekly articles from August 2003

Hepatitis Weekly archives from August 2003

Ribavirin maintenance therapy improves biochemical findings in nonresponders.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Ribavirin maintenance therapy can generate improvements in biochemical findings despite nonvirological response in patients who take combination therapy for...

Scientists confirm a link between hepatitis C virus and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - The authors of an Italian multicenter study have confirmed an association between hepatitis C virus infection and the risk for acquiring B-cell non-Hodgkin...

Nucleoside chain terminators face many hurdles for overcoming HCV polymerase.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nucleoside chain terminators face many hurdles for overcoming HCV polymerase. "Nucleoside chain terminators represent one of the most promising classes of antiviral drug for DNA viruses and...

Alpha-fetoprotein has more validity in nonviral liver cancer diagnoses.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alpha-fetoprotein has more validity in nonviral liver cancer diagnoses. "With the widespread use of ultrasonography (US) and computerized tomography (CT), the usefulness of alpha (a)-fetoprotein...

Cell culture assays screen for the effects of hepatitis C virus inhibitors.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cell culture assays screen for the effects of hepatitis C virus inhibitors. According to a study from Taiwan, "hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious global health problem. Interferon-alpha...

Multiple indices are required when the goal is to define hepatotoxicity.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Multiple indices are required when the goal is to define hepatotoxicity. According to recent research from England, "cytotoxicity endpoints, spontaneous glucose secretion/consumption and LDH and...

Plasma P-selectin levels rise in people with chronic liver diseases.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Plasma P-selectin levels rise in people with chronic liver diseases "P-selectin is a leukocyte receptor and platelet activation marker that has been shown to be involved in thrombogenesis as well as...

Most hepatitis C patients treated with Pegasys still virus free 4 years later.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New observations for patients with hepatitis C were announced at the 38th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL). The largest-ever analysis of cirrhotic patient...

Prison healthcare costs still going up in Nebraska.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The cost of providing medical care to inmates in Nebraska's prison system has risen from $8.8 million in fiscal year 2000 to around $18 million for the last fiscal year which ended June 30, 2003. ...

Vaccine suggested for injecting drug users.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Injecting drug users should be vaccinated against hepatitis A virus (HAV), to stem the recent rise in the disease across the U.K., according to the U.K. Health Protection Agency. Doctors from South...

NIH grant provided for development of hepatitis C inhibitors.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (BCRX) announced that is has been awarded a phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Advanced Technology Grant from the National Institute of Allergy and...

Laparoscopic hemicolectomy aids a cirrhotic liver transplant candidate.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Laparoscopic hemicolectomy aids a cirrhotic liver transplant candidate. "Hepatic cirrhosis is a negative prognostic factor for major abdominal surgery, with a greater risk of bleeding, infection,...

Genmab expands pipeline with hepatitis antibody.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genmab, A/S, announced that it has in-licensed all rights to a human antibody from Connex, GmbH, a privately owned German company currently in administration, and INSERM, the French National Institute...

Several developments offer encouraging news for alcoholic hepatitis patients.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Several developments offer encouraging news for alcoholic hepatitis patients. "Alcoholic hepatitis is a form of acute injury to liver tissue that is also a precursor of cirrhosis, and carries...

Technetium-99m tetrofosmin has little sensitivity for primary liver cancer.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Technetium-99m tetrofosmin has little sensitivity for detecting primary liver cancer. "Technetium-99m Tetrofosmin (Tc-TF) has been shown to be useful in identifying several types of tumors, such as...

Patent granted for immunostimulatory DNA sequence molecule.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dynavax Technologies announced that it has been granted U.S. Patent No. 6,589,940 B1 (the '940 patent), covering Dynavax's ISS (immunostimulatory DNA sequence) molecule known as "1018 ISS." The...

A capillary electrophoresis system is able to discern HCV quasispecies.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A capillary electrophoresis system is able to discern HCV quasispecies. "The quasispecies nature of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome is central to the transmission, persistence and pathogenesis of...

Compounds show promise against Flavivirus and animal applications.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Immtech International, Inc., (IMMT) announced publication of scientific data describing the activity of aromatic cationic molecules against the bovine diarrhea virus (BVDV). BVDV is an RNA...

Genomic RNA 3' NTR doesn't affect hepatitis C virus IRES efficiency.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genomic RNA 3' NTR doesn't affect hepatitis C virus IRES efficiency. According to published research from France, "hepatitis C virus (HCV) translation is mediated by an IRES structure. Instead of a...

Genotype-specific probes assay is useful for detecting hepatitis B coinfection.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genotype-specific probes assay is useful for detecting hepatitis B coinfection. "A genotype-specific probes assay (GSPA) was developed for distinguishing the seven genotypes (A-G) of hepatitis B...

Mutagenic nucleotide analogs could augment the effect of hepatitis C therapy.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Mutagenic nucleotide analogs could augment the effect of hepatitis C therapy. "The recent development of in vitro hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA replication systems has provided useful tools for...

Ribozymal targeting of hepatitis C virus could include several sites.
August 4, 2003... 2003 AUG 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ribozymal targeting of hepatitis C virus could include several sites. "Accessibility to folded RNA and low potential of variation in the target RNA are crucial requirements for ribozyme therapy...

Antisense inhibition offers a new way to control hepatitis C virus infection.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - New therapeutic strategies that involve crippling viral translation might be feasible for treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Researchers at...

Liver p53 overexpression can be detected early in chronic hepatitis C.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - An Italian study indicates p53 gene expression in the liver occurs early during the course of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The p53 gene is a...

Dermatopathologic manifestations often accompany hepatitis C virus infections.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Dermatopathologic manifestations often accompany hepatitis C virus infections. "Cutaneous eruptions related to hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major cause of hepatitis in the setting of blood...

Lamivudine staunches chemotherapy-induced hepatitis B virus reactivation.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lamivudine staunches chemotherapy-induced hepatitis B virus reactivation. "The results of lamivudine therapy in four patients with chemotherapy-induced hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation are...

Viral integration at select gene sites preface the advent of cancer.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Viral integration at select gene sites preface the advent of cancer. "Chronic infections with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are important risk factors for...

Mixed infections in hepatitis C virus patients may be underestimated.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Mixed infections in hepatitis C virus patients may be underestimated. "The level of in vitro detection of viral genomes in mixes with two different hepatitis C virus (HCV) subtypes was investigated...

Patients show comparable sustained suppression in a study of HBV regimens.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Patients show comparable sustained suppression in a study of HBV regimens. "We compared the use of prolonged synchronous combination therapy with interferon (IFN)-alpha-2b and lamivudine with the...

Several extrahepatic manifestations are related to hepatitis C virus infection.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Several extrahepatic manifestations are related to hepatitis C virus infection. According to recent research published in the journal Hepato - Gastroenterology, "hepatitis C virus infection is...

Hepatitis B core antigen should be used for diagnosis in HIV patients.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The hepatitis B core antigen should used in hepatitis B testing of HIV patients. In a recent study, scientists in the United States "screened 651 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected...

Interferon alpha-2a with ribavirin ineffective for HIV patients with hepatitis C.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The combination of interferon alpha-2a (IFN-alpha-2a) and ribavarin is not effective for HIV patients with hepatitis C. "An open-label, randomized trial was conducted to compare the efficacy and...

HepCgen genotyping service helps fight "silent epidemic".
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new centralized genotyping service that enables clinicians to differentiate between types of hepatitis C infections is poised to improve treatment for patients with hepatitis C, a severely...

Pennsylvania's state prisons changing way they treat inmates.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pennsylvania's state prison officials plan to treat far fewer inmates found to be infected with hepatitis C, but those who are treated will get better care. In fact, new guidelines that go into...

Long-term butterbur use is associated with rare cases of reversible hepatitis.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Long-term butterbur use is associated with rare cases of reversible hepatitis. "For hundreds of years butterbur (Petasites hybridus) has been used against many diseases. Modern indications are the...

Inhibition of the paternal gene PEG10 might abate hepatocellular carcinogenesis.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Inhibition of the paternal gene PEG10 might abate hepatocellular carcinogenesis. According to recent research published in the journal Cancer Research, "through a genome-wide cDNA microarray, we...

VEGF and angiopoietin 2 are linked to hepatocellular carcinoma vascularity.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- VEGF and angiopoietin 2 are linked to hepatocellular carcinoma vascularity. According to published research from the United States, "hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is becoming one of the most...

Acute viral cholecystitis may form during acute hepatitis A virus infection.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acute viral cholecystitis may form during acute hepatitis A virus infection. According to published research from Turkey, "acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is frequent in developing...

Judge: Generic drug for hepatitis C wouldn't infringe on Ribapharm.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A U.S. federal court ruled that competitors of Ribapharm, Inc., can develop generic versions of its hepatitis C drug without infringing on patents. The Costa Mesa, California, company said it would...

Plasmapheresis relieves a liver transplant-related cutaneous fibrosing disorder.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Plasmapheresis relieves a liver transplant-related cutaneous fibrosing disorder. According to a study from the United States, "nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD) is a recently described...

HIV, HCV license agreement granted for plasma testing.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Chiron Corporation (CHIR) announced that it has granted to Baxter AG, a subsidiary of Baxter International, a license to use its HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) intellectual property in combination...

Hepatitis B virus polymerase associates with leukemia nuclear bodies via p11.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hepatitis B virus polymerase associates with leukemia nuclear bodies via p11. According to a study from South Korea, "hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase (Pol) interacts with cellular chaperone...

Hepatitis C virion morphogenesis may take place in intracellular vesicles.
August 11, 2003... 2003 AUG 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hepatitis C virion morphogenesis may take place in intracellular vesicles. "In this study, 13 samples of liver biopsies from patients with chronic hepatitis C were studied by transmission electron...

Viral internal ribosome entry site prevents inhibition of initiation by PKR.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New study findings suggest that hepatitis C viral internal ribosome entry sites serve both structural and regulatory functions. "Translation of the hepatitis C genome is mediated by internal...

Peripheral blood dendritic cells appear to be a reservoir for HCV replication.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Peripheral blood dendritic cells appear to be a reservoir for hepatitis C virus replication during natural infection, study results suggest. According to researchers in France, "The existence of...

Rapid immunochromatographic assay for HBV screening gets thumbs up.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- University of Texas hepatologists liked the results they got with a commercial, rapid immunochromatographic assay for hepatitis B virus screening. They say the test would be particularly useful for...

Twice-weekly administration of peginterferon-alpha-2b improves viral kinetics.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- University of Vienna internists are recommending at least twice-weekly dosing of peginterferon-alpha-2b for their patients with chronic hepatitis C. They say this schedule is necessary to...

HBV frequently targets cellular genes involved in cell signaling.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study from France sheds some light on a possible role for the hepatitis B virus in the development of liver cancer. Researchers have determined that the hepatitis B virus (HBV) frequently...

Study finds additional evidence of unbalanced IFN systems in HCV infection.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A recent study compared intra-hepatic activation of the interferon (IFN) system in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with that observed in a non-infectious liver disease such as...

Replicon core coding sequences affect replication, IRES-dependent translation.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Replicon core coding sequences affect replication, IRES-dependent translation "In GBV-B [GB virus B] replicon RNA and potentially in the complete viral genome, the core coding sequences not only...

Lamivudine's effect is transient for Taiwanese HBeAg-negative HBV patients.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gastroenterologists in Taiwan report that in their study of Taiwanese hepatitis B e antigen-negative patients with chronic hepatitis B, treatment with lamivudine produced a transient virological...

New enzyme immunoassay for HBcrAg evaluated.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay for the detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) core-related antigen is sensitive and useful, researchers report. Additionally, they note, for monitoring...

Data support initiation of program to boost immune system to fight HBV.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- CellExSys, Inc., a majority owned subsidiary of Targeted Genetics Corporation (TGEN), presented data in support of the anticipated initiation of a phase I clinical trial in patients with chronic...

Is there a risk from consumption of deer?
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Japanese researchers provide evidence that hepatitis E infection may be transmitted by consumption of Sika deer, a Japanese delicacy. Hepatitis E is rare in economically developed countries. An...

Replicon-based bioassay measures IFNs in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A hepatitis C virus replicon-based bioassay developed by University of Heidelberg scientists measures concentrations of biologically active interferon-alpha in serum and heparinized plasma of patients...

Bile-duct cell apoptosis and hepatocyte injury may lead to reduced liver function.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Activated T cells and soluble molecules in portal venous blood may promote Fas/FasL-mediated apoptosis of the bile-duct cells and hepatocytes, possibly leading to reduced liver function in cholestatic...

PreS deletion depends on HBV genotype, may lead to advanced liver disease.
August 18, 2003... 2003 AUG 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study from Japan indicates "development of preS deletion mutants depends on HBV genotypes and that it may be associated with progressive liver disease," researchers say. "Hepatitis B virus (HBV)...

Pegylated interferon has improved the outlook for many hepatitis patients.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pegylated interferon has improved the outlook for many hepatitis patients. According to recent research from Greece, "pegylated IFN-alpha(2a) (PEG-IFN-alpha(2a) [40 kDa]; Pegasys, Hoffmann-La...

HBV DNA persists several years after liver transplantation despite prophylaxis.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- HBV DNA persists several years after liver transplantation despite prophylaxis. According to a study from France, "long-term immunoprophylaxis with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) is widely...

FLAP lentiviral vectors augment ex vivo gene transfer to liver cells.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- FLAP lentiviral vectors augment ex vivo gene transfer to liver cells. "Allogenic hepatocyte transplantation or autologous transplantation of genetically modified hepatocytes has been used...

Alcohol increases the expression of hepatitis C virus replicons.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alcohol increases the expression of hepatitis C virus replicons. "Alcohol consumption accelerates liver damage and diminishes the anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) effect of interferon alfa (IFN-alpha)...

Donor or recipient HCV infections can predominate after liver transplantation.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Donor or recipient HCV infections can predominate after liver transplantation. According to recent research from the United States, "Superinfection of different viral strains within a single host...

Vesicular stomatitis virus is oncolytic in hepatocellular carcinoma models.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Vesicular stomatitis virus is oncolytic in hepatocellular carcinoma models. According to recent research published in the journal Cancer Research, "tumor-targeted replicating viruses are being...

Ursodeoxycholate restores liver function in rodent cholestatic hepatitis.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ursodeoxycholate restores liver function in rodent cholestatic hepatitis. "Hepatic uptake of organic anions, including bile salts, is mediated by members of the organic anion-transporting...

No drug resistance is detected in HBV patients who receive adefovir dipivoxil.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- No drug resistance is detected in HBV patients who receive adefovir dipivoxil. "Seven hundred nucleoside treatment-naive patients were enrolled in 2 phase 3 trials of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) for...

Interferon mitigates steatosis in patients infected with hepatitis C.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Interferon mitigates steatosis in patients infected with hepatitis C. According to recent research published in the journal Hepatology, "it has been suggested that hepatitis C virus (HCV) and...

PPAR alpha-dependent hepatic lipid turnover decreases dietary steatohepatitis.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- PPAR alpha-dependent hepatic lipid turnover decreases dietary steatohepatitis "We have proposed that steatohepatitis results from reactive oxygen species (ROS) acting on accumulated fatty acids to...

Blood-screening product sales help drives company's strong second quarter.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gen-Probe, Inc., (GPRO) reported its financial results for the second quarter and 6 months ended June 30, 2003. Total revenues for the second quarter of 2003 were $50.7 million compared to $34.9...

Cancer drug maker reports $0.18 per share net loss; provides clinical update.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (BCRX) announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2003. The company reported revenues of $266,000 in the second quarter of 2003, compared to...

Microdialysis technique for glucose monitoring successful.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Microdialysis technique for glucose monitoring successful in diabetic patients. "The performances and the stability of a novel subcutaneous glucose monitoring system have been evaluated,"...

Interferon may prevent hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis C.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Interferon may prevent the hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis C. "The possibility that interferon-alpha might be effective for the prevention or treatment of hepatocellular...

A new model predicts severe HCV-related disease after liver transplantation.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new model predicts severe HCV-related disease after liver transplantation. "Post-transplantation recurrence is increasing in patients with HCV. Early antiviral therapy may be of benefit in this...

Combination therapy that includes pegylated interferon yields better results.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Combination therapy that includes pegylated interferon yields better results. According to a study from England, "chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus is common. In the past, therapy...

Cyclin E is a target for the treatment of liver cancer.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cyclin E is a target for the treatment of liver cancer. According to recent research published in the journal Cancer Research, "RNA interference is the process by which double-stranded RNA directs...

Levetiracetam monotherapy controls seizures in a liver transplant patient.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Levetiracetam monotherapy controls seizures in a liver transplant patient. According to a study from the United States, "selecting an appropriate anticonvulsant for treatment of recipients of...

Immune gene complexity controls interferon efficacy in hepatitis C patients.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Immune gene complexity controls interferon efficacy in hepatitis C patients. "To investigate the influence of immunogenetics on response to interferon (IFN)-alpha treatment, human leukocyte antigen...

Imaging tools determine cost-effectiveness for screening transplant candidates.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Imaging tools determine cost-effectiveness for screening transplant candidates. According to a study from the United States, "de novo hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may have a large impact on...

Amphotericin B lipid complex superior to standard agent for IA treatment.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A lipid complex of amphotericin B is more effective than the standard formulation against invasive aspergillos (IA). In liver transplant recipients, the development of IA "is associated with poor...

ICN increases bid for Ribapharm.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc., says it raised its unsolicited offer for the interest in Ribapharm, Inc. it doesn't already own to $187 million from $168 million. The sweetened offer comes after...

The newly identified gene SVH has been implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The newly identified gene SVH has been implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma. "Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with poor prognosis. By representational...

Transmembrane protein HSpin1 induces autophagic cell death.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- HSpin1, a transmembrane protein interacting with Bcl-2/Bcl-x[subscript]L, induces caspase-independent autophagic cell death. "The Drosophila spinster (spin) gene product is required for programmed...

Status before liver transplantation predicts post-transplant mental health.
August 25, 2003... 2003 AUG 25 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Status before liver transplantation predicts post-transplant mental health. "This study has two goals. The first goal is to assess the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in orthotopic liver...