Hepatitis Weekly articles from January 2000

Hepatitis Weekly archives from January 2000

Immunodeficient Mice Develop Intestinal Disease from Newly Identified Bacteria.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers have identified a new heliobacter, Helicobacter typhlonicus, which is capable of inducing intestinal disease in mice with immunodeficiency, according to a recent study from the United States. ...

Hepatitis A Vaccine Effective in Those with Chronic Hepatitis B.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- A commercial, inactivated hepatitis A vaccine was equally efficacious in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B infection and in a control group. "Hepatitis B (HBV)-infected patients have a higher morbidity...

Plastic Microchip May Help in Clinical Analysis.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- "Electrophoresis on polymeric rather than glass microstructures is a promising separation method for analytical chemistry. Assays on such devices need to be explored to allow assessment of their utility for the...

Two Techniques Work Equally Well for HCV RNA Quantification.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers from Taiwan recently conducted a study comparing performance characteristics and clinical applications of two different techniques for analyzing serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels. "HCV RNA...

Hepatitis A Affecting Older Children and Adults in Latin America.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- A changing picture of endemic hepatitis A virus in Latin America was presented recently in a report from Mexico. R. Tapiaconyer and colleagues at the Prevencion and Control Enfermedades in Mexico City...

Long-Term IV Ganciclovir Inhibits Virus Replication.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Long-term intravenous ganciclovir can persistently inhibit hepatitis B virus DNA replication in patients who have received liver transplants, according to researchers in France. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) disease...

American Academy of Pediatrics Publishes Precautions.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Having the AIDS virus or two other life-threatening blood-borne viral diseases is no reason for an athlete to be forced out of play, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises. Just the same, the physicians'...

High Throughput Nucleic Acid Amplification Assay System Is Feasible.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers have shown the feasibility of an automated, high sensitivity, and high throughput assay system to concurrently detect HIV and hepatitis viral nucleic acids in plasma samples. Previous reports have...

Prototype Assay Confirms Presence of Core Antigen.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers from the United States have developed a prototype confirmatory assay for hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen. J. Peterson and colleagues of Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics reported they developed the...

Antibiotic and Antiviral Compounds To Be Featured.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Late-stage antibacterial compounds in clinic will be featured at the Fifth International Antibacterial Drug Discovery & Development Summit, to be held on March 13-14, 2000, in Princeton, New Jersey, announced the...

Specialty Clinics Conducive To Completing Hepatitis B Vaccination Series.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- A study conducted in San Diego County, California, suggests that immunizing adults and adolescents at risk for contracting the hepatitis B virus is accomplished more easily, with the series more likely to be...

Testing System Selected by Australian Red Cross Blood Service To Screen Blood Supply.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Chiron Corporation announced that the Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) will use the company's nucleic acid testing (NAT) system to screen the country's entire blood supply for hepatitis C (HCV) and the...

Group Supports U.S. Agency's Recognition of Anti-Cancer Vaccine.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Parents whose children are chronically ill with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) nodded their heads with approval as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially recognized the hepatitis B vaccine as the first...

Class Action Settlement Related to Immune Globulin Therapy Use Announced.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- Plaintiffs' class counsel and Baxter Healthcare Corporation announced that they have agreed upon a proposed settlement of a class action that will benefit individuals who have contracted or been exposed to...

AAP Issues Year 2000 Immunization Schedule.(Brief Article)
January 10, 2000... 2000 JAN 10 - (NewsRx.com) -- The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued its year 2000 childhood immunization schedule for the United States. The statement represents unified recommendations from the AAP, the Advisory Committee on...

HCV-Core Expressing DNA Vaccine May Prevent Infection.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Salynn Boyles, Senior Editor -- A DNA vaccine expressing hepatitis C virus-core may prove to be the answer to preventing hepatitis C infection. Experimental hepatitis C virus (HCV), based on the two envelope...

Researchers Identify Liver Toxicity Risk of AIDS Drugs.
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Ten percent of HIV infected individuals taking antiretroviral drugs experience liver toxicity at a level high enough to warrant stopping treatment, according to new findings by Johns Hopkins University researchers....

Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid Ineffective Against HCV-Related Cirrhosis in Elderly.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- A study conducted by researchers in Italy revealed that tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) is ineffective in treating elderly patients suffering from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis. The researchers...

RNA Extraction System for HCV Developed.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- An automated RNA extraction system for the detection of hepatitis C virus is presented by researchers in Japan. Researcher H. Miyachi and colleagues developed and evaluated a prototype automated specimen...

HCV Replication in Liver Tissue Predicts Liver Injury.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Active replication of hepatitis C virus in liver tissue may determine the extent of liver injury. Liver failure from chronic hepatitis C is the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States....

Viruses May Soon Be Easier to Spot.(method of detecting hepatitis A developed)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- A simple method of detecting hepatitis A and "Norwalk-like" viruses in food has been developed by researchers at Houston's Baylor College of Medicine. "Norwalk-like viruses" (NLVs) and hepatitis A virus (HAV)...

Drug Combination Prevents Reinfection.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- A combination of lamivudine and low-dose hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) can prevent allograft reinfection in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients after liver transplants, reported researchers from Canada....

HCV RNA Persistence at One Month Predicts Nonresponse.(Chronic hepatitis C patients)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Chronic hepatitis C patients with HCV RNA persistence following one month of interferon treatment will probably be nonresponders, a study from Spain suggests. The term sustained response should be applied to...

IFN-(alpha) Retreatment Debate Continues.(chronic hepatitis C treatment)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Interferon retreatment is appropriate only when newer treatment strategies are not practical in chronic hepatitis C patients who fail initial therapy, according to a report from Italy. Researcher A. Spadaro...

IFN-(alpha) Retreatment May Reduce Liver Cancer Incidence.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Retreatment with interferon alpha may reduce the incidence of liver cancer in chronic hepatitis C virus patients with incomplete responses to initial treatment, a Japanese study finds. Interferon (IFN) therapy...

IFN-(beta) of Little Use in Cirrhotic Patients.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Interferon beta therapy does not appear to be effective in cirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. Few data are available concerning the short and long-term effects of beta-interferon in...

Recombinant Protein May Hold Key to HCV Protection.(hepatitis C virus)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Research in recombinant protein technology may one day lead to an effective vaccine against hepatitis C virus, report researchers from Italy. There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the...

Interferon Is Beneficial in HCV Positive Transplant Patients.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Despite the expense, (alpha)-interferon is justified in treating patients with hepatitis C virus, especially if transplantation is anticipated, according to a recent report. Studies on the action of...

Antibiotic, Antiviral Drug Discovery and Clinical Development Conferences Announced.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Back-to-back conferences featuring the latest pharmaceutical research advances in antibiotic and antiviral discovery and clinical development will take place in Princeton, New Jersey, Strategic Research Institute...

Isis Forms Collaboration with Elan to Develop Antisense Drug for Hepatitis C.
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced it has signed a binding letter of agreement with Elan Corporation, plc, to form a new subsidiary of Isis to develop an antisense drug, ISIS 14803, to treat patients chronically...

US Application Submitted for Interferon Product.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- Schering-Plough Corporation announced that it submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) on December 23, 1999, to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking marketing approval for PEG-INTRON(R)...

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Creates Liver Center.(Brief Article)
January 17, 2000... 2000 JAN 17 - (NewsRx.com) -- With the help of world-class medical talent, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Boston, Massachusetts, is launching a new multidisciplinary liver center. Dr. Maureen Martin, a clinician and scholar...

HAART Useful in HIV(+) Patients with Hepatitis.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Antiretroviral treatment is not contraindicated in patients coinfected with HIV and hepatitis B or C, despite an increased incidence of therapy-related hepatotoxcity in these patients. The use of...

Hepatic Cytolysis Frequent among Patients Treated with HAART.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hepatic cytolysis occurred more often among AIDS patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy than with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, according to a report from France. M. Saves...

HCV NS4B Linked to Liver Cancer.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- A Korean study offers further evidence that hepatitis C virus NS4B protein is associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Although the mechanism of carcinogenesis by hepatitis C virus (HCV) is...

HCV Patient with PCT Shows Little Response to IFN.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Interferon therapy was not effective in a chronic hepatitis C patient with porphyria cutanea tarda, but the patient did experience short-term decrease in HCV RNA levels. Many patients with porphyria cutanea...

Dramatic Increases in HCV Disease Expected in US.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- An epidemic of hepatitis C-related disease is expected in the US during the next few years and middle class drug users are as much at risk as the poor. Hepatitis C (HCV) is an indolent and often fatal disease...

Anti-HCV Immune Response Key to IFN Success.
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- A patient's anti-hepatitis C virus-specific immune response may be the key to interferon response. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) populations persist in vivo as a mixture of heterogeneous viruses called quasispecies....

Ribavirin Increases Hepatic Iron Stores.
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Chronic hepatitis C patients treated with ribavirin may experience increased hepatic iron levels, according to a report from New York's Mount Sinai Medical Center. Increased levels of hepatic iron may impair...

HCV Infection in PBMC Not Related to Viremia.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hepatitis C virus infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells is not a significant factor in virus-related viremia. Although the liver is the main target for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, HCV RNA of...

Cytokine Immunosuppression May Arrest Disease Progression.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Progression of autoimmune hepatitis to liver cirrhosis in children may be influenced by the levels of circulating cytokines, according to researchers in England. "Transforming growth factor-(beta) (TGF-(beta))...

Cross-Reactivity Between HCV and Thyroid Peptides Indicates Molecular Mimicry.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Collaborating researchers in England and Italy have documented cross-reactivity between hepatitis C virus and thyroid peroxidase, the major target of autoimmune thyroid dysfunction and HCV, even in patients not...

RIBA Assay Compares Favorably to Genotyping.
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- A RIBA assay is a simple, inexpensive test to obtain information about hepatitis C virus (HCV) types among HCV infected hemodialysis patients, researchers indicated. Specific HCV genotype may be a predictor of...

NIAID Renews Funding for the Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group.
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has renewed funding for the Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group (AACTG), the largest clinical trials network in the world. Under the new award,...

Lilly, Ribozyme Seek To Test Hepatitis Drug.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Drugmakers Eli Lilly and Co. and Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals Inc. said they filed for approval to start clinical testing of an innovative chemical designed to fight hepatitis C. The drug is Ribozyme...

Antihepatitis C Ribozyme IND Filed by Lilly and RPI.
January 24, 2000... 2000 JAN 24 - (NewsRx.com) -- Eli Lilly and Company and Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RPI), announced that an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) has been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin clinical testing...

Treatment Programs Now in Place Throughout Country.(new liver dialysis treatment cleared by FDA)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- The first US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared liver dialysis treatment program is now in place at 15 medical centers throughout the United States, announced David Mazepink, HemoTherapies, Inc. ...

IFN-12 Shows Little Activity Against HCV.(J.H. Lee, Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitat, Frankfurt, Germany)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Interleukin 12 showed only limited antiviral activity in a group of patients being treated for chronic hepatitis C virus infection. The heterogeneity of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is due to its continuous...

GMC-SF Not Effective as an Adjuvant for Hepatitis B Vaccine.(T.G.Evans report)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CF) is not effective as an adjuvant for hepatitis B vaccines, reported a study from the United States. "GM-CF has shown promise as an adjuvant to...

HBV Involved in non-B, non-C Chronic Liver Ailments.(study by M. Niigaki of Shimane Medical University, Japan)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hepatitis B virus infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of certain non-B, non-C chronic liver diseases. Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA has been detected in the sera of patients with chronic...

Interference of Antibody Production Found in Combination Vaccine.(S. Frey, St Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- There is an interference of antibody production to hepatitis B surface antigen in a combination hepatitis A/hepatitis B vaccine, researchers from the United States reported. "A randomized trial comparing...

Crosslinking Hybridization Assay Evaluated for HBV DNA.(S.J.Hwang, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- A crosslinking hybridization assay may be superior to the branched DNA signal amplification assay for measuring hepatitis B virus DNA in serum. Quantitative measurement of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA has...

Th1 Cytokine or Cells Involved in HCV-Liver Damage.(Y. Kawakami, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Th1 cytokine or Th1 cells may play a part in the liver damage associated with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Researchers Y. Kawakami and colleagues from Japan's Kyushu University sought to determine...

Lamivudine Resistance Promotes Liver Damage in Transplant Patients.(M.G. Peters, University of California at San Francisco, California)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Lamivudine resistance can cause severe liver damage in hepatitis B virus positive, immunocompromised renal transplant recipients. Mutations in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome may occur during therapy....

Hepatitis C Incidence Increasing in Nepal.(study by Y. Sawayama of Japan's Kyushu University)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hepatitis A virus has long been endemic in Nepal and now the incidence of hepatitis C is on the rise. In 1987, Y. Sawayama and colleagues from Fukuoka, Japan's Kyushu University reported that the...

Hepatitis E Virus Open Reading Frame Reconstituted Using Polymerase Chain Reaction.(report of I.H. Ansari of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences of New Delhi, India)(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences report on the reconstruction of hepatitis E virus open reading frame 1 (ORF1) from overlapping fragments amplified by polymerase chain reaction....

Combined A and B Vaccine Found Effective.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- A combined hepatitis A and B vaccine was found to be safe and effective in a group of adolescents participating in a Belgian study. In this open, randomized trial the safety, reactogenicity, and...

Emergency Medical Techs Need More TB, AIDS Training.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Emergency medical technicians need more training on the transmission of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, and AIDS, a study from the United States finds. Researcher F. Mencl and...

Donor TNF-(alpha) Affects HCV Response in Recipients.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Donor tumor necrosis factor-alpha promoter genotype appears to influence response to hepatitis C virus infection in liver transplant patients, according to a report from the Oregon Health Sciences University....

Targeted Vaccine Strategy Best.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- A study from Ireland suggests that hepatitis A prevention efforts are most cost-effective when a targeted vaccination approach is used. Researcher E. Rajan and colleagues of Dublin's Mater Private...

Prevalence in Blood Recipients Similar to That of Donors.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- by Cathy Clark, Senior Editor -- No clinical evidence of disease potentially linked to TT virus (TTV) infection was observed in patients with TTV DNA carriage over several years, according to researchers in...

Combined Treatment for HCV Replacing Monotherapy.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Combination therapy is fast replacing interferon monotherapy as the treatment of choice for chronic hepatitis C virus, according to a noted hepatitis researcher. S. P. Lawrence of the University of...

Hepatitis G Virus Often Passed from Mother to Child.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- Transmission of hepatitis G virus infection from mother to child is common. The prevalence of hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection was investigated in 56 mothers with both human immunodeficiency virus type 1...

Hepatitis A Virus Used as Indicator of Water Quality in Recreational Waters in Brazil.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- In an effort to reduce incidence of waterborne disease, a study is being conducted in the Mangaratiba Municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, of recreational water sanitation using the hepatitis A virus as an...

Preteen Vaccination Week Emphasizes Hepatitis B Shots.(Brief Article)
January 31, 2000... 2000 JAN 31 - (NewsRx.com) -- California observed Preteen Vaccine Week January 17-23 in an effort to alert families, schools, and health care providers that now is the time for current sixth graders to begin getting their hepatitis B...