Hepatitis Weekly articles from January 2003

Hepatitis Weekly archives from January 2003

Activation of antigen-presenting cells rebukes viral replication in liver.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Externally activated immune system cells can make a difference in the fight against chronic hepatitis B. Medical investigators at Scripps Clinic and...

Smoking aggravates liver histology in hepatitis C virus infected.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Smokers with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections tend to develop more liver lesions than nonsmokers, researchers report. Both daily tobacco consumption and...

Hepatitis C virus presents risk for liver cancer in adults with AIDS.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Government researchers have established a connection between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and liver cancer but not HCV infection and non-Hodgkin lymphoma...

Did nuclear bomb increase hepatitis C-related liver cancer risk?
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Interactions between radiation and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may have exacerbated the risk for primary liver cancer in atomic bomb survivors in Japan....

HBV integration pattern in childhood HCC re-examined.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from Taiwan, "Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA integration into host chromosomes is detected in more than 80% of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), yet its significance in...

Undetectable hepatitis B virus DNA unlikely to rise in some carriers.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Health care workers who form antibodies to hepatitis B virus (HBV) e antigen (anti-HBe) may not pose as great a risk for transmitting infection during exposure...

Fibrosis and inflammation reflect cytokine activity in hepatitis C virus.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Interleukin-8 may be a hallmark of liver fibrosis and inflammatory activity in patients with chronic hepatitis C, researchers say. "Interleukin (IL)-8 is...

HBV genotype A prevails in Japanese patients with acute HBV infection.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hepatitis B virus genotype A prevails in Japanese patients with acute hepatitis B infection, study data show. "Acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was diagnosed in 57 adults admitted to...

Saliva anti-HBc testing validated as HBV screening method in day care centers.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Although Denmark has a low hepatitis B virus (HBV) prevalence, HBV transmission has been reported in Danish day-care centers," report immunologists with Odense University Hospital. They conducted...

Hepatitis C virus NS5A protein binds TBP and p53.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from the United States, "Among the hepatotropic viruses, hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered to be the leading cause of liver disease in humans, affecting similar to 2% of the...

Hepatitis C virus replicates in sweat glands and keratinocytes.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from Spain, "Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicates in salivary glands of chronic hepatitis C patients and is released into the saliva, suggesting that HCV may replicate in...

Recombinant HCV-like particles expressed by baculovirus aid antibody detection.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to University of Iowa researchers, "Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is difficult to study due to the lack of an efficient cell culture system or small animal model. As a result, HCV-cell interactions...

Modified rabies virus vectors safe, effective.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Novel rabies virus (RV)-based vaccines can safely protect animals against HIV infection, researchers in the United States report. RV-based vectors "show...

No more medical roulette: Publisher says internet will change in 2003.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx is celebrating its twentieth year as a publisher by adding 20 new weeklies. The company's CEO is predicting major changes in the publishing industry and Internet in 2003. The Atlanta-based...

Liver transplant indication BLA submitted for Nabi-HB Intravenous.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (NABI) announced that it submitted a biologics license application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the use of Nabi-HB Intravenous, Hepatitis B Immune Globulin...

Soybeans could offer edible alternative to injected vaccine.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - For years, scientists have strived to develop vaccines that could be eaten in vegetables. One of the latest studies indicates soybeans could some day be...

Civacir receives orphan drug designation.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nabi Biopharmaceuticals (NABI) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted its investigational product, Civacir [hepatitis C Immune globulin (human)], orphan drug designation...

FDA approves Pegasys in combination with Copegus.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Roche announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved combination therapy with Pegasys (peginterferon alfa-2a), a pegylated interferon, and Copegus (ribavirin) for the treatment...

Case report highlights need for early diagnosis.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A case study from Germany emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis in Leptospira infection. "Leptospirosis is a worldwide infectious disease affecting both animals and humans. Leptospira...

Aflatoxin exposure adds to hepatocellular carcinoma risk for HBV infected.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Conditions resulting in expression of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein may increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in people infected with HBV, virologists report. "Humans chronically...

Hepatitis-associated cancer prevented by anti-Fas ligand antibody therapy.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Oncologists in Japan have demonstrated that improving chronic inflammation in an animal model by anti-Fas ligand antibody therapy resulted in reduced hepatocellular carcinoma development. "A...

Real-time PCR of HBV DNA in tumorous and surrounding tissue yields useful data.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Real-time quantitation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in tumorous and surrounding tissue from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma provides useful information about this disease association, say...

HIV makes hepatitis B significantly more lethal.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Men infected with a combination of hepatitis B virus and HIV are 17 times more likely to die from liver disease than men infected with hepatitis B alone, according to a study by researchers at Johns...

Tecan enters agreement on automated sample preparation systems.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Abbott Laboratories (ABT) and Tecan announced a long-term supply agreement for the development and commercialization of an automated sample preparation system for molecular diagnostic assays. The...

Peg-Intron and Rebetol pass 150,000-patients-treated mark in U.S.
January 6, 2003... 2003 JAN 6 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Schering-Plough Corp. (SGP) announced that the U.S. launch of Peg-Intron (peginterferon alfa-2b) Powder for Injection and Rebetol (ribavirin, USP) Capsules combination therapy represents the most...

Repeated viral load testing predicts spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Repeated tests for hepatitis C virus load can be used for indicating which patients infected with hepatitis C virus may not need treatment, researchers in...

Lamivudine is a stabilizer in hepatitis B-related decompensated disease.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - When treatment options are limited, patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related decompensated liver cirrhosis can benefit from long-term lamivudine therapy,...

Filtration device may reduce deaths among alcoholic hepatitis patients.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - A technique that uses filtration devices to support the work of the liver could save the lives of people with acute alcoholic hepatitis. Alcoholic...

Virus counteracts viral defenses with stealth mechanisms.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Virologists now have a better understanding of hepatitis A virus (HAV) persistence thanks to the efforts of their colleagues in Germany. Kerstin Brack and...

Mycophenolate mofetil an ineffective antiviral for chronic hepatitis C.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Mycophenolate mofetil is unable to reduce hepatitis C virus (HCV) levels in patients who have not undergone liver transplantation, according to the results of...

Study: Low ALT levels should not determine exclusion from treatment.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- St. Louis University researchers say the decision to begin interferon and ribavirin treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C should not be based on serum alanine aminotransferase alone. ...

DoD contract awarded to develop immunostimulatory oligos to enhance vaccines.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Coley Pharmaceutical Group announced that the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded $6MM to Coley to support the development of Coley's CpG immunostimulatory...

Sho-saiko-to extract reduces hepatic inflammation, fibrosis in nonsevere cases.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Sho-saiko-to extract, a Chinese herbal medicine commonly used for treatment of chronic hepatitis in Japan, effectively reduces liver inflammation and fibrosis up to a point. It does not benefit severe...

More research is needed on effect of alcohol use on hepatitis C infection.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Excess alcohol consumption can worsen the course and outcome of chronic hepatitis C. It is important to distinguish between alcohol abuse, which must be treated on its own merits, and the effect of...

Study finds link between HCV genotype 3 and hepatic steatosis.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hepatologists at the University of Sydney reported study data they think "provide strong support for a direct causal association between hepatitis C virus genotype 3 infection and hepatic steatosis."...

Review looks at preventing spread of hepatitis C virus in U.S.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a recent issue of the journal Hepatology, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) virologists discussed groups at risk for hepatitis C virus infection and preventing transmission of...

C/D hybrid is dominant hepatitis B virus genotype in Tibet.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The dominant hepatitis B virus genotype in Tibet is a C/D hybrid with serotype ayw2, according to a report from the Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai. "There are no reports on DNA sequences of...

Genotypes and race affect treatment outcome, study finds.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Australia say their study findings support "the concept that race and ethnicity are important determinants of treatment outcome in hepatitis C virus infected patients." "Hepatitis C...

Study looks at the burden of hepatitis C infection in the U.S.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "According to the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 3.9 million of the U.S. civilian population have been infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), of whom 2.7 million (74%)...

HAV isolates characterized from shellfish-borne outbreak.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Characterization of hepatitis A virus isolates from patients' serum samples confirm a 1999 outbreak in Spain was due to ingestion of imported coquina clams. The outbreak involved 184 serologically...

Effect of serum storage on HCV RNA and core antigen concentrations reported.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Using a new enzyme immunoassay developed for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen, virologists report there is a significant association between the storage time of serum samples and both the HCV...

Occult HBV infection in endemic areas doesn't affect clinical outcome of HCV+.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from Taiwan, "Although occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in individuals without detectable hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) may occur and have been reported to be common...

Synthetic peptide a new candidate for supplemental hepatitis C screening.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Scientists based at the National Cancer Research Center of Egypt have developed a synthetic peptide that could be of use for testing Egyptian populations for...

Early virological response may predict response to interferon treatment.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Alpha interferon therapy of chronic hepatitis C is typically accompanied by a biphasic decrease in hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels: an initial rapid decline during the first 24 to 48 hours, and a...

Effects of HBV X protein may help explain disease progression.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to a study from South Korea, "Despite the extensive studies on the roles of hepatitis B virus (HBV) X protein (HBx) in the development of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), the mechanisms by...

Gastrointestinal transit slows in patients with primary liver cancer.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Researchers in Taiwan have learned that slowed gastrointestinal transit plagues primary liver cancer patients just as much as it does those diagnosed with...

Hepatitis B is key risk factor in Qidong, China.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An epidemiologic study has shown that in Qidong, China, hepatitis B virus infection is common to all cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), whereas only 5% of HCC cases were coinfected with hepatitis...

Study finds damage progresses slowly in kidney transplant patients with HCV.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study from France has provided additional data to address the issue of liver fibrosis progression in hepatitis C patients who have undergone renal transplantation. L. Alric and colleagues...

Evolution of hepatitis C viral quasispecies post-transplant studied.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in the United States have conducted a study "to determine whether HCV quasispecies diversity correlated positively with liver disease progression after orthotopic liver transplantation...

Hepatitis C outbreak resolved by genetic analysis of HCV RNA.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A multidose heparin solution accidentally contaminated with blood apparently was the cause of an outbreak of acute hepatitis C virus infection in a Barcelona, Spain, hospital. "In July 2000,...

FDA approves first U.S. combination vaccine effective against five diseases.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced that its combination vaccine, Pediarix [Diphtheria and Tetanus Toxoids and Acellular Pertussis Adsorbed, Hepatitis B (Recombinant) and Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine...

Intestinal trefoil factor in biliary epithelial cells is differentially expressed.
January 13, 2003... 2003 JAN 13 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- University of California, Davis, researchers have reported on their study of the expression of the intestinal trefoil factor gene and protein expression in the liver of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)...

Mutations differentiate chronic infection and liver cancer in children.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Pediatric patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver cancers tend to have more core gene mutations than HBV-positive children who don't develop...

Alternative interferon could work when interferon-alpha fails.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) who don't respond to interferon-alpha may do better with interferon-beta. Scientists in Spain have studied...

Caution needed in treatment of patients with hepatitis C and cirrhosis.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A recent report cautions that "treatment of patients with decompensated cirrhosis or with recurrent hepatitis C after transplantation should be undertaken cautiously and only within the confines of...

Concentration method makes detection of enteric viruses easier.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Officials responsible for keeping food safe in France have announced the development of a modified technique that facilitates enhanced recovery of viruses on...

DNA vaccine protects macaques against viral infection.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Government researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that DNA vaccine has protected non-human primates against hepatitis E...

Moderately fatty livers or hefty donors don't harm transplantation outcomes.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Researchers at Johns Hopkins University Hospital have concluded that liver tissues containing moderate amounts of fat or donated from obese people don't have a...

Lamivudine therapy benefits advanced liver disease patients awaiting transplant.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lamivudine treatment is an effective strategy for patients with end-stage liver disease caused by HBV precore mutant strain who are awaiting liver transplantation, researchers say. "Orthotopic...

Renal function a useful benchmark for dosing ribavirin.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Data from a population pharmacokinetic analysis point to renal function as being better for determining ribavirin dosage in chronic hepatitis C patients. ...

Study compares oral vs. intramuscular immunization.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- University of Hong Kong researchers compared "the efficacy of immunization with Salmonella typhimurium aroA to deliver the plasmid pRc/CMV-HBsAg (i.e., an oral DNA vaccine)... with that of...

Enzyme immunoassay adequately detects hepatitis C virus isolates.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A report from France suggests "a single test is adequate in the routine diagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection in clinical laboratory, as recommended by the last French and European consensus...

Researchers weigh pretreatment liver biopsy vs. noninvasive assessment of HCV.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Five years after the U.S. National Institutes of Health's Consensus Development Conference on hepatitis C endorsed pretreatment liver biopsy, gastroenterologists at the Massachusetts General Hospital...

Prevalence of hepatitis C in England and Wales determined.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Public health researchers have conducted an epidemiologic study of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in England and Wales. M.A. Balogun and colleagues, Public Health Laboratory Service, Center for...

High-dose interferon effective in patients coinfected with hepatitis C.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Interferon (IFN) treatment may be effective for both HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, according to a researcher in Japan. Working at Ogikubo...

Glycyrrhizin-based IV drug lowered ALT in Chinese clinical trial.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in China conducted a randomized clinical trial to determine safety and efficacy of a glycyrrhizin-based drug in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. "Stronger...

Lactoferrin inhibits hepatitis B virus infection in cultured human hepatocytes.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The milk protein lactoferrin inhibits hepatitis B virus infection in a cultured human hepatocyte line, researchers in Japan report. The same team found in earlier work that "lactoferrin (LF), a...

HBV superinfection has severe clinical course, strongly depresses HCV.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- University of Naples, Italy, researchers report that "hepatitis B virus superinfection in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) carriers has a severe clinical course and strongly and persistently depresses...

HCV primer and overview of therapy presented.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A recent issue of the journal Hepatology focused on the hepatitis C virus, presenting articles ranging from basic virology to preventing HCV infection in at-risk groups. J.H. Hoofnagle and...

Serum endostatin predicts tumor vascularity.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Recent study findings indicate that "measurement of serum endostatin can predict tumor vascularity and may serve as a promising tool in the antiangiogenic therapy for patients with hepatocellular...

Synergism of alcohol with viral hepatitis and diabetes mellitus pose HCC risk.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from the United States, "Risk factors associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are well documented, but the synergisms between these risk factors are not well...

HCV infection linked to development of post-transplantation diabetes mellitus.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nephrologists in Turkey have studied "possible factors that may have a role in the development of diabetes mellitus, including hepatitis C virus infection in renal transplant recipients." ...

Preemptive lamivudine therapy based on HBV DNA level is effective.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Nephrologists at the Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong report that "preemptive lamivudine therapy based on serial hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels and clinical monitoring improved the survival" of...

New imaging technique improves guidance in percutaneous ablation therapy.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - A new sonography technique can guide doctors closer to liver cancer tumors being treated with percutaneous ablation therapy. "The newly developed...

Interferon alfa/ribavirin combo for HCV of limited use for transplant patients.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The results of a small pilot study suggest that the combination therapy of interferon alfa and ribavirin is effective for only a small number of liver allograft recipients with recurrent hepatitis C...

IFN can treat acute hepatitis C during pregnancy with close monitoring.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A case report of a woman who developed and was treated with a short course of interferon alfa therapy for acute hepatitis C infection during her pregnancy was recently presented by gastroenterologists...

HCV induces endoplasmic reticulum stress.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "Human hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of chronic hepatitis, which often results in liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The HCV RNA genome codes for at least 10 proteins. The...

Iron metabolism reflects histological activity in HCV+ males, not females.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study of the role of iron metabolism in chronic hepatitis C shows gender differences in liver histology. S. Chino and colleagues, Nihon University, Japan, conducted a study in which "serum...

Fatigue is disabling for many patients with chronic hepatitis C.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Perhaps not surprisingly, many patients with chronic hepatitis C report that fatigue diminishes their quality of life. Z. Hassoun and colleagues at the University of Montreal's Center Hospital...

Fully automated molecular assay to detect HCV RNA described.
January 20, 2003... 2003 JAN 20 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Diagnosticians in Austria have developed a fully automated molecular assay that they report is "suitable for detection of hepatitis C virus RNA in different kinds of sample materials." H.H....

Long-term response possible after transplant despite viral recurrence.
January 27, 2003... 2003 JAN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Liver transplant recipients can benefit in the long run from a combination of interferon and ribavirin therapies even if they experience hepatitis C virus...

Donated fatty livers function better when treated with prostaglandin E1.
January 27, 2003... 2003 JAN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Scientists continue to debate whether or not transplanted fatty liver grafts can cause adverse consequences in liver transplantation recipients. New evidence...

Serologic testing for hepatitis C virus okay in those with renal failure.
January 27, 2003... 2003 JAN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Atlanta, Georgia, have agreed that serological testing for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is acceptable for patients diagnosed with chronic renal failure. According to recent...

Antiviral effective against hepatitis B virus in HIV-coinfected.
January 27, 2003... 2003 JAN 27 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists have determined tenofovir to be effective against chronic hepatitis B in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). "A significant proportion of human immunodeficiency...