Hepatitis Weekly articles from May 2001

Hepatitis Weekly archives from May 2001

Interferon-Ribavirin Combination Gets Lukewarm Acceptance In New Study.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Scientists report a combination of interferon and ribavirin is somewhat effective for treating recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) in liver transplant...

Possible Mechanism For Obesity-Related Liver Disease Described.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Susan Hasty, senior medical writer - Researchers at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine think they know why non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in the obese mimics alcoholic...

First Fatal Case Of Hepatitis Associated With Combination Treatment For TB.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The first known death associated with a new two-month drug regimen of rifampin and pyrazinamide for the treatment of latent tuberculosis infection has been reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease...

Hepatitis C Patients With Normal ALT Levels Show Histological Signs Of Fibrosis.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Surprising results from a European multi-center study indicate that patients positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and who have normal alanine transaminase (ALT) levels may, in fact, show...

Coated Tegafur/Uracil Improves Survival in Inoperable Cases.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Although patients with unresectable stage IV-A liver cancers have a poor prognosis, new research indicates enteric-coated tegafur/uracil could extend...

Amantadine-Interferon Combination Effective for Chronic Hepatitis C.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - A new clinical trial suggests combination amantadine-interferon therapy reduces virus levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C. In the trial,...

Cell Cultures Can Analyze Disinfectant Activity Against HBV.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - A French study has determined cell cultures can be used to examine the effectiveness of common hospital disinfectants against hepatitis B virus (HBV). ...

Proteasome Subunits May Have Regulatory Role In Hepatitis C Virus Replication.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gastroenterologists have ferreted out what they say could be a principal regulatory role for proteasome subunits in the replication of the hepatitis C virus. They reported their study at the...

Does A Lifetime Of Fighting Off Infections Trigger Heart Disease?
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Hardened arteries and heart attacks may be the price we pay for fighting infection. According to a report in a recent issue of New Scientist, researchers in Austria have shown that a wide...

Chronic Hepatitis B Infection Affects Outcome Of Hepatitis C Infection.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study by researchers at the Hannover Medical School in Germany finds that infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) has a deleterious effect on clinical outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV)...

Assay Helps Determine Immunity To Hepatitis B Virus.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The first diagnostic anti-hepatitis B surface antigen assay on a random access system has received Premarket Approval (PMA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and...

Rural Drug Users In England Acquire Same Diseases As Urban Counterparts.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Drug users in rural England acquire blood-borne viral infections at the same rates as their urban contemporaries do. Medical investigators at two...

Nitric Oxide Not Involved In Interferon-Induced Hepatitis C Replicon Clearance.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers with Roche Discovery, U.K., have determined that nitric oxide does not have a role in interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) induced hepatitis C replicon clearance. They also report that...

NewsRx.net Is Preferred Site for Cancer, Malaria, AIDS, Other Health Searches, Audience Measurement Shows.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx Network, Atlanta, Georgia, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, announced on April 17, 2001, the results of audience measurements based on its...

VEGF Receptor Mediates Peritoneal Fluid Accumulation In Hepatic Cancers.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - The receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A modulates peritoneal fluid accumulation in primary liver cancers, the results of a new study...

HBV Thrives In Human Heptatic Cells Transplanted Into Immunocompetent Rats.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Hepatitis B virus (HBV) will infect human liver cells transplanted into immunocompetent rats, according to a new study. Whereas immunodeficient animals...

New Approach Needed To Prevent Hepatitis B In Patients.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers in Italy report that a triple course of hepatitis B vaccination is not effective in preventing infection in patients who have undergone liver transplantation for hepatitis-B-related...

New U.S. Law To Reinforce Needle Safety.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Health care workers who handle needles will have more say about the safety of the devices they use under a new federal law that was to take effect during April 2001. Employers also will be...

Hepatitis C Infection Rates In U.S. Military Personnel Are Low.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - U.S. government researchers say the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rate among military troops serving in the U.S. military is very low. Medical...

Occupational Risk For Infection Low Among Japanese Health Care Workers.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Health care workers appear to be at a low risk for acquiring TT virus through occupational exposures, according to investigators in Japan. Information...

Stressgen Targets Hepatitis B For Its Next Heat Shock Protein Fusion Program.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Stressgen Biotechnologies Corporation (SSB) announced on April 17, 2001, that, based on positive preclinical data presented at the Experimental Biology 2001 meeting held in April, it has chosen to...

Addition Of Ribavirin To Interferon Therapy Reduces Relapse.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers at the University Hospital Rotterdam, The Netherlands, confirm that ribavirin boosts the initial immune response of hepatitic C patients to interferon treatment and report that the...

Fas Antigen On Liver Cells Predicts Sustained Response To Interferon.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Fas antigen is an independent predictor of sustained response to interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C, researchers say. "Interaction...

Goal Of DITTO-HCV Study Is Treatment Tailored To Each Patient's Therapeutic Response.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Maxim Pharmaceuticals (MAXM) has announced that its product Ceplene(TM) (histamine dihydrochloride) will be tested in a new multi-national clinical study, the "Dynamically Individualized Treatment...

Panel Of Gastroenterologists Review Treatments For Hepatitis C Infection.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- An expert panel, convened by the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) met on April 6, 2001, to discuss the most recent data in the field of hepatitis diagnosis and treatment. Data...

Few Infections Result From Needle Reuse At U.S. Phlebotomy Center.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, staff medical writer - Few people who were potentially exposed to bloodborne viruses at a California clinical laboratory have developed viral infections, public health officials...

Electropermeabilization Enhances Response To Nucleic Acid Vaccination.
May 7, 2001... 2001 MAY 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - When electropermeabilization (EP) is used with naked DNA vaccination in animals, transgene expression increases up to 83-fold compared to naked DNA...

HBV Resistance To Lamivudine Increases Risk Of Graft Reinfection, Failure.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Liver transplant patients who develop lamivudine-resistant strains of hepatitis B virus (HBV) stand a greater risk of liver failure, a Mayo Clinic...

Interferon Therapy Not Well Tolerated By Hemodialysis Patients.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Interferon alpha therapy, used alone or in combination with other drugs, is a core treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients. However, a study from...

American Cancer Society Endorses Hepatitis B 'Catch-up' Immunization for Children.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Citing hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) as the most significant risk factor for later development of liver cancer, the American Cancer Society has endorsed greater efforts to foster immunization...

Mayo Clinic Reports Vaccine Responsiveness Varies After Liver Transplant.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Mayo Clinic researchers propose several factors may predict whether liver transplant patients will respond to hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccinations. ...

Death Rate Is Unexpectedly High Among HCV Patients Of Trent, U.K.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - An epidemiological study of a select population in the United Kingdom shows patient deaths relating to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are more frequent...

Prevalence of HBV in U.S. Liver Disease Patients Lower Than Reported.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - The rate of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections among U.S. patients with acute liver failure (ALF) is not as high as some have reported, scientists say. ...

Imprisoned Youth At High Risk For Viral Hepatitis.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The estimated 106,000 adolescents and young adults in U.S. correctional facilities are at especially high risk for viral hepatitis, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

New Variant of Genotype C Identified in Australian Aborigines With HBV.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Medical researchers report a new variant of genotype c has been sequenced and identified in Australian Aborigines with serum markers for hepatitis B virus...

Hormones Improve Immune Response to HBV Vaccination in Aged Animals.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Preclinical results with a Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (HEPH) investigational drug candidate, HE2200, an immune-regulating hormone, demonstrated that HE2200 and other immune-regulating...

Bile Duct Syndrome Observed In Transplant Recipients With Hepatitis.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in kidney transplant patients increase the risk for a disorder called vanishing bile duct syndrome, according to a...

Alcohol Intake Exacerbates Cancer Risk In HCV Patients.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Researchers in Japan report alcohol use changes the nature of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, making patients more susceptible to developing liver...

Intervention For Chronic Liver Failure Costly But Cost-Effective.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Liver transplantation costs are higher for chronic than for acute liver failure patients, but the procedure appears to be more cost-effective for those...

Study Reports Lamivudine Effective In 23% Of Treated Children With Chronic Hepatitis B.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioChem Pharma Inc. announced that new data on its product, Zeffix (lamivudine), were presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress, held in Prague, the Czech...

Vaccine Elicits High Responses In Non-Responders.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- PowderJect Pharmaceuticals, Plc (PJP) announced April 24, 2001, the first achievement of protective immunity by a DNA vaccine in volunteers who do not respond to current commercial hepatitis B...

72-Week Results From Completed Phase II Study Reported.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Maxim Pharmaceuticals (MAXM) announced the 72-week results from its completed Phase II study evaluating Ceplene(TM) (histamine dihydrochloride) plus interferon-alpha (IFN-(alpha)) in the treatment...

Treatments In Children Lack Scientific Scrutiny, Say Hopkins Researchers.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Chronic infections by the hepatitis C virus in children can cause serious liver damage or liver failure later in life if left untreated. A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University set out to...

HCV-4 Subtypes Profile Population of Seine-Saint-Denis District In France.
May 14, 2001... 2001 MAY 14 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Scientists in France have confirmed that several subtypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) type 4 are prevalent among the population of a region in Paris,...

Tube Type Affects Storage Stability Of HCV In Blood Samples.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Nucleic acid stabilization tubes (NASTs) may be the best type of tubes to use for collecting and transporting whole blood samples containing hepatitis C...

Single Genotype Characterizes Hepatitis A Infections In Korea.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections in Korea can be characterized by a single genotype, according to researchers at Korea University. New research...

HBV Response To Lamivudine Predicted In First Three Months Of Therapy.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Viral activity during the first three months of therapy is an essential factor in the ultimate response of chronic hepatitis B patients to lamivudine...

Ultrasound More Accurate For Liver Cancer Detection In Hepatitis Patients.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - U.S. researchers report ultrasound examination is better than another commonly used screening test for diagnosing primary liver cancer in chronic viral...

Hepatitis C Risk Not Limited to Injection Drug Users.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study in New York City has found a higher than expected prevalence of hepatitis C infection among non-injecting drug users. In this study, as many as 17% of the subjects who denied a history...

Swollen Lymph Nodes Correspond With Hepatic Function, Pathology In HBV.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Enlarged lymph nodes around the liver can provide physicians with important information about liver function and inflammation in patients with chronic...

Encapsulated Liver Cells Survive After Implantation Into Animal Models.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - People suffering from acute liver failure could, one day, be treated with the use of transplanted liver cells instead of whole livers, according to...

Therapeutic Value Of Chinese Herbs For Hepatitis B Infection Still Unknown.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A recent study concludes that not enough data from high-quality clinical trials are available to pass judgment on the use of Chinese herbs as treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)...

Hepatitis C Replicates In Oral Mucosa.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- At the 36th annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), held April 18-22, 2001, in Prague, Czech Republic, M. Carrozzo and colleagues at the University of Turin,...

Fatty Acids Identified In Livers of Mice and Humans With HCV.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Medical researchers in Japan have identified specific fatty acids in the livers of transgenic mice and humans with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Steatosis...

NewsRx Network Chosen As Source For 'Information Therapy'.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NewsRx Network, Atlanta, Georgia, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, now is a major source for "information therapy." NewsRx databases are derived...

Real-Time PCR Assay Measures HBV DNA In Serum And Tissue.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay developed by researchers in Italy enables sensitive and linear hepatitis B virus DNA quantification in both serum and liver tissue. E. Cariani...

Laser Hyperthermia Benefits Some Patients.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Laser therapy is somewhat effective for treating patients with certain size primary liver tumors, according to the authors of an Australian study. ...

New Treatment Option For Inoperable Cancer Delivers Radiation Via Tiny Beads.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cancer specialists from the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center report that early results of a new treatment for inoperable liver cancer, known as TheraSphere, are promising. They...

Packaging Cell Lines Increase Titers And Improve Gene Transfer Efficiency.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Deborah W. Heinrich, PhD, staff medical writer - Recombinant retrovirus vectors used for gene therapy boast strong transgene expression and the ability to influence cell tropism. However, high...

Hepatitis C Screening Reveals Low Prevalence In Public Safety Workers.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Wayne State University researchers in Detroit, Michigan, report hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence among public safety workers in that city is very low....

Blood Transfusion Does Not Appear To Be Transmission Route In Thalassemia Patients.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Gastroenterologists in Turkey report that TT virus infection in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients is not transmitted via blood transfusion U.S. Akarca, at the Ege University Medical...

Thiamine A Potential Treatment For Chronic Hepatitis B.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Sonia Nichols, senior medical writer - Based on a review of current studies, U.S. government researchers say thiamine could be a cost-effective treatment alternative for chronic hepatitis B...

Parents And Physicians Report Increased Concerns About Some Vaccines.
May 21, 2001... 2001 MAY 21 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In the wake of recent publicity surrounding vaccine safety issues, parents and the physicians who treat their children are reporting more concern about some vaccines, and even refusing certain...