Hepatitis Weekly articles from September 2000

Hepatitis Weekly archives from September 2000

Russian Study Examines Serum and Saliva in Hospital Patients with Hepatitis B.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- A very high hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection rate detected in men admitted to a hospital in Russia may have been caused by non-parenteral routes of transmission, according to researchers at the Russian Academy...

Hepatitis C Progression to Intrahepatic Fibrosis Shows Common Factors.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- Although patients with genotypes 1b, 2a, and 2b tend to show a disease progression from initial hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection to chronic liver disease at the same rates, some of those patients share a...

Elderly Population in Italy Infected by Virus Acquired During World War II.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- Men and women in Italy who were young adults during the war to end all wars, World War II, have higher serum antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) than their elders do, according to scientists reporting in the...

Long-Term Follow-up Study Examines Prospects for Hepatitis C Patients.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- Unfortunately, being infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) places an individual at a higher risk for acquiring hepatocellular carcinoma. According to a long-term follow up study conducted in Japan, some...

C-11 Hyaluronan Uptake Shows Promise in Assessing Liver Function.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- Medical investigators in Sweden have used a new C-11 hyaluronan labeling technique to assess liver function in healthy and diseased patients for the first time. While previous studies have shown that...

Development of New Reagents to Test for HCV Could be Beneficial to Blood Banks.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- Blood donors in Egypt are reportedly infected with hepatitis C virus at a rate of 24%. Scientists in Egypt report that this relatively high rate may be due to cross-reactivity occurring in the assays used to...

Report Emphasizes Adherence to "Uncertainty Principle".
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- In a study published in the August 19, 2000, issue of The Lancet, University of South Florida researchers assert the importance of reporting all data and choosing appropriate controls in randomized clinical...

Ohio State to Host First Worldwide Biomed/Nanotech Meeting.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hundreds of researchers are expected in September 2000 at Ohio State University, Columbus, for the first-ever comprehensive international conference devoted to two growing disciplines that may revolutionize...

Collaboration Announced to Develop Antibody Therapeutics.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- Medarex, Inc. (MEDX), Princeton, New Jersey, and Athersys, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, announced a collaboration to develop therapeutics produced through the joint application of Medarex's HuMAb-Mouse technology...

Venezuelan Cohort Suggests Viral Transmission through Natural Mechanisms.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- A collaborative study performed by researchers in Venezuela suggests that the population of that country may transmit hepatitis G/GBV-C hepatitis through natural mechanisms such as mother to infant...

Firm Tracks Access of Medical Information.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- Internet privacy advocates raised concerns August 15, 2000, about a technology firm that is quietly tracking the information consumers are getting from pharmaceutical companies' websites. By using tiny...

Immune System Stimulant Enters Clinical Trials.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- LifeTime Pharmaceuticals (LifeTime), College Park, Maryland, announced the first U.S. clinical trials for Beta LT, a drug designed to stimulate the immune system. Future indications may include hepatitis C...

Viral DNA Detected in Bile Suggests Oral-Fecal Transmission Mode.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- The fact that TT virus (TTV) DNA can be detected in excreted bile as well as serum suggests an oral-fecal route of transmission in some of those patients, scientists at Mie University School of Medicine in...

Booster Doses of Hepatitis A Vaccine Effective Even When Given 56 Months Apart.
September 4, 2000... 2000 SEP 4 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers in Switzerland have shown that two doses of a virosome-formulated hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccine were still effective even if the doses were administered 18 to 56 months apart. "In order to...

Familial Link Predisposes Those with Hepatitis B to Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hepatitis B virus infection can increase an individual's chances for acquiring hepatocellular carcinoma. Information gathered in a study conducted in Taiwan now points to a familial risk for acquiring...

Chloride and Potassium Channels on Liver Cells are Conduits for Cellular Death.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- Chloride and potassium plasma membrane ion channels on the surface of liver cells might be the key to finding therapies to prevent liver damage caused by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha, according to...

Water Alone Prevents Transfer of Hepatitis A to Lettuce in Canadian Study.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- Carriers of the hepatitis A virus can reduce the presence of this virus on their hands by doing something as simple as rinsing their hands with water, according to a study carried out in Canada by government...

Scientists Explore Two-year Lamivudine Therapy for Hepatitis B.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- Lamivudine is a proven treatment for some patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV). However, the effects of taking this therapy longer than a year have not been thoroughly explored, according to researchers. ...

Substitutions in Internal Ribosome Entry Site of Hepatitis C Affect Replication.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers at the University of Texas have added to the body of knowledge that suggests nucleotide substitutions on the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) can enhance viral...

Research Defines Differences Between Signs of Salmonella and Viral Hepatitis.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- Salmonella hepatitis and viral hepatitis may have similar clinical manifestations at first glance, but according to research conducted in Turkey at the Dicle University Medical School, there are some...

South African Government Denies Exporting Contaminated Blood Products.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- In response to published accusations that for years it exported virus-contaminated human plasma, South Africa's department of health says a World Health Organization (WHO) investigation has found the blood...

Tuberculosis Seen in Some Pediatric Patients with Liver Transplants.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- Tuberculosis has been found in some pediatric patients after they have received liver transplants. A new study proposes that prospective pediatric liver transplant patients should be carefully screened...

New Early Detection Hepatitis C Test Launched.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- An in vitro diagnostic assay, ORTHO Antibody to HCV Core Antigen ELISA Test System, is now commercially available in countries outside of the United States. This is the first test to be commercialized for...

Topical Interferon Treatment Studied.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- Viragen, Inc. (VRA), Plantation, Florida, announced that it has agreed to supply Omniferon to Zonagen, Inc. (ZONA) (ZNG) for the purpose of studying a topically applied enhanced formulation of natural alpha...

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor a Disease Marker.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- More evidence has pointed to an association between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), scientists in Korea say. Their conclusion is based on a...

Study: Screening Would Detect Most Inmates with Hepatitis C.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- Targeted screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) would be beneficial in identifying a majority of inmates entering the penal system in Wisconsin, public health investigators in Madison reported recently at the...

Asia Pacific Guidelines Endorse Lamivudine as Key Treatment Option.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- BioChem Pharma Inc. (BCHE; BCH), Laval, Quebec, Canada, announced that new guidelines drawn up by the Asia Pacific Consensus Group on the Prevention and Management of Chronic Hepatitis B and C, in association...

Daily Interferon Alfacon-1 and Ribavirin Treatment Safe for Patients.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- Patients infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be treated with interferon alfacon-1 (Infergen, Amgen) on an accelerated schedule and also take the antiviral drug ribavirin without compromising safety,...

WHO Reports Epidemic Widening in Liberia.
September 11, 2000... 2000 SEP 11 - (NewsRx.com) -- A yellow fever epidemic is gathering pace in Liberia, with at least 79 suspected cases now detected, the World Health Organization said August 29, 2000. "As we suspected... the epidemic is spreading,"...

Lack of Apoptosis Inhibitor Might be Cause of Alcohol-Induced Cell Death in HCV(+).
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- Chronic hepatitis C patients are at risk for increased liver cell death when they consume heavy volumes of alcohol because of downregulation of the apoptosis inhibitor bcl-2, an Australian study reports. ...

Preserved Hearts Reveal Presence of Hepatitis C in Myocardium.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hepatitis C virus RNA can be found in preserved hearts years after a patient has died, scientists say. Researchers in Japan used sections of hearts preserved in paraffin to study the relationship between...

Study Correlates Pancreatic Dysfunction with Hepatitis C Infection.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- Some studies have reported an association between diabetes and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. In building upon these reports, scientists in Egypt have conducted research that establishes an association...

Strategies Investigated to Combat HCV.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hepatitis C is a growing concern to healthcare providers throughout the U.S. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) screens, tests, and treats more patients with hepatitis C than any other provider...

Liver Biopsies Useful for Determining if Genotypic Analysis Should be Performed.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- Histological examination of liver biopsy tissue can be useful in some instances for determining whether or not patients with hepatic iron overload should have genotypic analysis performed, pathologists say....

Coinfection with Hepatitis C Does Not Worsen Liver Conditions.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- TT virus appears to be a stand-alone disease relative to influence on liver injury when hepatitis C virus infection is also present. That's what researchers at Yamagata University say as a result of a...

Bone Marrow Recipients Acquire Hepatitis B from Surface-Antigen-Positive Donors.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- Patients who receive bone marrow transplants from patients who are hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) positive may suffer a variety of complications, especially if they are not HBsAg positive prior to...

Technology Allows Researchers to Match Hepatitis E Strains in 1983 Outbreak.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- The development of new technologies has enabled scientists at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to identify hepatitis E virus isolates from an outbreak in Namibia that had been stored since 1983. ...

Tattoo Craze Leads to More Removals and Health Warnings.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- Almost half of Americans sporting tattoos are changing their minds, according to some estimates, most often because they change romantic partners whose names are emblazoned on their bodies. Increasingly,...

Research Leads to Guidelines on How To Treat Patients with HCV and HIV.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- The more than 300,000 Americans infected with the potentially deadly combination of HIV and hepatitis C. HCV has become a leading cause of death in HIV patients, but researchers unveiled new solutions...

TNP-470 Angiogenesis Inhibitor a Potential Therapeutic for Liver Metastasis.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- Investigators at Japan's Osaka City University School of Medicine have used a potent angiogenesis inhibitor called TNP-470 to treat hepatic metastasis in an animal model. Their findings potentially could...

Research Paves the Way for Faster, Better, Cheaper Probing Method.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- Researchers at Northwestern University, Illinois, have combined gold nanoparticles and DNA in a novel way to form tiny probes capable of DNA detection that is more accurate and less expensive than conventional...

New Method Developed to Inactivate Virus Product for in vitro Diagnostics.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- International Reagents Corporation, a company located in Kobe, Japan, recently described a new technique for inactivating infectious donor plasma for use as a control in in vitro diagnostics. The...

Companies Will Co-Develop Hepatitis C Drugs.
September 18, 2000... 2000 SEP 18 - (NewsRx.com) -- Hybrigenics S.A. and XTL Biopharmaceuticals, Ltd., announced an agreement to co-develop drugs against hepatitis C virus (HCV). The deal combines Hybrigenics' functional proteomics and bioinformatics drug...

Lamivudine Treatment is Effective in Reversing Hepatic Decompensation.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- The results of a study conducted by researchers at the University of California at San Francisco indicate that lamivudine can effectively reverse hepatic decompensation in patients with hepatitis B virus...

Liver Injury in Diabetics is a Function of Viral Infection, Not Metabolism.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- Diabetes mellitus patients who are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) have a higher rate of liver injury than healthy individuals do, but that injury is due to the viral infection and not to a deficiency in...

Treatment Increases Autoantibodies in Some HCV Patients.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- According to researchers at the University of Padua in Italy, a small percentage of hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients will have increased autoantibodies for cells and hormones produced in the pancreas or the...

Cytokine Upregulation and Cell Desensitization Key to Endotoxemia.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- The increased expression of certain pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines along with the desensitization of immune effector cells is most likely the cause of a limited response to endotoxins in people with...

Hepatitis D Large Delta Antigen is Permissive for Antigenomic Replication.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- For the first time, researchers at the University of Southern California have been able to give details about why the large form hepatitis delta antigen (L-HDAg), which is responsible for inhibiting viral...

Porphyrin Inactivation Has Potential Use Against Water and Bloodborne Pathogens.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- Special compounds called porphyrins that are activated in the presence of ultraviolet (UV) light could potentially be used in membrane filters and liquid compounds to inactivate infectious microorganisms that...

Infections Resistant to Interferon Alpha-2b Might Respond to High-Dose Interferon Alfacon-1.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- High-dose interferon alfacon-1 (Infergen, Amgen) given for 24 weeks in a recent study often cleared the hepatitis C virus (HCV) from the blood of infected patients for whom a conventional interferon-based...

Ribozyme Safety and Pharmacokinetics Trial Completed.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (RPI) (RZYM), Boulder, Colorado, and Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY), Indianapolis, Indiana, announced the successful completion of a safety and pharmacokinetic study of LY466700, the...

Epidemic Claims 16th Victim in El Salvador.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- Dengue fever has claimed the life of a three-year-old boy, the 16th victim of an epidemic that is being investigated by scientists in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. The boy died in a San Salvador hospital. He...

Routine Follow-Up Improves Prospects for Long-Term Survival.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- Patients who have regular follow-up visits with medical professionals after a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma have the best chance for long-term survival, say researchers in Japan. Medical...

UCLA Launches State-of-the-Art Treatment and Research Center.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- In an effort to shed light on a largely unexplored disease and provide more effective treatments, officials from the University of California, Los Angeles, Jonsson Cancer Center have launched a...

Cesarean Section Reduces Hepatitis C Transmission to Neonates from Infected Mothers.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- New study findings suggest the transmission of the hepatitis C virus from mother to child occurs most frequently at delivery. Elective cesarean section was found to reduce transmission risk, and may be an...

In utero DNA Vaccine Delivery Induces Fetal Protective Immunity in Animal Model.
September 25, 2000... 2000 SEP 25 - (NewsRx.com) -- Members of the Veterinary Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) reported that fetal immunization by a DNA vaccine delivered into the amniotic fluid may be a way of reducing vertical transmission of...