Search results for "Acute hepatitis"
showing 10 items of 22 documents
Clinical evaluation of drug-induced hepatitis
2005
Objective: to ascertain the epidemiological characteristics, clinical symptoms, and evolution of drug-induced hepatitis over the last 22 years. Experimental design and subjects: an observational, retrospective study between 1982 and 1993, and prospective study between 1994 and 2003. All patients in our department diagnosed with having drug-induced hepatitis were studied analyzing epidemiological (age, sex, cases per year, hospitalization) and clinical features (previous liver disease, hepatic symptoms, laboratory results), and follow-up (complete recovery or chronicity). Results: a total of 61 patients were diagnosed as having drug-induced hepatitis, 26 men and 35 women (57%), mean age 52.4…
Impact of HBV genotypes A and D genetic variability on infection evolution
2015
HBV is characterized by a high genetic variability, which is the basis of its classification into eight genotypes (A-H). HBV infection is associated with different outcomes, from self-limiting acute hepatitis to active chronic hepatitis, asymptomatic carriage, and occult infection. The aim of this study was to analyze the genetic variability of HBV genotypes A and D isolates from 79 cases of self-limiting acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis, in order to identify HBV variants associated with resolution or chronicity of acute HBV infection. The entire preS-S sequence and a fragment of 346 bp of the preC-C region, containing Enhancer II and Basal Core Promoter sequences, were analyzed. A phy…
Serum BLyS/BAFF predicts the outcome of acute hepatitis C virus infection.
2009
Summary. B-lymphocyte stimulator/B activating factor (BLyS/BAFF) is a tumour necrosis factor-family cytokine that plays a key role in generating and maintaining the mature B-cell pool. BLyS/BAFF expression by macrophages is stimulated by interferon-γ and interleukin-10, and its serum levels are increased in chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The aim of this study was to assess serum levels of BLyS/BAFF in patients with acute hepatitis C (AHC) and correlate them with disease outcome. We studied 28 patients with AHC (14 males, mean age 59.3 ± 15 years), followed for at least 7 months since onset, comparing them with 86 CHC patients and 25 healthy blood donors (HBD). BLyS/BAFF levels were assessed at…
Changing prevalence, clinical features, and outcome of acute hepatitis in Spain (1982-2003)
2006
Background: Diagnostic and preventive measures have contributed to a change in the epidemiology of acute hepatitis. The purpose of the present paper was to assess the changing prevalence of acute hepatitis from 1982 to 2003. Methods: Trends in the epidemiology, clinical findings, and outcome of acute viral hepatitis from 1982 to 2003 were examined. A total of 548 episodes of acute hepatitis diagnosed between 1982 and 2003, the clinical course of which was monitored up to the year 2003, were included. Annual changes as well as for the intervals 1982–1992 and 1993–2003 were compared. Results: Severe infections occurred in 1.3% of cases, with a mortality of 0.6%, with progression into chron…
Interferon as treatment for acute hepatitis C
1996
The efficacy of short-course (three months), low-dose (3 million units three times a week) interferon as treatment for acute hepatitis C was evaluated in a meta-analysis of controlled trials. Nine studies (five randomized and four nonrandomized) found by MEDLINE search were eligible for analysis. The outcomes assessed were the rate of patients with normal serum aminotransferases (all trials) and without HCV RNA in blood (five trials) after posttreatment follow-up. Eight trials compared interferon to no treatment, and one compared different schedules of interferon. The methodological quality of the studies was high. However, all trials had been planned for a short-term evaluation based on bi…
Early monotherapy with pegylated interferon alpha-2b for acute hepatitis C infection: the HEP-NET acute-HCV-II study.
2006
Early treatment of acute hepatitis C with interferon alpha-2b for 24 weeks prevents chronic infection in almost all patients. Because pegylated interferons have replaced conventional interferon in the therapy of chronic hepatitis C, the aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of an early treatment of acute hepatitis C with peginterferon alpha-2b. Between February 2001 and February 2004, 89 individuals with acute HCV infection were recruited at 53 different centers in Germany. Patients received 1.5 microg/kg peginterferon alpha-2b for 24 weeks; treatment was initiated after a median of 76 days after infection (range 14-150). End-of-treatment response and sustained virological response …
Hepatitis E virus infection as a cause of acute hepatitis in Southern Italy
2011
Abstract Background Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major cause of acute hepatitis in developing countries, whereas it is not considered a major health problem in Western World. Aims To investigate the spread of HEV and its possible role in causing acute hepatitis in Southern Italy. Methods Four hundred and thirty patients observed from April to December 2009 were studied and grouped as follows: 55 individuals with acute hepatitis (AH), 33 of whom cryptogenic; 321 individuals with chronic liver diseases (CLD), (278 Italians and 43 immigrants); 54 individuals without liver disease (control-group). Serum samples from all cases were tested for IgG anti-HEV antibodies and those positive to this te…
When and how to treat acute hepatitis C?
2003
Background: Appropriate treatment of acute hepatitis C is still a matter of controversy due to the lack of large controlled trials. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of interferon as treatment for acute hepatitis C by meta-analysis. Methods: MEDLINE search (1985-2002) was supplemented with manual searches of reference lists. Studies were included if they were controlled trials comparing interferon to no treatment and if they included patients with either post-transfusion or sporadic acute hepatitis C. Twelve trials were analyzed (414 patients). The outcome assessed was the sustained virological response (SVR) rate (undetectable hepatitis C virus RNA in serum at least 6 months after cessation…
Konzentrationsverhalten der Plasmaglycosphingolipide bei akuter Hepatitis
1977
Im menschlichen Blutplasma kommen hauptsachlich vier neutrale Glycosphingolipidfraktionen vor: Monohexosyl-, Dihexosyl-, Trihexosyl- und Tetrahexosylceramid. Bei Patienten mit akuter Hepatitis (n=21) sind in der akuten Phase die vier Glycosphingolipidfraktionen im Plasma gegenuber einem gesunden Kontrollkollektiv (n=23) erhoht. Mit Ausnahme der Trihexosylceramidfraktion last sich die Erhohung statistisch sichern. Gleichzeitig kommt es in der akuten Phase der Hepatitis zu einer statistisch signifikanten Cholesterin- und Triglyceriderhohung. Es wird gefolgert, das die Erhohung der Glycosphingolipide im Plasma bei der akuten Hepatitis im Zusammenhang mit der Fettstoffwechselstorung auftritt un…
Clinical experience with different pegylated interferons: Is there a difference?
2009
Abstract The acute phase of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents a key point in the evolution of hepatitis C. The infection either resolves spontaneously, or progresses into chronic disease. However, the asymptomatic nature of acute hepatitis C contributes to difficulties in detection, diagnosis and hence, the assessment of therapy when indicated. Controversies in chronic HCV related to the implications of both selected predictors of treatment outcome and clinical experience with structurally different Peg-IFNs are discussed.