Search results for "bsa"
showing 10 items of 263 documents
Occult Hepatitis B Infection in the Immigrant Population of Sicily, Italy.
2012
In Italy, about 7 % of the resident population is represented by immigrants originating from geographic regions at high endemicity for hepatitis B virus infection. This study aims to assess the prevalence of occult HBV infection (OBI) including the identification of HBV-genotypes in a population of immigrants serologically negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Between May 2006 and May 2010, 339 immigrants were tested for markers of HBV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. HBV-DNA was tested by using nested-PCR assays on three different genetic region. HBV-DNA was detected in plasma samples of 11/339 (3.2 %) patients. Most of them had no ser…
HBV DNA suppression and HBsAg clearance in HBeAg negative chronic hepatitis B patients on lamivudine therapy for over 5 years
2012
Background & Aims In long-term responder patients, it is unclear whether lamivudine (LAM) monotherapy should be continued or switched to a high-genetic-barrier analogue. This study aims at assessing LAM efficacy over a 5-year period and the residual risk of drug resistance. The rate of HBsAg clearance and LAM long-term safety profile were also evaluated. Methods One hundred and ninety-one patients with chronic HBeAg-negative hepatitis B successfully treated with LAM monotherapy for at least 5years were included. Biochemical and virological tests were assessed every 3months in all patients and HBsAg quantification was performed in 45/191. Reverse-transcriptase (RT) region was directly sequen…
Decrease in HDV endemicity in Italy.
1997
To evaluate a possible variation in hepatitis D virus endemicity in Italy, the data from a multicentre study concerning HBsAg chronic carriers first observed in 31 liver units during 1992 were compared with the corresponding figures from a similar study performed in 1987.In both studies the methodology for the recruitment of cases was the same. The overall anti-HD prevalence in 1992 was 14.4%, a significantly lower rate than that observed in 1987 (23.4%, p0.01). The decrease significantly (p0.01) affected both males and females; it occurred in all geographical areas, although to a greater extent in northern regions. It was evident in subjects below 50 years of age, but not in subjects older…
Intensification with pegylated interferon during treatment with tenofovir in HIV-hepatitis B virus co-infected patients
2016
International audience; In hepatitis B “e” antigen (HBeAg) positive patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) mono-infection, intensification of nucleos(t)ide analogue treatment with pegylated interferon (PegIFN) could help induce higher HBeAg seroclearance rates. Our aim was to determine the long-term effect of adding PegIFN to tenofovir (TDF)-containing antiretroviral therapy on seroclearance in HBeAg-positive patients co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HBV. In this prospective matched cohort study, 46 patients with 1-year PegIFN intensification during TDF-containing antiretroviral therapy (TDF+PegIFN) were matched 1:1 to controls undergoing TDF without PegIFN (TDF) u…
Serological pattern of Hepatitis B, C, and HIV infections among immigrants in Sicily: epidemiological aspects and implication on public health.
2011
The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in a cohort of immigrants living in Palermo, Sicily. The study was carried out in the period May 2006-June 2010 and recruited a total of 393 patients (59.8% males-median age of 32.6 years). All patients were tested for serological markers of HBV, HCV, and HIV infection. One-hundred thirty-eight (35.1%) individuals did not show any HBV/HCV/HIV serological marker, while 186 (47.3%) were indicative of past or current HBV infection. A total of 42 (10.7%) subjects were HBsAg positive, 59 (15.0%) showed the serological profile "anti-HBc …
Randomised study comparing 48 and 96 weeks peginterferon α-2a therapy in genotype D HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B
2013
Treatment with peginterferon α-2a (PegIFN) for 48 weeks is the standard of care for selected HBeAg-negative patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV), but with limited treatment efficacy. A study was undertaken to investigate whether treatment extension to 96 weeks improves the outcome in this patient population.128 HBeAg-negative patients (120 genotype D) were randomised to weekly 180 μg PegIFN for 48 weeks (group A, n=51), 180 μg PegIFN for 48 weeks followed by 135 μg weekly for an additional 48 weeks (group B, n=52) or 180 μg PegIFN plus lamivudine (100 mg/day) for 48 weeks then 135 μg PegIFN for 48 weeks (group C, n=25). Endpoints were alanine aminotransferase normalisa…
Familiar clustering and spreading of hepatitis delta virus infection
1985
The prevalence of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection was significantly higher among the relatives of 79 carriers of HBsAg with antibody to HDV (index cases) than among relatives of 111 carriers without serological evidence of HDV infection (controls). Antibody to HDV was found in 45 of the 80 (56%) carriers of HBsAg in families of index cases but only in 2 of 59 (3%) carriers in families of controls (P less than 0.0001). During follow-up new HDV infection developed in 31% of 13 susceptible carriers in families of index cases, but only in 1.2% of 162 susceptible carriers in families of controls (P less than 0.001). None of the family members previously unexposed to the hepatitis B virus h…
Virological profiles in patients with chronic hepatitis C and overt or occult HBV infection
2002
Abstract OBJECTIVES: The virological profiles of hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) and their interplay in cases of coinfection are undefined. A suppressed and occult HBV infection may occur in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative patients with chronic hepatitis C. The HCV core protein is able to inhibit HBV “in vitro,” and serines at positions 99 and 116 are essential for such inhibition. We aimed to assess the HBV and HCV virological profiles in cases of coinfection and to evaluate the relationship between HCV core gene variability and HBV activity. METHODS: Eighty-two anti-HCV positive patients were examined: 35 cases were HBsAg positive, 24 were HBsAg negative with “occult”…
Occult hepatitis B virus in liver tissue of individuals without hepatic disease
2008
Abstract BACKGROUND/AIMS: While many data are available concerning occult hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients with hepatic disorders, there is little information about this cryptic infection in individuals without liver disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of occult HBV in the general population by examining liver specimens from a large series of HBV-surface-antigen negative individuals with no clinical and biochemical evidence of liver disease. METHODS: The presence of HBV DNA was evaluated by testing, through polymerase chain reaction techniques, DNA extracts from 98 liver-disease-free individuals who underwent liver resection or needle biopsy during …
Clinical evaluation and applications of the Amplicor HBV Monitor™ test, a quantitative HBV DNA PCR assay
1998
Viral load has emerged recently as a reliable marker of disease progression and therapeutic efficacy in chronic infections, including AIDS and hepatitis C. The clinical management of type B hepatitis could also be improved by monitoring viremia levels in patients with chronic liver disease undergoing anti-viral treatment. To address this question we evaluated the performance of a newly developed, quantitative PCR assay (Amplicor HBV Monitor test, Roche Diagnostic Systems) in the assessment of viremia changes over time in a group of 45 patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) who received interferon treatment. Of the 45 patients, 14 were HBsAg and anti-HBeAg positive and 31 HBsAg, HBeAg …