Hepatitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Hepatitis, including details on hepatitis a, b, c, causes, symptoms.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) quasispecies complexity and selection in HCV/HIV-coinfected subjects treated with interferon-based regimens.

Sherman KE, Rouster SD, Stanford S, Blackard JT, Shire N, Koziel M, Peters M, Chung RT,

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0595, USA. Kenneth.sherman@uc.edu

BACKGROUND: Coinfection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has emerged as a major cause of morbidity and mortality due to liver disease. Interferon-based therapy response rates have been disappointingly low. Baseline HCV complexity and the relationship between complexity and viral kinetic parameters has not been well described in HCV/HIV-coinfected subjects. METHODS: A subset of patients enrolled in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group 5071 trial underwent sampling to evaluate viral kinetics and changes in HCV complexity. Early kinetic parameters, baseline complexity, and treatment outcomes--including rapid viral response (RVR), early viral response (EVR), and sustained viral response (SVR)--were evaluated. HCV-monoinfected subjects were matched to HCV/HIV-coinfected subjects. RESULTS: Baseline complexity was determined in 108 HCV/HIV-coinfected subjects and in 13 HCV-monoinfected control subjects. Quasispecies complexity was a mean of 2.24 bands for HCV/HIV-coinfected subjects and a mean of 1.90 bands for HCV-monoinfected subjects (P = .14). Lower baseline complexity was associated with EVR (P = .04) and approached statistical significance for SVR. In patients who underwent viral kinetic modeling, a decrease in complexity was associated with RVR (P = .03) and was independent of the correlation between first-phase viral decline efficiency and RVR. CONCLUSION: Baseline HCV complexity is an independent predictor of EVR in HCV/HIV-coinfected subjects. A decrease in complexity occurs by 4 weeks after the initiation of interferon-based therapy and is associated with RVR. These findings may enhance the predictive modeling of treatment outcome in HCV/HIV-coinfected patients.

Published 22 February 2010 in J Infect Dis, 201(5): 712-9.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

Articles on Hepatitis published 22 February 2010:

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a hepatitis C virus-infected patient presenting with lactic acidosis and hypoglycemia.   Am J Med Sci, 339(2): 202-4.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can produce a number of metabolic derangements including, in rare instances, lactic acidosis. This case illustrates an example of significant lactic acidosis and hypoglycemia secondary to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with hepatic involvement in a patient with hepatitis C infection. A review of the literature on the occurrence of lactic acidosis and lymphoma, including the risk factors for its development and the resultant prognosis, are discussed. In addition, the evidence ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Hepatitis published 17 February 2010:

Clinical significance of genotypes and precore/basal core promoter mutations in HBV related chronic liver disease patients in North India.   Dig Dis Sci, 55(3): 794-802.

PURPOSE: Data on genotypes, basal core promoter (BCP) and precore mutants of hepatitis B virus and their association with different HBV related liver disease have been studied inadequately and are controversial. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the incidence of BCP and precore HBV mutants and their relationship with HBV genotype and different stages of HBV related liver disease in North Indian patients. METHODS: A total 273 patients with different stages of HBV related liver ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma improves survival in Asian-American patients with hepatitis B: results from a community-based clinic.   Dig Dis Sci, 55(3): 826-35.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy in Asians with hepatitis B virus infection. HCC patients often present with poor liver function and large tumors resulting in rapid mortality. The impact of HCC surveillance and subsequent therapy on patient survival remain controversial. AIMS: We sought to determine if surveillance for HCC in a community-based clinic improve survival and, if so, identify factors that contribute to the benefit of early tumor detection. METHODS: ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

The study of efficacy of lamivudine in patients with severe acute hepatitis B.   Dig Dis Sci, 55(3): 775-83.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Severe acute hepatitis B is a rapid deterioration of liver function, which carries a high mortality rate. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of lamivudine in patients with severe acute hepatitis B. METHODS: In this study, 80 patients with severe acute hepatitis B were randomly divided into lamivudine and the control group. For the two groups, we compared HBsAg, HBeAg seroconversion rates, serum HBV DNA-negative rate, biochemical indicators, the incidence of ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Pneumonitis as a consequence of (peg)interferon-ribavirin combination therapy for hepatitis C: a review of the literature.   Dig Dis Sci, 55(3): 579-85.

Combination of peginterferon and ribavirin is the current therapy for chronic hepatitis C infection (HCV). Interstitial pneumonitis is a rare side-effect of HCV therapy and is an important cause of dose reduction or discontinuation, impairing success of antiviral therapy. We performed a review of the literature in order to present diagnostic modalities and possible treatments for pneumonitis and to offer guidelines. We searched for cases where pneumonitis as a side-effect of HCV treatment was ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

The societal burden of HBV-related disease: South Korea.   Dig Dis Sci, 55(3): 784-93.

To highlight the societal burden of HBV infection in South Korea, we estimated the annual societal costs of HBV-related diseases for the year 2005. For the economic costs of HBV-infection-related diseases estimate, baseline data was collected from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) database. To complement data from the HIRA database, hospital charts from sample hospitals was reviewed and patient surveys were conducted. In 2005, the societal cost of HBV infection was 1.937 ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Hepatitis published 12 February 2010:

Molecular evolution of GB virus B hepatitis virus during acute resolving and persistent infections in experimentally infected tamarins.   J Gen Virol, 91: 727-33.

GB virus B (GBV-B) causes acute hepatitis in experimentally infected tamarins. We compared evolutionary features in acute resolving and persistent GBV-B infection. We detected no evidence of evolution in four animals with clearance during weeks 9-12, whereas three animals with clearance during weeks 13-26 had several substitutions in their polyprotein sequence. A single tamarin had long-term GBV-B viraemia; analysis of virus recovered at weeks 2, 5, 12, 20, 26, 52 and 104 demonstrated that ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Molecular evidence of horizontal transmission of hepatitis C virus within couples.   J Gen Virol, 91: 691-6.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission has decreased with the adoption of universal blood donor screening and social policies to reduce the risk of infection in intravenous drug users, but remains a worldwide health problem. The objective of this study was to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships among sequences from different HCV genomic regions from sexual partners of infected patients. Nine couples with a stable relationship and without other risk factors for HCV infection and 42 control ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

© 2006-2010 Hepatitis Research Today. All Rights Reserved.