Hepatitis Monthly
Year:2011 | Volume:11 | Issue:3 (32)|Papers Count:15

Wang et al. have provided new and novel evidence about the importance of using a-fetoprotein (ALP) and glypican-3 (GPC-3) mRNA detection in peripheral blood of the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after ortothopic liver transplantation (OLT) (1). HCC keeps on as major universal health apprehension ensuing in more than 1 million caner associated deaths annually (2, 3)….

There is now adequate evidence to indicate that liver fi­brosis is a dynamic rather than a static process and as effec­tive antiviral and other specific therapies became available, fibrosis and even cirrhosis could become reversible (1, 2). Effective and early therapy of viral and autoimmune hepa­titis could result in reversibility of cirrhosis in addition to clinical cure (1-3). Therefore, we urgently need to be able to follow the progression or regression of fibrosis in response to therapy in addition to initial assessment of fibrosis by liver biopsy. Liver biopsy which was first introduced in 1923 has been used widely in the diagnosis of liver diseases and is still the gold standard reference for the assessment of liver fibrosis during the course of chronic liver diseases (4, 5)….

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary liver malignancy and is an interna­tional public health concern, constituting one of the most deadly cancers worldwide. Infection with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus is a major risk factor for HCC in developed countries. Emerging evidence indicates that there are other important lifestyle factors that contribute to the international burden of HCC, such as alcohol consumption, diabetes, obesity, and the intake of aflotoxin-contaminated food. Obesity and diabetes are also likely to be risk factors for HCC, the most frequent subtype of liver cancer. The chief pathway by which obesity increases risk involves the association between obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Coffee consumption has been studied extensively and appears to have a favorable effect on the prevention of liver diseases, including HCC. One hypothesis suggests that coffee intake lowers serum levels of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), which is associated with a lower incidence of HCC. It is estimated that more than 80% of HCC cases are attributable to four principal causes that are avoidable. It is difficult to make dietary recommendations, because it is unknown whether consuming higher amounts of specific antioxidants will decrease the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma. A diet rich that is in polyunsaturated fatty acids and, possibly, B-carotene could reduce the risk of HCC, and high dietary GL is associated with an increased risk independently of cirrhosis or diabetes.

Background: Hepatitis C is a global health problem and represents a major cause of liver disease and socioeconomic burden. Effective antiviral therapy may prevent these complications, but the current treatment for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection does not produce sustained virologic response. Therefore, identification of the determinants of response to treatment is a high priority. A number of host and viral factors have been associated with treatment outcomes.Objectives: To assess the associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the IL28B and sustained virologic response (SVR) of patients with chronic hepatitis C to PEG-interferon/ ribavirin therapy. Materials and Methods: We searched PubMed, Medline and Cochrane Library, and found 7 eligible papers involved in this study. Then we performed a meta-analysis comparing the SVR rate at SNP of the IL28B in individuals with PEG-interferon/ribavirin therapy. Meanwhile, the SVR rate between different races and HCV genotypes was studied. Results: The sustained virologic response rate was higher in patients with the rs12979860 CC and rs8099917 TT alleles in the IL28B SNP, comparing with the rs12979860 CT, or TT and rs8099917 TG or GG. Furthermore, a higher SVR was observed in the Caucasians than in Afro- Americans (OR = 3.85, 95% CI: 3.06–4.83); the percentage of rs12979860 TT genotype was lower in Caucasians (OR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.20–0.31) and the percentage of rs12979860 CC genotype was higher in Caucasians than that of Afro-Americans (OR = 3.45, 95% CI = 2.68-4.44). Between different HCV genotypes, the SVR was much lower in those with HCV genotype 1 than those with genotype 2/3 (OR = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.11–0.24). Conclusions: IL28B is significantly associated with response to PEG-interferon/ribavirin therapy of patients with chronic HCV infection. Both the rs12979860 and rs8099917 alleles could be used as independent predictors of the treatment response. The rs12979860 allele in particular, is more important from our study. The polymorphism even explains part the difference in response rate between different ethnic groups and HCV genotypes.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one the most common causes of chronic liver dis­orders in the Western world. These patients have much significant comorbidity. The thera­peutic approach to NAFLD is based on lifestyle intervention, but there is no consensus on the ideal pharmacological treatment. Silybum marianum, commonly known as milk thistle (MT), is one of the oldest and most extensively researched plants in the treatment of liver diseases. Many studies have demonstrated that the active components of MT silymarin have many hepatoprotective properties. In recent years, several preclinical and clinical reports have described the efficacy of silymarin as a treatment for NAFLD. The chief aim of this review is to discuss the newest and most promising applications of MT in the treatment of NAFLD….

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are especially prob­lematic in patients with end-stage renal disease who are undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Objectives: To determine the prevalence of HCV and HBV infection in HD population in Guilan, north of Iran. Patients and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, from May to September 2009, in 11 different hemodialysis units in Guilan province, North of Iran, clinical data such as age, gender, duration of dialysis, HBsAg and anti-HCV antibody of 514 HD patients were recorded. Patients with positive antibodies against HCV were tested for HCV RNA. Results: From 514 patients, 286 (55.64%) were male. 61 (11.9%) patients were anti-HCV-positive and 31 (50.8%) were HCV PCR-positive. There was significant relationship between HCV Ab-positivity with gender and HD duration (p < 0.05). There was significant difference between the mean HD duration in anti-HCV-positive and anti-HCV-negative patients (p < 0.05). Also, significant relationship was found between HCV RNA-positivity with gender and HD duration (p < 0.05). Seven (1.4%) patients were positive for HBsAg. Two (0.38 %) were found positive for both HBsAg and anti-HCV antibody. Conclusions: There is low a prevalence of HCV and HBV in HD patients in our region. The rate can be decreased by HBV vaccination of end-stage renal disease patients before setting chronic HD, antiviral treatment and isolation of infected individuals. 

Background: Chronic viral hepatitis can be evaluated using invasive or noninvasive methods. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate liver stiffness in inactive HBsAg carriers com­pared with normal subjects and determine if it is influenced by viral load in these patients. Patients and Methods: We prospectively evaluated 140 inactive HBsAg carriers and 152 normal subjects (without any signs or history of liver disease). In all subjects, liver stiffness was measured by 3 experienced physicians using a FibroScan® device (EchoSens, France) per standard procedures. We excluded patients for whom the SR of liver stiffness measurements was < 60% and those who had measurements with an IQR >30%. Results: The mean liver stiffness in inactive HBsAg carriers was 5.6±2.1kPa, significantly higher than in normal subjects (4.8 ± 1.2 kPa, p = 0.0002). In 16.4% (23) of inactive carriers, liver stiff­ness exceeded 7 kPa (the cutoff for significant fibrosis F ³ 2). In patients with undetectable viral loads, the mean liver stiffness was 4.9 ± 1.2 kPa, significantly lower than in those with detectable DNA (< 2000 IU/ml) (6.7 ± 2.7 kPa, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Inactive HBsAg carriers have higher liver stiffness values compared with healthy individuals. Liver stiffness in inactive HBsAg carriers with detectable viral loads is higher than in those who are aviremic, suggesting that low viral loads promote fibrosis.

Background: Nurses are at risk of percutaneous exposure incidents (PEIs), which may lead to serious or even fatal blood-borne infections. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of PEIs in the last year, among nurses and to assess their knowledge about and frequency of safe method of practice in exposure to blood-borne pathogens (especially, to HBV). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study in 2008 was conducted on 138 nurses working in general surgery and obstetrics/gynecology services of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, and Central Iran. A questionnaire for assessment of risk factors for contracting HBV infection was completed by nurses. Results: Overall, the prevalence of needle stick injury (NSI) and direct exposure to body fluids were 52.9% (95% CI: 44.5%–61.3%) and 65.4% (95% CI: 57.4% - 73.8%), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the two studied centers in terms of sharp injuries; however, the rate of repeated NSI (number per each year ³3) and mucocutaneous exposures were significantly higher in the general surgery ward. The overall coverage of vaccination in the two studied centers was 96.3%, but the rate of accurate answers to many questions pertaining to knowledge and practice were less than 50%. Conclusions: Nurses are still at significant risk for developing NSI and mucocutaneous exposure. Continuous educational programs (especially by highlighting the seriousness of the problem) are necessary for improving this situation because inadequate education might increase unsafely practice.

Background: Hepatitis C genotype 4 (HCV-4) is considered to be rare outside northern Africa and southern Europe. Objectives: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of patients infected with HCV-4 in Poland. Patients and Methods: The study group included 290 patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease and intravenous drug users with HCV infection recruited in years 2002-2006 in Pod­laskie region, north-eastern Poland. In all cases, HCV infection was confirmed by HCV-RNA detection by qualitative nested RT-PCR. HCV genotype was determined by 5'UTR sequencing and comparison with known genotype-specific sequences.  Results: HCV 4 was found in 45 (15.5%) of 290 HCV-infected and HCV RNA-positive individuals. 60% of HCV 4 infections occurred in intravenous drug users; 51% of HCV 4-infected patients were also HIV-positive. Among 119 patients whose source of infection was other than drug use, there were 16 (10.5%) HCV 4 cases. Seven (46%) of 13 HCV 4-positive and HIV-negative pa­tients who received combined antiviral treatment had sustained viral response. Conclusions: HCV 4 exists in eastern Poland, and the infection is frequently related to intra­venous drug use and accompanied by HIV infection. HCV 4 also causes a proportion of non-drug-related HCV infections.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Annually, about 200,000 patients died of HCC in China. Liver transplantation (LT) holds great theoretical appeal in treating HCC. However, the high recurrence rate after transplantation is the most important limiting factor for long-term survival. Objectives: To assess the value of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) messenger RNA (mRNA), Glypican-3 (GPC3) mRNA-expressing cells in the peripheral blood (PB) for prediction of HCC recurrence following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Patients and Methods: 29 patients with HCC who underwent OLT with a minimum clinical follow-up of 12 months were included in this retrospective study. We detected AFP mRNA, GPC3 mRNA-expressing cells in the PB by TaqMan real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), pre-, intra- and post-operatively. The early recurrence of patients was evaluated. Results: 8 (28%), 15 (52%), and 9 (31%) patients had AFP mRNA detected pre-, intra-, and post-operatively, respectively. With 12 months of follow-up, HCC recurred in 7 (24%) patients. Uni­variate analysis revealed that positive pre- and post-operative AFP mRNA, TNM stage as well as vascular invasion were significant predictors for the HCC recurrence. Multivariate analysis revealed that being positive for AFP mRNA pre-operatively remained a significant risk factor for HCC recurrence after OLT. GPC3 mRNA was expressed in all PB samples. There was no significant difference in the expression levels of GPC3 mRNA between the HCC and control groups. There were no significant differences in GPC3 mRNA expression values between those patients with and without tumor recurrence. Conclusions: The pre-operative detection of circulating AFP mRNA-expressing cells could be a useful predictor for HCC recurrence following OLT. GPC3 mRNA-expressing cells in PB seem to have no diagnostic value.

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is still reported from adult hemodialysis units. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of anti-HBs antibody in hemodialysis patients and the correlation between levels of anti-HBs antibody with other factors. Patients and Methods: HBsAg, anti-HBs and anti-HBc antibodies level in 119 hemodialysis patients were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Seroconversion (anti-HBs antibody >10 IU/L) was found in 22 patients. Minimum pro­tective antibody level was found in patients aged ³60 years. Statistically significant correlation was not found between anti-HBs antibody and gender. Ten (8.4%) patients had abnormal ALT and/or AST. Prevalence of HBsAg, anti-HBc antibody, HBeAg and anti-HBe antibody were found in 8 (6.72%), 24 (25.16%), 2 (1.68%) and 3 (2.52%) patients, respectively. Conclusions: Periodic assessment of anti-HBs antibody level is strongly recommended in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

In this report we describe a rare case of primary hepatic diffuse large B cell lymphoma in a 67-year-old man who presented with abdominal pain, deteriorated liver function, elevated lactate dehydrogenase. He was found to have diffuse nodular intrahepatic space-occupying lesion with normal α-fetoprotein and carcino-embryogenic antigen. The final diagnosis was made by percutaneous biopsy of the liver as the clinical manifestation not consistent with common liver diseases. The patient was treated with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) without surgical resection with a favorable response. However, serious complication was occurred after 4 cycles of chemotherapy, and the patient finally died of concurrent acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Dear Editor: Leonardi and Rosa’s (2010) research on the link between celiac disease and viral hepatitis (1) is well designed and fo­cuses on a very interesting topic. Several de novo or latent autoimmune disorders or diseases have been reported in cases of chronic viral hepatitis infections, especially Hepati­tis C (2). In this paper, we report 5 cases of established perni­cious anemia during chronic viral hepatitis infection. These cases were extracted from a retrospective (1996 to 2010) study of 82 cases of pernicious anemia in the University Hospital of Strasbourg, France, a tertiary reference center (personal communication in the French Congress of He­matology, Paris, December, 2010)…

We read with interest the paper of Estévez, et al, recently published in Hepatitis Monthly (1). That article was a Letter to the Editor on the study conducted by Nikui Nejad et al (2). One of the comments made by Estévez et al was on the adequacy of the size of the studied sample. They believed that the sample size was not adequate based on the provided data and the type of study (1). In the reply from the authors, a familiar mathematical equation which is frequently used for prevalence study designs was presented to explain the way the sample size was calculated in Nikui Nejad’s study (1).

Dear Editor: I read with interest the article by Kashani et al, on the use of hydroxyurea (HU) in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B published in Hepatitis Monthly (1). In their article, the au­thors performed a limited pilot study and concluded that HU effectively blocks HBV replication. Favorable dosing schedule, safety profile, and cost make HU a very attractive adjunct to the therapeutic armamentarium in a wide range of diseases including sickle cell anemia, thalassemia inter­media and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (2, 3)….