Guest guest Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 J Med Virol. 2011 Jul;83(7):1262-8. doi: 10.1002/jmv.22093. The prognostic value of changes in serum ferritin levels during therapy for hepatitis C virus infection. Ackerman Z, Pappo O, Ben-Dov IZ. Source Department of Medicine, Mount Scopus Campus, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. zackerman@.... Abstract An increase in serum ferritin levels during combined interferon-ribavirin treatment in chronic patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) can occur. A study was conducted to determine whether observing the kinetics of serum ferritin levels during antiviral therapy, may assist in predicting the rate of sustained virological response. The kinetics of serum ferritin levels during antiviral therapy in treatment-naive, adherent patients with chronic HCV who had early virological response were characterized. Thirteen patients achieved sustained virological response (group 1) while eight patients did not (group 2). Pre-treatment serum ferritin levels were higher in group 2 patients. During antiviral therapy, serum ferritin levels increased in both groups. On treatment, the median increase (compared to baseline) and the calculated rate of the increase in serum ferritin levels was higher in group 1 patients (874% vs. 272%, P < 0.05, 63%/week vs. 13%/week, P = 0.024, respectively). Red blood cell lysis did not contribute to the increase in serum ferritin level. Post-treatment (1st month) serum ferritin levels in group 1 patients were lower than in group 2 patients. In addition, the degree of decline in the 1st month serum ferritin levels (from peak levels) in group 1 patients was higher (76% vs. 49%, P = 0.039). Measuring serum ferritin levels during antiviral therapy in HCV patients who had an early virological response may assist in predicting sustained virological response. J. Med. Virol. 83:1262-1268, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. PMID: 21567428 [PubMed - in process] Related citations ------------------------------------------------------------ J Med Virol. 2011 Jul;83(7):1212-20. doi: 10.1002/jmv.22096. Functional impairment of dendritic cells in patients infected with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 who failed peginterferon plus ribavirin therapy. Liang CC, Liu CH, Lin YL, Liu CJ, Chiang BL, Kao JH. Source Department of Internal Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Abstract Although chronic hepatitis C patients have a lower frequency and functions of dendritic cells (DCs) than healthy subjects, little is known about the serial changes in frequency and functions of DCs following anti-viral treatment and the relationship with treatment outcomes. Twenty patients with hepatitis C virus genotype 1 receiving peginterferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin for 24 weeks were enrolled. The frequency and functions of DCs were assayed at baseline and 24 weeks post-treatment. Ten sex and age-matched healthy adults served as controls. Nineteen of the 20 chronic hepatitis C patients completed 24 weeks of combination therapy. Fifteen patients achieved rapid virologic response and 12 achieved sustained virologic response (SVR). The baseline frequency of peripheral blood myeloid DCs and plasmacytoid DCs was significantly lower in chronic hepatitis C patients than in healthy controls. In patients who achieved SVR, the frequency of DCs subsets at the end of follow-up increased to a level comparable to healthy controls. Although no functional defects of DCs was found in chronic hepatitis C patients in comparison with healthy controls, in patients without SVR had a lower CD83 expression and higher interleukin-10 production of DCs than SVR patients. The results suggest that low CD83 expression and high IL-10 production of DCs at the baseline may predict a poor virologic response to 24-week PEG-IFN plus ribavirin therapy in HCV genotype 1 patients. J. Med. Virol. 83:1212-1220, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. PMID: 21567425 [PubMed - in process] Related citations ----------------------------------------------------------- J Med Virol. 2011 Jul;83(7):1203-11. doi: 10.1002/jmv.22092. Impact of genetic polymorphisms near the IL28B gene and amino acid substitutions in the hepatitis C virus core region on interferon sensitivity/resistance in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Toyoda H, Kumada T, Tada T, Kawaguchi T, Murakami Y, Matsuda F. Source Department of Gastroenterology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, Ogaki, Japan. tkumada@.... Abstract It has been reported that genetic polymorphisms near the IL28B gene or amino acid substitutions in hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein are associated with the clinical outcome of peginterferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin combination therapy. The impact of these factors on the pure sensitivity/resistance to interferon was evaluated. Changes in the HCV RNA levels 24, 48, 72, and 120 hr after administering a single dose of standard interferon (IFN) were measured in 156 HCV-infected patients. The changes were compared based on the genetic polymorphisms near the IL28B gene or amino acid substitutions in the HCV core region. Among patients with HCV genotype 1b, there were differences in the reduction and subsequent increase in HCV RNA levels after administering IFN based on rs8099917 genetic polymorphisms. Amino acid substitutions at residue 70 were associated with differences in the changes in HCV RNA levels only in patients with TG/GG genotype. Multivariate analyses showed that genetic polymorphisms near the IL28B gene was the sole independent factor that was associated with the reduction in HCV RNA levels after administering IFN and the final response to the combination therapy. Among patients infected with HCV genotype 2a or 2b, there were no differences in the changes in HCV RNA levels based on the genetic polymorphisms near the IL28B gene. In HCV genotype 1b, genetic variations near the IL28B gene affected the sensitivity/resistance to IFN strongly. Genetic polymorphisms near the IL28B gene did not affect the sensitivity/resistance to IFN in HCV genotype 2. J. Med. Virol. 83:1203-1211, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. PMID: 21567424 [PubMed - in process] Related citations ------------------------------------------------------------- J Med Virol. 2011 Jul;83(7):1195-202. doi: 10.1002/jmv.22100. Acute hepatitis C in Korea: Different modes of infection, high rate of spontaneous recovery, and low rate of seroconversion. Kim JY, Won JE, Jeong SH, Park SJ, Hwang SG, Kang SK, Bae SH, Kim YS, Lee HC. Source Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Bundang, Korea. Abstract The epidemiology and clinical outcomes of acute hepatitis C are different geographically. This study aimed to investigate the mode of infection, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of acute hepatitis C in Korea. Forty-seven patients with acute hepatitis C were enrolled consecutively in a study conducted in seven medical centers. The patients with the mean age of 45.8 years had mostly mild symptoms. A healthcare-related procedure was the most common exposure history (42.5%): acupuncture (17%), surgery (10.6%), needle-stick injury (8.5%), and other medical procedures (6.4%). There was no case of intravenous drug use. Twenty-one patients (44.7%) recovered spontaneously. Among the 16 patients who received antiviral therapy (34%), all of the 12 evaluable patients had a sustained virologic response, while 10 patients (21.3%) who did not receive antiviral therapy progressed to chronic infection. The overall seroconversion rate of anti-HCV antibody was 61.7%. The patients who recovered spontaneously had significantly lower rate of seroconversion compared with the patients who did not clear spontaneously the infection. In conclusion, acute hepatitis C in Korea was related to various healthcare procedures, including acupuncture, characterized by high rates of spontaneous recovery and low rates of seroconversion, which may be associated with different modes of infection and ethnic differences. The characteristics of acute hepatitis C in Asian countries warrants further study. J. Med. Virol. 83:1195-1202, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. PMID: 21567423 [PubMed - in process] ----------------------------------------------------------- J Med Virol. 2011 Jul;83(7):1187-94. doi: 10.1002/jmv.22099. The effects of widespread methadone treatment on the molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection among injection drug users in Hong Kong. Chan DP, Lee SS, Lee KC. Source Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. Abstract The distribution of HCV genotypes among injection drug users in Hong Kong was assessed in context of methadone treatment availability. Three time periods were defined by the year of initiating injection-on or before 1980, 1981-1994, and 1995-2006-with methadone becoming widely available since the second period. Of the 273 HCV RNA-positive cases, the most prevalent subtype was HCV 6a (52.4%), followed by HCV 1b (38.5%). The new variants of HCV subtypes 6e and 6h were detected. Both subtypes 1b and 6a were prevalent among older injectors, while subtype 3a was more common in young injectors and those initiating injection recently during the third time period. Age (P < 0.05) and recent injection frequency (P < 0.01) were independently associated with HCV 6a infection. Subtype 1b was predominant in the first period, whereas 6a was more common in the second and third. Subtype 1b sequences appeared to have originated at two positions on the phylogenetic tree, while 6a showed a more disperse distribution suggestive of multiple introductions. Phylogenetic analysis on the NS5B region did not reveal specific clustering of any subtype/genotype. Overall, there was no suggestion of outbreaks of HCV. The extensive use of methadone may have protected Hong Kong from the emergence of HCV clusters among injection drug users. J. Med. Virol. 83:1187-1194, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. 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