C. Y. Hu, Y. Tsou, Meng-Hsuan Chung, N. Lin, Cheng-Yen Chen, Pei‐Chang Lee, Chin-Su Liu
Introduction: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, COVID-19 vaccination is essential for controlling the outbreak and preventing severe disease. However, there are still uncertainties about the safety of COVID-19 vaccination in individuals with chronic liver disease. Case Presentation: Three patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection presented to our hospital with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) due to HBV flare after COVID-19 vaccination (mRNA-1273 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19). Their COVID-19 antibodies were tested by Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S immunoassay, which showed good response after full two-dose course of vaccine. One patient refused the test. The patients’ clinical conditions deteriorated during hospitalization. Patient 1 received Entecavir (Baraclude) 1 mg/day upon presentation, but the serum bilirubin level and international normalized ratio (INR) kept increasing. He was comatose in one week and underwent urgent living donor liver transplantation. Patient 2 was on regular Entecavir (Baraclude) 0.5 mg/day and was increased to 1 mg/day upon admission. The serum bilirubin level and INR kept increasing, and he developed grade 3 hepatic encephalopathy in three weeks. The patient then received urgent living donor liver transplantation. Patient 3 received Entecavir (Baraclude) 1 mg/day upon presentation. Her serum bilirubin and INR kept increasing, and her mental status altered in a week. She did not undergo liver transplantation for her old age. Conclusions: It is not still unclear whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and HBV infection flare. Furthermore, the mechanism of COVID-19 vaccine-induced HBV reactivation is not established. Further studies are needed in this regard. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, prophylactic antiviral therapy for HBV infection before COVID-19 vaccination should be considered.
{"title":"Hepatitis B Virus Infection Flare Induced Acute-on-chronic Liver Failure After COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report","authors":"C. Y. Hu, Y. Tsou, Meng-Hsuan Chung, N. Lin, Cheng-Yen Chen, Pei‐Chang Lee, Chin-Su Liu","doi":"10.5812/hepatmon-126460","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon-126460","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, COVID-19 vaccination is essential for controlling the outbreak and preventing severe disease. However, there are still uncertainties about the safety of COVID-19 vaccination in individuals with chronic liver disease. Case Presentation: Three patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection presented to our hospital with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) due to HBV flare after COVID-19 vaccination (mRNA-1273 and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19). Their COVID-19 antibodies were tested by Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S immunoassay, which showed good response after full two-dose course of vaccine. One patient refused the test. The patients’ clinical conditions deteriorated during hospitalization. Patient 1 received Entecavir (Baraclude) 1 mg/day upon presentation, but the serum bilirubin level and international normalized ratio (INR) kept increasing. He was comatose in one week and underwent urgent living donor liver transplantation. Patient 2 was on regular Entecavir (Baraclude) 0.5 mg/day and was increased to 1 mg/day upon admission. The serum bilirubin level and INR kept increasing, and he developed grade 3 hepatic encephalopathy in three weeks. The patient then received urgent living donor liver transplantation. Patient 3 received Entecavir (Baraclude) 1 mg/day upon presentation. Her serum bilirubin and INR kept increasing, and her mental status altered in a week. She did not undergo liver transplantation for her old age. Conclusions: It is not still unclear whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between COVID-19 vaccination and HBV infection flare. Furthermore, the mechanism of COVID-19 vaccine-induced HBV reactivation is not established. Further studies are needed in this regard. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, prophylactic antiviral therapy for HBV infection before COVID-19 vaccination should be considered.","PeriodicalId":12895,"journal":{"name":"Hepatitis Monthly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44858517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B. Honarvar, Mohammad Hassan Zahedroozegar, Naeimehossadat Asmarian, Ali Zahedroozegar, Khadijeh Saber, Kamran B. Lankarani
Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV), the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis, afflicts millions of people and causes the loss of thousands of lives annually. Objectives: This study aimed to detect the seroprevalence of anti-HAV IgG in Fars province, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using multi-stage cluster random sampling from 12 cities and 24 villages. All age groups, excluding infants (≤ 1-year-old), were included in this study. A valid checklist consisting of demographic and sanitation items and questions about the transmission routes of HAV were filled out for each individual. In the case of children, interviews were performed with one of the parents. Furthermore, anti-HAV IgG was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dia.pro kits, Italy) on 3 cc of the blood sample of each participant. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate (binary logistic regression) tests by SPSS. We applied both World Health Organization (WHO) and age at mid-point of population immunity (AMPI) protocols for HAV endemicity classification. In addition, the geographical variation of hepatitis A chronic immunity was analyzed by the Bayesian spatial model. OpenBUGS program was used to estimate parameters, and ArcGIS was used to display the results on a map. Results: A total of 547 participants with an age range of 1 - 82 years, mean age of 33.07 ± 15.1 years, and female to male ratio of 1.1 were studied. Overall, 380 (69.5%) individuals had anti-HAV IgG, and 124 of 282 (44%) adults ≤ 30 years old had HAV immunity. AMPI was 25 years old. Being married (OR = 10.7), non-Fars ethnicity (OR = 2.8), knowledgeable about HAV (OR = 2.2), and employed (OR = 1.7) were the strongest determinants of anti-HAV seropositivity. Southern cities of Fars province, which have a hot climate, had the highest prevalence of HAV immunity. Conclusions: Fars province is a very low and intermediate HAV endemic area based on WHO and AMPI protocols, respectively. High-risk groups, such as patients with chronic liver diseases or coagulopathy, travelers to highly-endemic areas, intravenous drug abusers, and homosexuals, should be given priority in the HAV vaccination program. However, the strategy of HAV vaccination should be tailored to subsequent cost-effectiveness studies and national HAV vaccination strategy.
{"title":"Hepatitis A Chronic Immunity: A Population-Based Seroprevalence Study in Fars Province, Southern Iran","authors":"B. Honarvar, Mohammad Hassan Zahedroozegar, Naeimehossadat Asmarian, Ali Zahedroozegar, Khadijeh Saber, Kamran B. Lankarani","doi":"10.5812/hepatmon-122238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon-122238","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Hepatitis A virus (HAV), the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis, afflicts millions of people and causes the loss of thousands of lives annually. Objectives: This study aimed to detect the seroprevalence of anti-HAV IgG in Fars province, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using multi-stage cluster random sampling from 12 cities and 24 villages. All age groups, excluding infants (≤ 1-year-old), were included in this study. A valid checklist consisting of demographic and sanitation items and questions about the transmission routes of HAV were filled out for each individual. In the case of children, interviews were performed with one of the parents. Furthermore, anti-HAV IgG was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dia.pro kits, Italy) on 3 cc of the blood sample of each participant. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate (binary logistic regression) tests by SPSS. We applied both World Health Organization (WHO) and age at mid-point of population immunity (AMPI) protocols for HAV endemicity classification. In addition, the geographical variation of hepatitis A chronic immunity was analyzed by the Bayesian spatial model. OpenBUGS program was used to estimate parameters, and ArcGIS was used to display the results on a map. Results: A total of 547 participants with an age range of 1 - 82 years, mean age of 33.07 ± 15.1 years, and female to male ratio of 1.1 were studied. Overall, 380 (69.5%) individuals had anti-HAV IgG, and 124 of 282 (44%) adults ≤ 30 years old had HAV immunity. AMPI was 25 years old. Being married (OR = 10.7), non-Fars ethnicity (OR = 2.8), knowledgeable about HAV (OR = 2.2), and employed (OR = 1.7) were the strongest determinants of anti-HAV seropositivity. Southern cities of Fars province, which have a hot climate, had the highest prevalence of HAV immunity. Conclusions: Fars province is a very low and intermediate HAV endemic area based on WHO and AMPI protocols, respectively. High-risk groups, such as patients with chronic liver diseases or coagulopathy, travelers to highly-endemic areas, intravenous drug abusers, and homosexuals, should be given priority in the HAV vaccination program. However, the strategy of HAV vaccination should be tailored to subsequent cost-effectiveness studies and national HAV vaccination strategy.","PeriodicalId":12895,"journal":{"name":"Hepatitis Monthly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43556020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
O. Shagdarsuren, Ser-Od Khuyag, Y. Mukhtar, Undram Mandakh, E. Tsogzolbaatar, Shatar Shaarii, Nyamsuren Batsuren, Bira Namdag, O. Radnaa, Davaalkham Dambadarjaa
Background: Mongolia introduced vaccination against hepatitis B (HepB) in 1991, leading to a significant decline in the number of infections and mortality associated with the liver disease among this generation. However, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and mortality rates among people born before the vaccination program have not declined. Although several studies have been conducted in Mongolia since the introduction of the HepB immunization program, long-term immunity has not been studied at the national level. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HBV infection in adolescents and young adults who received HepB vaccinations at 0, 2, and 8 months after birth and to assess their post-vaccination immunity against hepatitis B. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2016 and December 2018 and included a sample aged 10 to 27 years in Mongolia who had received HepB vaccination according to the national program. A total of 3591 individuals were randomly selected, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were collected, and serum titers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were determined by a two-step sandwich chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. The age-specific geometric mean of anti-HBs was also estimated. Results: Overall, 98.3% of participants were vaccinated against HepB as infants, according to the interview. The majority had an inadequate anti-HBs titer, while 17.9% had an anti-HBs level of > 10 mIU/mL, of whom 5.7% had immunity induced by HBV infection. Up to 4% of children aged 10 - 19 years and an average of 8% of young adults were serologically positive for HBsAg. The geometric mean anti-HBs titer declined with age, from an average of 40.4 mIU/mL in 10-year-old children to 14.1 IU/mL in 27-year-old adults (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In Mongolia, a small proportion of the population aged 10 - 27 years is immune to HBV, and the geometric mean titer of anti-HBS tended to decrease with age. In order to attain long-term protection against HBV, booster vaccination in adulthood may be necessary.
{"title":"Post-vaccination Immunity Against Hepatitis B Among Mongolian Adolescents and Youths","authors":"O. Shagdarsuren, Ser-Od Khuyag, Y. Mukhtar, Undram Mandakh, E. Tsogzolbaatar, Shatar Shaarii, Nyamsuren Batsuren, Bira Namdag, O. Radnaa, Davaalkham Dambadarjaa","doi":"10.5812/hepatmon-121383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon-121383","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Mongolia introduced vaccination against hepatitis B (HepB) in 1991, leading to a significant decline in the number of infections and mortality associated with the liver disease among this generation. However, the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and mortality rates among people born before the vaccination program have not declined. Although several studies have been conducted in Mongolia since the introduction of the HepB immunization program, long-term immunity has not been studied at the national level. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HBV infection in adolescents and young adults who received HepB vaccinations at 0, 2, and 8 months after birth and to assess their post-vaccination immunity against hepatitis B. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2016 and December 2018 and included a sample aged 10 to 27 years in Mongolia who had received HepB vaccination according to the national program. A total of 3591 individuals were randomly selected, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Blood samples were collected, and serum titers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were determined by a two-step sandwich chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. The age-specific geometric mean of anti-HBs was also estimated. Results: Overall, 98.3% of participants were vaccinated against HepB as infants, according to the interview. The majority had an inadequate anti-HBs titer, while 17.9% had an anti-HBs level of > 10 mIU/mL, of whom 5.7% had immunity induced by HBV infection. Up to 4% of children aged 10 - 19 years and an average of 8% of young adults were serologically positive for HBsAg. The geometric mean anti-HBs titer declined with age, from an average of 40.4 mIU/mL in 10-year-old children to 14.1 IU/mL in 27-year-old adults (P < 0.001). Conclusions: In Mongolia, a small proportion of the population aged 10 - 27 years is immune to HBV, and the geometric mean titer of anti-HBS tended to decrease with age. In order to attain long-term protection against HBV, booster vaccination in adulthood may be necessary.","PeriodicalId":12895,"journal":{"name":"Hepatitis Monthly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45282577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Pleśniak, E. Karpińska, Marta Duczkowska, M. Wawrzynowicz-Syczewska
Background: The quantification of hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg) was proposed as a helpful tool to monitor treatment efficacy with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NA) in HB e antigen-negative chronic HB. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the effect of entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir dipivoxil (TDF) on qHBsAg kinetics and estimate the time necessary to achieve HBsAg clearance with each of these drugs. Methods: The study was conducted on 93 patients, 54 and 39 of whom were treated with ETV and TDF for a median time of 42 months, respectively. The qHBsAg was measured in 6-month intervals with the Elecsys HBsAg II Quantitative assay. The estimated time to undetectable HBsAg was calculated using the best-fitted curve analysis. Results: There was a significant decrease in qHBsAg titers in 79 (84.9%) patients with no difference between ETV and TDF groups (P = 0.754). The median quantitative HB drop was 2003 IU/mL (interquartile range: 638.1 - 5010). The HBsAg levels decreased by 40.3 ± 25.9% on average. The expected time required for HBsAg clearance was comparable in both groups, equaling 104 and 114 months for TDF and ETV, respectively. Conclusions: The HBsAg clearance can be achieved in a substantial proportion of patients after additional 5 years of treatment with NA. The potency of TDF and ETV in qHBsAg reduction is similar.
{"title":"Comparison of the Effect of Entecavir and Tenofovir on Serum HBsAg Levels in Chronic HBe-Negative Hepatitis B Patients","authors":"R. Pleśniak, E. Karpińska, Marta Duczkowska, M. Wawrzynowicz-Syczewska","doi":"10.5812/hepatmon-118965","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon-118965","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The quantification of hepatitis B surface antigen (qHBsAg) was proposed as a helpful tool to monitor treatment efficacy with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NA) in HB e antigen-negative chronic HB. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the effect of entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir dipivoxil (TDF) on qHBsAg kinetics and estimate the time necessary to achieve HBsAg clearance with each of these drugs. Methods: The study was conducted on 93 patients, 54 and 39 of whom were treated with ETV and TDF for a median time of 42 months, respectively. The qHBsAg was measured in 6-month intervals with the Elecsys HBsAg II Quantitative assay. The estimated time to undetectable HBsAg was calculated using the best-fitted curve analysis. Results: There was a significant decrease in qHBsAg titers in 79 (84.9%) patients with no difference between ETV and TDF groups (P = 0.754). The median quantitative HB drop was 2003 IU/mL (interquartile range: 638.1 - 5010). The HBsAg levels decreased by 40.3 ± 25.9% on average. The expected time required for HBsAg clearance was comparable in both groups, equaling 104 and 114 months for TDF and ETV, respectively. Conclusions: The HBsAg clearance can be achieved in a substantial proportion of patients after additional 5 years of treatment with NA. The potency of TDF and ETV in qHBsAg reduction is similar.","PeriodicalId":12895,"journal":{"name":"Hepatitis Monthly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-05-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47655621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Persian Medicine Perspective on the Network Between the Liver and Other Organs","authors":"Azadeh Zarei, H. Rezaeizadeh, M. Karimi","doi":"10.5812/hepatmon-123088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon-123088","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:p />","PeriodicalId":12895,"journal":{"name":"Hepatitis Monthly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44340231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaohan Wang, Liang Shen, Yueyu Shen, F. Han, Z. Ji
Background: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with the severity and extent of coronary stenotic lesions calculated by the Gensini score. In addition, the ability of Fibrosis-4 (FIB4) score to differentiate coronary artery calcification (CAC) and its severity is assessed. Methods: The current retrospective study was performed on a total of 342 patients examined between January and December 2016 in an affiliated hospital of Jiaxing University, Zhejiang, China. The study used liver ultrasonography for the assessment of NAFLD. Furthermore, the FIB4 and Gensini scores were used to predict hepatic fibrosis risk and the severity of coronary stenotic lesions. Results: The present study revealed that the serum levels of triglycerides, fasting glucose, alanine aminotransferase, and uric acid were significantly higher in patients with NAFLD than in participants without NAFLD (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.032, and P = 0.002). Moreover, cases with NAFLD had a higher percentage of diabetes mellitus and hypertension (P < 0.001 and 0.001) than those without NAFLD. It was noted that the level of high-density lipoprotein was lower in patients with NAFLD than in participants without NAFLD (P = 0.006). In addition, we observed that the Gensini score was higher in patients with NAFLD than in participants without NAFLD (P = 0.033). It was found that 27.3%, 25.8%, 45.7%, and 56.3% of the participants had NAFLD in control, single, double, and multi lesion groups, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.008). The number of diseased vessels in patients with severe NAFLD was higher than in the control group (P < 0.001). It was also evident that the number of affected vessels significantly increased (P = 0.010 and P = 0.001) with the stages of NAFLD predicted by the FIB4 and Gensini scores. Furthermore, the Gensini score in patients with moderate and severe NAFLD was higher than in the control group (P = 0.013 and P = 0.019). We also conducted univariate logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship of CAC with FIB4 scores, and it was not significant (P = 0.191). Conclusions: The present study showed a positive relationship between NAFLD severity and coronary stenotic lesions in the eastern Chinese population. Furthermore, it was found that the higher the degree of FIB4 score, the higher the risk of CAC in patients with NAFLD. Therefore, assessing NAFLD severity using the FIB4 score may be useful for differentiating the patients at a higher risk of CAC. However, further prospective studies are required to establish the link between the FIB4 score and CAC.
{"title":"Association between Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and the Severity of Coronary Artery Stenosis in Eastern Chinese Population","authors":"Xiaohan Wang, Liang Shen, Yueyu Shen, F. Han, Z. Ji","doi":"10.5812/hepatmon.122772","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.122772","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with the severity and extent of coronary stenotic lesions calculated by the Gensini score. In addition, the ability of Fibrosis-4 (FIB4) score to differentiate coronary artery calcification (CAC) and its severity is assessed. Methods: The current retrospective study was performed on a total of 342 patients examined between January and December 2016 in an affiliated hospital of Jiaxing University, Zhejiang, China. The study used liver ultrasonography for the assessment of NAFLD. Furthermore, the FIB4 and Gensini scores were used to predict hepatic fibrosis risk and the severity of coronary stenotic lesions. Results: The present study revealed that the serum levels of triglycerides, fasting glucose, alanine aminotransferase, and uric acid were significantly higher in patients with NAFLD than in participants without NAFLD (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.032, and P = 0.002). Moreover, cases with NAFLD had a higher percentage of diabetes mellitus and hypertension (P < 0.001 and 0.001) than those without NAFLD. It was noted that the level of high-density lipoprotein was lower in patients with NAFLD than in participants without NAFLD (P = 0.006). In addition, we observed that the Gensini score was higher in patients with NAFLD than in participants without NAFLD (P = 0.033). It was found that 27.3%, 25.8%, 45.7%, and 56.3% of the participants had NAFLD in control, single, double, and multi lesion groups, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.008). The number of diseased vessels in patients with severe NAFLD was higher than in the control group (P < 0.001). It was also evident that the number of affected vessels significantly increased (P = 0.010 and P = 0.001) with the stages of NAFLD predicted by the FIB4 and Gensini scores. Furthermore, the Gensini score in patients with moderate and severe NAFLD was higher than in the control group (P = 0.013 and P = 0.019). We also conducted univariate logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship of CAC with FIB4 scores, and it was not significant (P = 0.191). Conclusions: The present study showed a positive relationship between NAFLD severity and coronary stenotic lesions in the eastern Chinese population. Furthermore, it was found that the higher the degree of FIB4 score, the higher the risk of CAC in patients with NAFLD. Therefore, assessing NAFLD severity using the FIB4 score may be useful for differentiating the patients at a higher risk of CAC. However, further prospective studies are required to establish the link between the FIB4 score and CAC.","PeriodicalId":12895,"journal":{"name":"Hepatitis Monthly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44613397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Background: CD28 expression is correlated with malignancy development in long-term survivors after liver transplantation. Immune cell activation is mediated by the interaction of CD28 with CD4 and CD8. Objectives: In this study, we attempted to investigate the expression level and prognostic value of CD28 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A total of 54 HCC patients with complete clinical information were examined. The expression level of CD28 in HCC tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. The correlations of CD28 expression with clinical characteristics, CD4+/CD8+ T-cells, and prognosis in HCC were analyzed. The expression profile of CD28 and survival time of HCC patients were retrieved from the TCGA database, followed by survival analysis. Results: The positive expression rate of CD28 in HCC tissues was 70.73%. The CD28 expression was significantly higher in the positive expression group (area: 659174.9 ± 670060, IOD: 123348.3 ± 106348.6) than in the negative expression group (area: 8405.7 ± 9983.3, IOD: 1959.6 ± 2117.7) (P < 0.01). The CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts were 526.13 ± 258.17 cells/µL and 383.93 ± 223.39 cells/µL, respectively. The expression level of CD28 was significantly related to the degree of differentiation and the number of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells (P < 0.05). The survival time of patients was longer in the positive CD28 expression group than in the negative expression group. Based on the CD28 expression profiles of 406 HCC patients retrieved from the TCGA database, patients with high CD28 expression showed a better prognosis than those with low expression (P < 0.05). Conclusions: CD28 may play a vital role in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of HCC by interacting with CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Thus, CD28 could be suggested as the immune checkpoint target for HCC treatment.
{"title":"Expression of CD28 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Its Prognostic Value","authors":"X. Ran, Chuanlei Zhang, Xinting Wang, Qing Zhao, Qiang Zhao, C. Yuan, Yuhui Kuang, Xiaoqi Chen, Xinju Chen","doi":"10.5812/hepatmon.118605","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.118605","url":null,"abstract":"Background: CD28 expression is correlated with malignancy development in long-term survivors after liver transplantation. Immune cell activation is mediated by the interaction of CD28 with CD4 and CD8. Objectives: In this study, we attempted to investigate the expression level and prognostic value of CD28 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A total of 54 HCC patients with complete clinical information were examined. The expression level of CD28 in HCC tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. The correlations of CD28 expression with clinical characteristics, CD4+/CD8+ T-cells, and prognosis in HCC were analyzed. The expression profile of CD28 and survival time of HCC patients were retrieved from the TCGA database, followed by survival analysis. Results: The positive expression rate of CD28 in HCC tissues was 70.73%. The CD28 expression was significantly higher in the positive expression group (area: 659174.9 ± 670060, IOD: 123348.3 ± 106348.6) than in the negative expression group (area: 8405.7 ± 9983.3, IOD: 1959.6 ± 2117.7) (P < 0.01). The CD4+ and CD8+ cell counts were 526.13 ± 258.17 cells/µL and 383.93 ± 223.39 cells/µL, respectively. The expression level of CD28 was significantly related to the degree of differentiation and the number of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells (P < 0.05). The survival time of patients was longer in the positive CD28 expression group than in the negative expression group. Based on the CD28 expression profiles of 406 HCC patients retrieved from the TCGA database, patients with high CD28 expression showed a better prognosis than those with low expression (P < 0.05). Conclusions: CD28 may play a vital role in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of HCC by interacting with CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells. Thus, CD28 could be suggested as the immune checkpoint target for HCC treatment.","PeriodicalId":12895,"journal":{"name":"Hepatitis Monthly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41608656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tae Hyung Kim, Minkoo Kim, H. Yim, S. Suh, Y. Jung, Y. Seo, S. Um, J. I. Lee, Sae-Hwan Lee, S. Kim, I. Kim, H. Kim, E. Cho, Tae Yeob Kim, S. Hwang
Background: In countries with unavailable tenofovir, a combination of lamivudine (LMV) and adefovir (ADV) is recommended for the treatment of LMV-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Considering that telbivudine (L-dT) was demonstrated to be superior to LMV in previous studies, L-dT and ADV combination therapy is expected to show better antiviral efficacy than the combination of LMV and ADV in patients with LMV-resistant CHB. Methods: This was a prospective randomized multicenter study. The primary endpoint was Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) DNA reduction after 52 weeks of treatment. The secondary endpoints were HBV DNA undetectability, hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion, the incidence of virological and biochemical breakthroughs, and safety during the study period. Results: A total of 43 LMV-resistant CHB patients were enrolled. Twenty-one were treated with LMV + ADV and 22 with L-dT + ADV. After 52 weeks of antiviral treatment, the HBV DNA reduction showed no significant intergroup difference (-4.54 ± 1.23 log IU/mL in the LMV + ADV group, -4.24 ± 1.46 log IU/mL in the L-dT + ADV group, P = 0.475). There were no significant intergroup differences in HBV DNA undetectability rates, mean HBV DNA level, or hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion rate at 13, 26, 39, and 52 weeks of treatment. In terms of safety, the mean creatine phosphokinase level was significantly higher in the L-dT + ADV group. Conclusions: In the treatment of LMV-resistant CHB, the combination of L-dT and ADV did not show any clinical benefit compared to the combination of LMV and ADV.
{"title":"Telbivudine Plus Adefovir Versus Lamivudine Plus Adefovir for Lamivudine-Resistant Chronic Hepatitis B: TeSLA Randomized Trial","authors":"Tae Hyung Kim, Minkoo Kim, H. Yim, S. Suh, Y. Jung, Y. Seo, S. Um, J. I. Lee, Sae-Hwan Lee, S. Kim, I. Kim, H. Kim, E. Cho, Tae Yeob Kim, S. Hwang","doi":"10.5812/hepatmon.121627","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.121627","url":null,"abstract":"Background: In countries with unavailable tenofovir, a combination of lamivudine (LMV) and adefovir (ADV) is recommended for the treatment of LMV-resistant chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Considering that telbivudine (L-dT) was demonstrated to be superior to LMV in previous studies, L-dT and ADV combination therapy is expected to show better antiviral efficacy than the combination of LMV and ADV in patients with LMV-resistant CHB. Methods: This was a prospective randomized multicenter study. The primary endpoint was Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) DNA reduction after 52 weeks of treatment. The secondary endpoints were HBV DNA undetectability, hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion, the incidence of virological and biochemical breakthroughs, and safety during the study period. Results: A total of 43 LMV-resistant CHB patients were enrolled. Twenty-one were treated with LMV + ADV and 22 with L-dT + ADV. After 52 weeks of antiviral treatment, the HBV DNA reduction showed no significant intergroup difference (-4.54 ± 1.23 log IU/mL in the LMV + ADV group, -4.24 ± 1.46 log IU/mL in the L-dT + ADV group, P = 0.475). There were no significant intergroup differences in HBV DNA undetectability rates, mean HBV DNA level, or hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion rate at 13, 26, 39, and 52 weeks of treatment. In terms of safety, the mean creatine phosphokinase level was significantly higher in the L-dT + ADV group. Conclusions: In the treatment of LMV-resistant CHB, the combination of L-dT and ADV did not show any clinical benefit compared to the combination of LMV and ADV.","PeriodicalId":12895,"journal":{"name":"Hepatitis Monthly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44236365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
V. Poortahmasebi, S. Alavian, A. Ghaziasadi, Arezou Azadi, M. Nasiritoosi, S. Jazayeri
Background: Several studies have revealed that the hepatitis B virus (HBV) exists in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). It remains poorly understood whether HBV DNA and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) can emerge in PBMCs of patients with different stages of HBV infection. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the detection of HBV DNA and quantification and presence of cccDNA within PBMC from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The present study was conducted on 120 participants (30 CHB patients, 30 cirrhosis patients, 30 HCC patients, and 30 healthy controls) from Tehran, Iran. HBV serological markers were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). PBMCs of all individuals were assayed for HBV DNA detection, quantification, and the presence of cccDNA. Results: Of 90 HBV patients, 58 (64.4%) were positive for HBV DNA in PBMCs. HBV DNA was detected in PBMCs isolated from 13/30 CHB, 20/30 cirrhosis, and 25/30 HCC patients. In addition, 6 (20%) CHB, 13 (43.3%) cirrhosis, and 16 (15.3%) HCC patients were cccDNA positive. The HBV viral loads in serums were statistically higher than the HBV viral loads of PBMCs (P < 0.001). A positive correlation was found between HBV DNA loads in serums and PBMCs of patients. Moreover, HBV DNA quantity of serums and PBMCs showed a significant association in terms of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status. Conclusions: HBV quantity in PBMCs correlated with serum HBV viral loads. HBV genomes in PBMCs may be a risk factor for HBV disease progression.
{"title":"Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus Genomes in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection, Cirrhosis, and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients","authors":"V. Poortahmasebi, S. Alavian, A. Ghaziasadi, Arezou Azadi, M. Nasiritoosi, S. Jazayeri","doi":"10.5812/hepatmon.120982","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.120982","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Several studies have revealed that the hepatitis B virus (HBV) exists in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). It remains poorly understood whether HBV DNA and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) can emerge in PBMCs of patients with different stages of HBV infection. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the detection of HBV DNA and quantification and presence of cccDNA within PBMC from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The present study was conducted on 120 participants (30 CHB patients, 30 cirrhosis patients, 30 HCC patients, and 30 healthy controls) from Tehran, Iran. HBV serological markers were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). PBMCs of all individuals were assayed for HBV DNA detection, quantification, and the presence of cccDNA. Results: Of 90 HBV patients, 58 (64.4%) were positive for HBV DNA in PBMCs. HBV DNA was detected in PBMCs isolated from 13/30 CHB, 20/30 cirrhosis, and 25/30 HCC patients. In addition, 6 (20%) CHB, 13 (43.3%) cirrhosis, and 16 (15.3%) HCC patients were cccDNA positive. The HBV viral loads in serums were statistically higher than the HBV viral loads of PBMCs (P < 0.001). A positive correlation was found between HBV DNA loads in serums and PBMCs of patients. Moreover, HBV DNA quantity of serums and PBMCs showed a significant association in terms of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status. Conclusions: HBV quantity in PBMCs correlated with serum HBV viral loads. HBV genomes in PBMCs may be a risk factor for HBV disease progression.","PeriodicalId":12895,"journal":{"name":"Hepatitis Monthly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42986425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Global and National Trends Toward Hepatitis in COVID-19 Era: Emerging Pandemic and Neglect of Other Diseases","authors":"M. Hedayati-Moghaddam, Reza Jafarzadeh Esfehani","doi":"10.5812/hepatmon.121971","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5812/hepatmon.121971","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:p />","PeriodicalId":12895,"journal":{"name":"Hepatitis Monthly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42954475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}