Immune status of individuals with differing clinical courses of HBV infection.

The immune reactivity of individuals with 3 types of clinical hepatitis B virus infection and a normal control group were compared. The groups studied were individuals with acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, chronic carriers and normal controls. Although the groups differed in terms of the number of circulating lymphocytes, T cells, B cells, calculated helper (CD4+)/suppressor (CD8+) ratios as well as skin test reactivity to a panel of widely recognized antigens, no consistent pattern was recognized for any group and responses observed did not support current hypotheses with the goal to explain the different clinical patterns of HBV infection.

Interferon therapy of Turkish patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Background/aims: The efficacy of alpha interferon therapy in Turkish individuals with chronic hepatitis B virus infection was examined.

Methodology: Sixty-one patients (54 males and 7 females) were studied between 1992 and 1996. Their mean age was 33.

The diagnosis and treatment of Clostridium difficile in antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

Background/aims: This study was initiated to evaluate the role of C. difficile in diarrhea associated with the use of antibiotics, to determine which antibiotics are most often responsible, to characterize the response to several different treatment regimens, and to define the relapse rate as seen in a large teaching hospital in Turkey.

Methodology: Three different patient groups were studied.

A comparative trial of two surface subunit recombinant hepatitis B vaccines vs a surface and PreS subunit vaccine for immunization of healthy adults.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis in Turkey. The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity in Turkey is 5 to 10%. HBV is almost completely preventable with the use of hepatitis B vaccines.