Association of air purifier usage during pregnancy with adverse birth outcomes: the Japan Environment and Children's Study.

Objective: Previous studies have reported that ambient air pollutants such as PM2.5 can increase the risk of adverse birth outcomes. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether air purifier usage during pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of adverse birth outcomes in a large Japanese birth cohort.

Alpha-tocopherol [corrected] and ascorbic acid attenuates the ribavirin [corrected] induced decrease of eicosapentaenoic acid in erythrocyte membrane in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Background: Oxidative damage of the erythrocyte membrane plays an important role in ribavirin-induced anemia. The purpose of the present paper was to assess whether supplementation of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid (vitamins) causes changes in the erythrocyte membrane fatty acid composition during interferon and ribavirin combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C patients.

Methods: Fatty acid compositions in erythrocyte membrane phospholipids were determined by gas chromatography at 0, 2, 4, 8 weeks, and at the end of combination therapy (26 weeks) for interferon with ribavirin in 32 patients with chronic hepatitis C who were randomized to receive vitamins or not (controls).

Hepatic iron overload induces hepatocellular carcinoma in transgenic mice expressing the hepatitis C virus polyprotein.

Background & Aims: Despite the evidence of hepatic iron overload in patients with chronic hepatitis C, it remains unknown if iron overload is related to hepatocarcinogenesis in this condition. The aim of this study was to determine whether iron overload contributes to development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in transgenic mice expressing the hepatitis C virus (HCV) polyprotein.

Methods: Male C57BL/6 transgenic mice expressing the HCV polyprotein and nontransgenic littermates were fed an excess-iron diet or control diet.

Vitamin E and C supplementation prevents decrease of eicosapentaenoic acid in mononuclear cells in chronic hepatitis C patients during combination therapy of interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin.

Objective: We investigated the effects of vitamin E and C supplementation on the fatty acid composition of mononuclear cells and on the clinical observations in patients who had chronic hepatitis C and received interferon-alpha-2b (IFN-alpha-2b) and ribavirin combination therapy.

Methods: Patients were randomly allocated to receive daily 500 mg of vitamin E and 750 mg of vitamin C (vitamin group, n = 14) or no supplement (non-vitamin group, n = 16) in addition to IFN-alpha-2b and ribavirin therapy. The fatty acid composition of mononuclear cell phospholipids was analyzed before and at 2, 4, and 8 wk after treatment.

In situ detection of oxidized n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in chronic hepatitis C: correlation with hepatic steatosis.

Background: Oxidative stress contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis C. The aim of this study was to assess the peroxidation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the liver and its relation to hepatic steatosis in chronic hepatitis C.

Methods: We immunohistochemically detected malondialdehyde (MDA)-, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE)-, and 4-hydroxy-2-hexenal (HHE)-protein adducts in liver biopsy specimens from 55 patients with chronic hepatitis C.