Quantitative serum HBV markers in predicting phases of natural history of chronic HBV infection.

Background: Clinical importance of commercially available quantitative HBV markers has not been fully investigated.

Objective: To choice and to evaluate clinically valuable HBV markers for predicting phases of natural history with chronic HBV infection.

Methods: 472 naïve patients with chronic HBV infection were enrolled, in which 21 and 220 were confirmed as HBeAg-positive inactive and active hepatitis (EPIH and EPAH), respectively, and 106 and 125 were confirmed as HBeAg-negative inactive and active hepatitis (ENIH and ENAH), respectively.

Quantitative HBcrAg and HBcAb versus HBsAg and HBV DNA in predicting liver fibrosis levels of chronic hepatitis B patients.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of the quantitative markers of hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) and anti-hepatitis B core antigen antibodies HbcAb versus hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) in predicting liver fibrosis levels in chronic hepatitis B patients.

Methods: Two hundred and fifty hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive and 245 HBeAg-negative patients were enrolled. With reference to the Scheuer standard, stage 2 or higher and stage 4 liver disease were defined as significant fibrosis and cirrhosis, respectively.

Quantitative Anti-HBc in Liver Pathological States in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

Background: Changes of hepatitis B core antigen antibody (anti-HBc) in liver pathological involvement in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have not been investigated in detail. This study aimed to explore evolving patterns of anti-HBc following liver pathological states and to investigate validities of anti-HBc for predicting liver pathological states.

Methods: 254 HBeAg-positive and 237 HBeAg-negative patients with chronic HBV infection were enrolled.

Performance of Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen Versus Hepatitis B Surface Antigen and Hepatitis B Virus DNA in Predicting HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative Chronic Hepatitis.

Background: We examined changes in hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) during the four sequential phases of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection: hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic infection (EPCI) and hepatitis (EPCH), followed by HBeAg-negative chronic infection (ENCI) and hepatitis (ENCH). We compared the performance of serum HBcrAg, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and HBV DNA in predicting EPCH and ENCH.

Methods: We enrolled 492 consecutive patients: 49 with EPCI, 243 with EPCH, 101 with ENCI, and 99 with ENCH.

High persistence rate of hepatitis B virus in a hydrodynamic injection-based transfection model in C3H/HeN mice.

Aim: To optimize the viral persistence rate in a hydrodynamic injection (HI) based hepatitis B virus (HBV) transfection mouse model.

Methods: (1) 5-6-wk-old male C3H/HeN and C57BL/6 mice were hydrodynamically injected with 10 μg endotoxin-free pAAV/HBV1.2 plasmid DNA via the tail vein.

Rupintrivir is a promising candidate for treating severe cases of Enterovirus-71 infection.

Aim: To evaluate the suitability of rupintrivir against Enterovirus 71 (EV71) induced severe clinical symptoms using computational methods.

Methods: The structure of EV71 3C protease was predicted by homology modeling. The binding free energies between rupintrivir and EV71 3C and human rhinovirus 3C protease were computed by molecular dynamics and molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann/surface area and molecular mechanics generalized-born/surface area methods.

Measles virus infection in adults induces production of IL-10 and is associated with increased CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells.

Despite steady progress in elimination of measles virus globally, measles infection still causes 500,000 annual deaths, mostly in developing countries where endemic measles strains still circulate. Many adults are infected every year in China, with symptoms more severe than those observed in children. In this study, we have used blood samples from adult measles patients in Shanghai and age-matched healthy controls to gain an understanding of the immune status of adult measles patients.