Lymphomagenesis-related gene expression in B cells from sustained virological responders with occult hepatitis C virus infection.

The expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase, B-aggressive lymphoma, cyclin D1 and serine/threonine kinase 15 genes, among others, is increased in B cells from patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. It is unknown whether the level of expression of these genes in B cells is increased in patients with hepatitis C who have achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) but who have persistent, detectable HCV RNA, so-called occult infection. Eighty-three patients who achieved and SVR, 27 with detectable HCV and 56 without detectable HCV RNA, 28 chronic hepatitis C patients and 32 healthy controls were studied.

Variations in the promoter region of the glutaminase gene and the development of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis: a cohort study.

Background: Hepatic encephalopathy is a major complication of cirrhosis and is associated with a poor prognosis.

Objective: To identify mutations in the gene sequence for glutaminase in humans that could be responsible for the development of hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis.

Design: Cohort study.

Survival and prognostic factors of HIV-infected patients with HCV-related end-stage liver disease.

Objective: To find the survival and the predictors of death of HIV-infected patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related end-stage liver disease (ESLD).

Design And Methods: A prospective cohort study set in the infectious diseases units of four tertiary care public hospitals in Andalucía, Spain. From a multicentric cohort of 2664 HIV/HCV-co-infected patients, all consecutive patients with HCV-related cirrhosis who presented with the first hepatic decompensation from January 1997 to June 2004 were followed-up and 153 patients were included.