Recurrent Intestinal Obstruction in a Patient with Selective IgA Deficiency.

A 32 year old woman presented with acute onset of abdominal pain and fever. An urgent computerised tomography (CT) of the whole abdomen showed dilated loop at the terminal ileum in the right lower abdomen with thickening of the wall and oedema. The CT was suggestive of distal small bowel obstruction at the ileum with surrounding wall oedema.

Lymphocytic colitis complicated by a mass in the terminal ileum.

Lymphocytic colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the bowel. The clinical course of lymphocytic colitis is believed to be benign with watery diarrhoea. We report herein what is, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of lymphocytic colitis complicated by a terminal ileal mass.

Tuberculous scar tumour detected by dual tracer positron emission-computerised tomography in a tuberculous endemic area.

Tuberculous scar tumour is difficult to diagnose as it does not present with any respiratory symptoms and has a negative chest X-ray. This is a case report on the use of dual tracer 11C-acetate and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) whole body positron emission tomography-computerised tomography (PET-CT) for detection of tuberculous scar tumour. A 44-year-old Chinese female was incidentally found to have a raised serum Ca 19.

Hepatomegaly and periportal oedema of the liver in a patient with eosinophilic gastroenteritis.

Periportal halos are an uncommon finding on computerised tomography (CT) of the liver. Here, reported a case of periportal halos and hepatomegaly in a patient with eosinophilic gastroenteritis. A 49-year-old male presented with a six week history of right lower quadrant pain and diarrhoea.

Recurrent extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli urinary tract infection due to an infected intrauterine device.

The use of intrauterine devices (IUDs) have been widespread since the 1960s. In 2002, the World Health Organization estimated that approximately 160 million women worldwide use IUDs. However, IUDs are associated with short-term complications such as vaginal bleeding, pelvic discomfort, dyspareunia and pelvic infection.

Endogenous lipoid pneumonia associated with Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1.

Endogenous lipoid pneumonia is an uncommon condition. This is a report of a 29-year-old woman diagnosed with endogenous lipoid pneumonia associated with Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 infection. The patient's endogenous lipoid pneumonia resolved completely after treatment for Legionella pneumophila infection.

Collision adenoma-carcinoid tumour of the colon complicated by carcinoid syndrome.

Tumours consisting of a glandular component, either an adenoma or adenocarcinoma, and a carcinoid component are uncommon. These tumours can be differentiated into collision, composite or amphicrine tumours. Most cases reported in the literature were mixed adenocarcinoma-carcinoid tumours.

Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis after Laparoscopic Appendicectomy that Responded to Conservative Management.

Inflammation of the gallbladder without evidence of calculi is known as acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC). AAC is frequently associated with a poor prognosis and a high mortality rate. Thus, early diagnosis and prompt surgical intervention has been recommended to improve the outcome of AAC.

Prevalence and time trend of intestinal metaplasia in Hong Kong.

Background And Methods: Upper endoscopy records from 1998 to 2003 were reviewed. The demographic data, endoscopic diagnosis, results of rapid urease test and the absence or presence of intestinal metaplasia (IM) in histology were reviewed, to evaluate the prevalence of IM and Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection over time in Hong Kong.

Results: Among 1805 endoscopies performed, 1751 had both rapid urease test and histology available.

Silver nanoparticles inhibit hepatitis B virus replication.

Background: Silver nanoparticles have been shown to exhibit promising cytoprotective activities towards HIV-infected T-cells; however, the effects of these nanoparticles towards other kinds of viruses remain largely unexplored. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of silver nanoparticles on hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Methods: Monodisperse silver nanoparticles with mean particle diameters of approximately 10 nm (Ag10Ns) and approximately 50 nm (Ag50Ns) were prepared from AgNO3 in HEPES buffer.

Retracted: outcome and immune reconstitution of HBV-specific immunity in patients with reactivation of occult HBV infection after alemtuzumab-containing chemotherapy regimen.

Unlabelled: Whether preemptive anti- hepatitis B virus (HBV) therapy should be considered in all hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients with occult HBV infection receiving alemtuzumab containing chemotherapy is uncertain. We determined the outcome and effect on HBV-specific immunity of an alemtuzumab-containing chemotherapy regimen in occult HBV-infected patients. Twenty-one consecutive occult HBV-infected patients treated with an alemtuzumab containing chemotherapy regimen were studied.

Human metapneumovirus infection in an immunocompetent adult presenting as mononucleosis-like illness.

A 37-year-old man was presented with incidental findings of neutropenia, atypical lymphocytosis, thrombocytopenia and deranged liver parenchymal enzymes. Four days later, he developed fever, sore throat and cervical lymphadenopathy, compatible with mononucleosis-like illness (MLI). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and viral culture of the nasopharyngeal swab showed human metapneumovirus (hMPV).

Changes in liver histology as a "surrogate" end point of antiviral therapy for chronic HBV can predict progression to liver complications.

Background: The modified histology activity index (HAI) score has been extensively used as an additional primary or secondary end point in most phase III pivotal therapeutic clinical trials on chronic hepatitis B. Improvement in modified HAI after antiviral therapy has usually been defined as a 2-point reduction in modified HAI score.

Aim: We studied whether a 2-point change in modified HAI score after antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B is associated with progression to liver complications (decompensated cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma).

Treatment of Hepatitis B e Antigen-negative Patients.

Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) occurs at the late phase in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection's natural history. The disease is characterized by progressive liver damage due to variants with mutations in the precore/core promoter region that reduce or abolish HBeAg expression. Chronic HBeAg-negative disease's prognosis is poor, with only rare incidences of spontaneous remission.

96 weeks combination of adefovir dipivoxil plus emtricitabine vs. adefovir dipivoxil monotherapy in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Background/aims: In order to prevent the occurrence of drug-resistant mutants associated with treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, combination therapy is being developed. To determine the efficacy of adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) plus emtricitabine (FTC) combination therapy in chronic HBV infection.

Methods: Thirty treatment-nai ve, HBeAg-positive patients were randomized to combination ADV plus FTC (n=14) or ADV plus placebo monotherapy (n=16) for 96 weeks.

Pegylated interferon alpha-2a (40 kDa) in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a serious and life-threatening disease afflicting 350 million of the world's population. So far, current monotherapy with conventional interferon-alpha, lamivudine, and adefovir dipivoxil remains unsatisfactory. In addition, the use of conventional interferon-alpha needs to be administered subcutaneously daily or thrice weekly and is associated with frequent adverse events.

Impact of early viral kinetics on T-cell reactivity during antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B.

Background: The patterns of hepatitis B viral dynamics during different antiviral therapies and the associated changes in HBV-specific T-cell reactivity are not well defined.

Methods: We investigated the impact of early viral load decline on virus-specific T-cell reactivity in 30 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B randomized to monotherapy with adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) or in combination with emtricitabine (ADV/FTC). Viral kinetics were analysed by mathematical modelling.

Sustained disease remission after spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion is associated with reduction in fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis B Chinese patients.

Unlabelled: Recently, controversies have arisen about whether hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion can result in regression of fibrosis, thus improving the clinical outcome of Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B. In this study, we determined if spontaneous HBeAg seroconversion is associated with regression of fibrosis in Chinese chronic hepatitis B patients. We evaluated the histology of liver samples from 128 HBeAg-positive treatment-naive Chinese patients who had undergone 2 liver biopsies over the years.

Natural history and disease progression in Chinese chronic hepatitis B patients in immune-tolerant phase.

Unlabelled: In view of the findings that high hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is associated with increased risk of chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related complications, disease progression in CHB patients in the immune-tolerant phase is uncertain. We evaluated disease progression in 57 immune-tolerant CHB patients with high HBV DNA. Each subject underwent an initial liver biopsy.

Trends for genetic variation of Hepatitis C Virus quasispecies in Human Immunodeficiency virus-1 coinfected patients.

Chronic infection by Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) causes liver fibrosis, which is accelerated by unknown mechanisms in patients with HIV-1 coinfection. The evolution of HCV quasispecies in this setting of coinfection is not fully understood. To compare HCV quasispecies between HIV-HCV coinfection and HCV monoinfection, we sequenced 340 HCV clones from the HVR-1 and NS3 regions at two different time points in two groups of treatment-naïve patients with HCV-1a infection: (1) HIV-HCV positive (n=6); and (2) HIV negative-HCV positive (n=3).

Lentivirus-mediated RNA interference targeting enhancer of zeste homolog 2 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma growth through down-regulation of stathmin.

Unlabelled: Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been shown to be overexpressed in hepatocellular (HCC). We investigated the potential role of EZH2 in HCC tumorigenesis and examined the usefulness of RNA interference (RNAi) targeting EZH2 as a form of HCC treatment. Lentivirus-mediated RNAi was employed to knock-down EZH2 expression in human hepatoma cells to study the function of EZH2 in tumorigenesis and evaluate the treatment efficacy.

Serum adiponectin is increased in advancing liver fibrosis and declines with reduction in fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B.

Background/aims: Despite the possible role of adiponectin in the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis, few data have been collected from patients in different stages of liver fibrosis. We studied the role of adiponectin in 2 chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-patient cohorts.

Methods: Serum adiponectin was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.