POGLUT1, the putative effector gene driven by rs2293370 in primary biliary cholangitis susceptibility locus chromosome 3q13.33.

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic and cholestatic autoimmune liver disease caused by the destruction of intrahepatic small bile ducts. Our previous genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified six susceptibility loci for PBC. Here, in order to further elucidate the genetic architecture of PBC, a GWAS was performed on an additional independent sample set, then a genome-wide meta-analysis with our previous GWAS was performed based on a whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) imputation analysis of a total of 4,045 Japanese individuals (2,060 cases and 1,985 healthy controls).

Serum cytokine profiles and Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) level in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an autoimmune liver disease that is characterized by a progressive destruction of the liver parenchyma and the development of liver fibrosis. We aimed to examine the relationship between circulating cytokines/chemokines and the Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) levels in Japanese patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).We investigated the relationship between circulating cytokines/chemokines and M2BPGi levels in Japanese patients with AIH.

Lack of association between the CARD10 rs6000782 polymorphism and type 1 autoimmune hepatitis in a Japanese population.

Background: Previous genome-wide association studies have evaluated the impact of common genetic variants and identified several non-HLA risk loci associated with autoimmune liver diseases. More recent genome-wide association studies and replication analyses reported an association between variants of the CARD10 polymorphism rs6000782 and risk of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). In this case-control study, we genotyped 326 Japanese AIH patients and 214 control subjects.

Circulating microRNA Profiles in Patients with Type-1 Autoimmune Hepatitis.

Recent studies have demonstrated that micro (mi)RNA molecules can be detected in the circulation and can serve as potential biomarkers of various diseases. This study used microarray analysis to identify aberrantly expressed circulating miRNAs in patients with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) compared with healthy controls. Patients with well-documented and untreated AIH were selected from the National Hospital Organization (NHO)-AIH-liver-network database.

Spontaneous reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in patients with resolved or occult HBV infection.

Reactivation of a former hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can be triggered by immunosuppressive therapy, diseases associated with an immunocompromised state, organ transplantation or the withdrawal of antiviral drugs. Despite the absence of such risk factors, a spontaneous reactivation of HBV replication occurred in two elderly patients with resolved or occult HBV infection. A 73-year-old male underwent coronary artery bypass grafting in October 2008, and was negative for HBsAg but positive for anti-HBs.

Re-evaluation of the serum alanine aminotransferase upper normal limit in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to re-evaluate the upper limit of normal range (ULN) for serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) to interferon therapy.

Methods: Enrolled in this study were 136 consecutive patients, 84 males and 52 females, mean age 52.1+/-14.

Molecular epidemiology and interferon susceptibility of the natural recombinant hepatitis C virus strain RF1_2k/1b.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype is an important determinant of virological response to antiviral therapies. Currently, there are no data available on the molecular epidemiology and interferon susceptibility of the natural intergenotypic recombinant RF1_2k/1b (RF1) strain.

Methods: Genotyping and RF1-PCR screening were performed on samples from 604 HCV RNA-positive individuals from 7 countries.

Factors regarding increase of platelet counts in chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained virological response to interferon-Relation to serum thrombopoietin levels.

Unlabelled: Thrombocytopenia is frequently found in patients with chronic liver disease, and associated with advanced fibrosis stage and with decreased liver function. Serum thrombopoietin (TPO) levels also decrease as the disease progresses from mild fibrosis to cirrhosis. On the other hand, platelet counts increase associated with improvement of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C (CH-C) patients with sustained virological response (SVR) to interferon (IFN) therapy.

Risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with chronic hepatitis C who achieved a sustained virological response to interferon therapy.

Background And Aim: Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients who responded to interferon (IFN) treatment with clearance of serum HCV RNA may rarely develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the present study was to elucidate the risk factors for liver carcinogenesis among such patients.

Methods: In total, 126 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) who achieved a sustained virological response (SVR) to IFN monotherapy, which was defined as the absence of detectable HCV RNA in the serum at 6 months after completion of treatment, were enrolled and possible risk factors for HCC were analyzed.

Late liver-related mortality from complications of transfusion-acquired hepatitis C.

Although several cohort studies have been reported in individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, little is known about liver-related mortality among the elderly. We conducted a cohort study in 302 patients with tuberculosis sequelae who had received a blood transfusion at a young age and had subsequently been treated at a chest clinic. The cohort consisted of 147 patients with antibody to HCV (anti-HCV), of whom 81% were positive for HCV RNA, and 155 without anti-HCV.

Circulating KL-6 level at baseline is a predictive indicator for the occurrence of interstitial pneumonia during interferon treatment for chronic hepatitis C.

Interstitial pneumonia (IP) is a serious adverse event of interferon alpha (IFNalpha) treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CH-C). Among 558 CH-C patients who received IFNalpha treatment with or without ribavirin between January 1992 and June 2002, six patients (1.1%) developed IP, including one patient who developed IP in 1993 and again in 2002.

High TT virus load as an independent factor associated with the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with hepatitis C virus-related chronic liver disease.

The TT virus (TTV) load was estimated in sera obtained from 237 patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related chronic liver disease including 42 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), by real-time detection PCR using primers and a probe derived from the well-conserved untranslated region of the TTV genome, which can detect all known TTV genotypes. Of the 237 patients studied, 18 (8%) were negative for TTV DNA, 87 (37%) had low TTV viremia (1.3 x 10(2)-9.

TT virus of certain genotypes may reduce the platelet count in patients who achieve a sustained virologic response to interferon treatment for chronic hepatitis C.

The platelet count increases after a sustained response to interferon (IFN) treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CH-C). However, the extent of the increase differs by patient. We investigated whether concurrent TT virus (TTV) infection interferes with the improvement of thrombocytopenia.