Changes of serum levels of keratin-18 fragments in hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B patients under oral antiviral therapy.

Background: The effect of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment on hepatocyte apoptosis has not been evaluated. We investigated the changes in serum levels of the apoptotic caspase-generated fragments of keratin-18 (K-18) in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative CHB patients under nucleoside/nucleotide analogue(s).

Methods: We included 46 patients with HBeAg-negative CHB who had received lamivudine or adefovir monotherapy for ≥12 months.

The burden and recent epidemiological changes of the main chronic liver diseases in a Greek referral tertiary centre.

Objective: To investigate the burden and recent epidemiological changes of the main chronic liver diseases in a Greek referral tertiary centre.

Methods: We evaluated the main epidemiological characteristics of 1080 consecutive adult patients, seen at our outpatient liver clinic between 2002 and 2007, with chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and/or C (HCV) virus infection, alcoholic liver disease (ALD) or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our patient population was divided into two groups in relation to the time of the first visit (period A: 2002-2004, period B: 2005-2007).