Repeated administration of recombinant human serum albumin caused no serious allergic reactions in patients with liver cirrhosis: a multicenter clinical study.

Background: We carried out a multicenter study to evaluate the safety of recombinant human serum albumin (rHSA), developed using the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris, during and after repeated administration in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Methods: rHSA was administered to 423 cirrhosis patients with ascites or edema. rHSA was administered three times over 3 days, and each 3-day treatment course was repeated at least three times with an interval of at least 2 weeks between courses.

Eicosapentaenoic acid supplementation for chronic hepatitis C patients during combination therapy of pegylated interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (1.8 g/day) was administered to 12 chronic hepatitis C patients receiving combination therapy of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alpha-2b and ribavirin for 48 weeks (EPA group). Twelve patients were not administered EPA (control group).

Zinc supplementation prevents the increase of transaminase in chronic hepatitis C patients during combination therapy with pegylated interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin.

We investigated the effects of zinc supplementation on clinical observations in chronic hepatitis C patients receiving pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alpha-2b plus ribavirin combination therapy. Patients were randomly allocated to receive 150 mg polaprezinc (zinc group, n=11) or no supplement (control group, n=12) daily in addition to PEG-IFN alpha-2b plus ribavirin therapy and 300 mg vitamin E and 600 mg vitamin C supplementation daily for 48 wk. Among the patients who continued treatment, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level at 12 wk in the zinc group was significantly lower than that in the control group.

[A case of gastric arteriovenous malformation forming faded depression].

A 48-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of anemia. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed discolored depressive lesion like gastric cancer, 30mm in diameter, in the greater curvature of the upper gastric body. During the endoscopic examination, pulsative bleeding from the lesion was occurred and we performed clipping hemostasis.

Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid supplementation in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients.

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory actions. To evaluate the effects of EPA on chronic hepatitis C, we administered EPA ethyl ester capsules to patients receiving the combination therapy of interferon alpha-2b and ribavirin. EPA (1,800 mg/d) was supplemented in combination with vitamin E (300 mg/d) and C (600 mg/d) to 5 chronic hepatitis C patients (EPA group).

Limitation of combination therapy of interferon and ribavirin for older patients with chronic hepatitis C.

In contrast to the United States, Japanese patients with chronic hepatitis C currently treated with interferon are generally 10 to 15 years older. Older patients, however, tend to experience more frequent adverse events. This study was conducted to clarify the effect of patient age on the efficacy and safety of combination therapy.

New prognostic scoring model for liver transplantation in patients with non-acetaminophen-related fulminant hepatic failure.

Background: Many patients with fulminant hepatic failure die before receiving liver transplantation because of the difficulty of pinpointing the suitable timing for liver transplantation. The revised King's College criteria are useful for patients with acetaminophen-related fulminant hepatic failure; however, in those with non-acetaminophen-related fulminant hepatic failure, a new prognostic system that can accurately identify the suitable timing for liver transplantation is required.

Methods: Using the first sample consisted of eighty patients with fulminant hepatic failure, we examined 2-week poor prognostic parameters at the time of diagnosis of fulminant hepatic failure (day 1) and on days 4, 8, and 15, respectively, and a 2-week prognostic scoring model was constructed.

Successful treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma by combined administration of 5-fluorouracil and pegylated interferon-alpha.

We report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated successfully by transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) followed by combination therapy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and pegylated interferon-alpha (PEG-IFN-alpha). In the present case, the patient had massive and advanced HCC with a diameter of over 8 cm located in segment 7 (S7) of the liver. Furthermore, the tumor invaded into the major branch of the portal vein (Vp3).

Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in Hepatitis C patients with sustained virologic response to interferon therapy.

Background: Although a variety of papers demonstrated inhibited hepatocarcinogenesis with interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C, a small number of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) were still observed even in sustained virologic responders.

Aims: To clarify factors affecting the development of HCC, we analyzed the frequency of HCC in sustained virologic responders over a long-term observation period.

Methods: Seven hundred and ninety-two out of the 2623 IFN-treated hepatitis C patients who had undergone liver biopsy showed sustained virologic response.

[Effect of antiulcer agents on the urea breath test--Comparison between rebamipide and ecabet sodium].

In this study, we assessed whether standard doses of antiulcer drugs rebamipide, and ecabet sodium influence the accuracy of the urea breath test (UBT). Without medication, values of UBT estimated with nondispersive isotope-selective infrared spectrometry did not significantly change during follow-up (average 4.4 months).

Detection of hepatitis B virus DNA in the liver and serum of patients with hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C virus antibody negative chronic liver disease.

To elucidate the positive frequency of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCVAb) negative (NBNC) chronic liver disease, we detected serum HBV-DNA using the real-time detection polymerase chain reaction method (RTD-PCR) in comparison with HBsAg and HCVAb negative individuals with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT). We also revealed the nucleotide sequence of the X-pre-C gene-coding region of intrahepatic HBV-DNA. Serum HBV-DNA was detected in 12 of 36 NBNC patients (five of 22 chronic hepatitis, three of eight liver cirrhosis and four of six hepatocellular carcinoma), whereas none of 31 control individuals were positive for serum HBV-DNA (P<0.