Pilot model of hepatitis C virus micro-elimination in high-risk populations in Hong Kong: Barriers and facilitators.

Background: Although the general seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Hong Kong is <0.5 %, Hong Kong is still striving for HCV elimination owing to barriers in care cascade encompassing linkage-to-care (LTC), treatment initiation and adherence. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a pilot model of micro-elimination to strengthen the HCV care cascade for high-risk groups in Hong Kong.

ALT to qHBsAg ratio predicts long-term HBsAg seroclearance after entecavir cessation in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background & Aims: Factors predicting HBsAg seroclearance after treatment cessation, irrespective of nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) resumption, have important clinical implications. We evaluated predictors of long-term HBsAg seroclearance after entecavir cessation.

Methods: This study followed-up Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B from two previous studies of entecavir cessation.

Endocuff With or Without Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Colonoscopy in Detection of Colorectal Adenoma: A Randomized Colonoscopy Trial.

Introduction: Both artificial intelligence (AI) and distal attachment devices have been shown to improve adenoma detection rate and reduce miss rate during colonoscopy. We studied the combined effect of Endocuff and AI on enhancing detection rates of various colonic lesions.

Methods: This was a 3-arm prospective randomized colonoscopy study involving patients aged 40 years or older.

Blue-light imaging or narrow-band imaging for proximal colonic lesions: a prospective randomized tandem colonoscopy study.

Background And Aims: Blue-light imaging (BLI) is a new image-enhanced endoscopy with a wavelength filter similar to narrow-band imaging (NBI). We compared the 2 with white-light imaging (WLI) on proximal colonic lesion detection and miss rates.

Methods: In this 3-arm prospective randomized study with tandem examination of the proximal colon, we enrolled patients aged ≥40 years.

Monitoring and Treatment of Patients Undergoing Immunotherapy With Anti-CD20 Who are Exposed to HBV.

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a potentially fatal complication of immunosuppressive therapy, and can occur in individuals who are hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative but positive for hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc). While anti-HBc positivity indicates prior HBV exposure, it may also reflect clearance of HBsAg, but with viral persistence at low intrahepatic replicative and transcriptional levels. HBV reactivation can still occur during intense immunosuppression, including B cell-depleting therapy with anti-CD20 antibodies and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Hepatitis B reactivation in occult viral carriers undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A prospective study.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative, antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc)-positive patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has not been prospectively studied. HBsAg-negative, anti-HBc-positive patients with undetectable HBV DNA undergoing allogeneic HSCT were prospectively monitored every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was HBV reactivation, defined as detectable HBV DNA (≥10 IU/mL).

Association of Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen With Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in Occult Viral Carriers Undergoing High-Risk Immunosuppressive Therapy.

Objectives: Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) is a novel serum marker that correlates with intrahepatic hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity. Its association with HBV reactivation in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc)-positive patients undergoing high-risk immunosuppressive therapy is undefined.

Methods: HBcrAg was measured in HBsAg-negative, anti-HBc-positive Asian patients with undetectable HBV DNA, who participated in two prospective studies investigating HBV reactivation during rituximab-containing chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Helicobacter pylori associated gastric intestinal metaplasia: Treatment and surveillance.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer related death in the world, particularly in East Asia. According to the Correa's cancer cascade, non-cardia GC is usually developed through a series of mucosal changes from non-atrophic gastritis to atrophic gastritis (AG), intestinal metaplasia (IM), dysplasia and adenocarcinoma. Atrophic gastritis and IM are therefore generally considered to be pre-neoplastic gastric lesions.

Hepatitis B surface antigen seroclearance during nucleoside analogue therapy: surface antigen kinetics, outcomes, and durability.

Background: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance is the recommended treatment end point for nucleoside analogue (NA) therapy in chronic hepatitis B, yet the underlying kinetics and durability of HBsAg seroclearance in NA-treated patients have not been well described.

Methods: We compared the HBsAg kinetics and long-term serologic outcomes of 51 chronic hepatitis B patients achieving HBsAg seroclearance during NA therapy with those of 51 HBsAg-positive controls, matched for age, sex, hepatitis B e antigen status, NA type, and treatment duration. Viral profiles before and after HBsAg seroclearance during and after NA treatment cessation were determined.

Hepatitis B reactivation in patients with previous hepatitis B virus exposure undergoing rituximab-containing chemotherapy for lymphoma: a prospective study.

Purpose: Patterns of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) -negative, antihepatitis B core antigen antibody (anti-HBc) -positive patients with lymphoma receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy have not been well described.

Patients And Methods: HBsAg-negative, anti-HBc-positive Chinese patients with undetectable serum HBV DNA (< 10 IU/mL), diagnosed with hematologic malignancies and receiving rituximab-containing chemotherapy, were prospectively monitored every 4 weeks for up to 2 years. Entecavir was started when HBV reactivation (defined as detectable HBV DNA) was encountered.

Treatment cessation of entecavir in Asian patients with hepatitis B e antigen negative chronic hepatitis B: a multicentre prospective study.

Background And Objective: The off-treatment durability of nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy in Asian hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and the role of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels in predicting off-treatment durability has not been well investigated.

Methods: Following Asia-Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver guidelines, entecavir was stopped in Asian HBeAg negative patients treated for ≥ 2 years with undetectable HBV DNA levels on ≥ 3 separate occasions 6 months apart before treatment cessation. HBsAg and HBV DNA levels were prospectively monitored every 6-12 weeks for 48 weeks.