Front Cell Infect Microbiol
July 2024
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) persists as a global health challenge, with its treatment hampered by the side effects of long-term combination drug therapies and the growing issue of drug resistance. Therefore, the development of novel therapeutic strategies is critical. This study focuses on the role of immune checkpoint molecules (ICs) and functions of CD8+ T cells in the search for new potential targets against TB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as the most prevalent chronic liver disorder worldwide, with liver fibrosis (LF) serving as a pivotal juncture in NAFLD progression. Natural products have demonstrated substantial antifibrotic properties, ushering in novel avenues for NAFLD treatment. This study provides a comprehensive review of the potential of natural products as antifibrotic agents, including flavonoids, polyphenol compounds, and terpenoids, with specific emphasis on the role of Baicalin in NAFLD-associated fibrosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Accompanied by the growing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the coexistence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and NAFLD has increased. In the context of CHB, there is limited understanding of the factors that influence the development of NASH.
Methods: We enrolled CHB combined NAFLD patients who had liver biopsy and divided them to NASH vs.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are widely used to treat a variety of cancers and common infectious diseases with high efficacy. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, studies suggested that COVID-19 patients may benefit from ICI immunotherapy. However, clinical studies on the safety and efficacy of ICI in COVID-19 patients are still being conducted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in non-lean patients is significantly increased, and obesity significantly increases the risk of cirrhosis and HCC in NAFLD patients. However, whether there is a difference in clinical manifestations of NAFLD between overweight and obesity remains unclear. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical and histological features of NAFLD among a non-lean population.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: The effect of rationally defined nonpathogenic, nontoxigenic, commensal strains of Clostridia on prevention of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is unknown.
Objective: To determine the efficacy of VE303, a defined bacterial consortium of 8 strains of commensal Clostridia, in adults at high risk for CDI recurrence. The primary objective was to determine the recommended VE303 dosing for a phase 3 trial.
Background/aims: To identify the inflammatory damage caused by chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in patients of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), then guiding clinicians to carry out antiviral treatment.
Methods: According to the pathological features of liver biopsy, treatment-naïve obese patients of chronic HBV infection complicated with NAFLD who had elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) were divided into CHB group and NASH group. Transcriptome chips were used to analyze the expression profiles of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA in liver puncture tissues from the two groups.
An epidemic caused by SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has appeared in Wuhan City in December 2019. The disease has shown a "clustering epidemic" pattern, and family-clustered onset has been the main characteristic. We collected data about 130 cases from 35 cluster-onset families (COFs) and 41 cases from 16 solitary-onset families (SOFs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLittle data exist on basal core promoter/precore (BCP/PC) mutations in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients at the immune-tolerance (IT) phase. We studied consecutive treatment-naïve, CHBe-antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients who had undergone liver biopsy and genotyping. Those in the IT phase or immune-clearance (IC) phase were enrolled for comparison of the frequency of BCP/PC mutations and their clinical presentations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Previous studies have revealed that quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or hepatitis B core antibody (qAnti-HBc) levels can be used as predictors of treatment response in both interferon-α and nucleoside analogue therapies. Few data have been published regarding the relationship between quantitative HBsAg or Anti-HBc levels and liver fibrosis stages in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of treatment-naïve CHB patients.
Background: Previous studies have revealed that hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) levels vary throughout the different phases of treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and can be used as a predictor of treatment response in both interferon-α and nucleoside analogue therapies. However, few data have been published regarding the relationship between quantitative anti-HBc (qAnti-HBc) levels and liver fibrosis in patients with CHB.
Results: A total of 489 HBeAg-positive (HBeAg (+)) and 135 HBeAg-negative (HBeAg (-)) patients were recruited.
Aims: The dynamics of resistance-associated mutations under combination therapy were explored.
Methods: A total of 46 patients were classified into adefovir (n=14) and entecavir (n=32) groups. In the adefovir (ADV) group, six patients receiving combined therapy were DNA-positive after more than 3 years of therapy.
Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), a small DNA virus that replicates by reverse transcription of a pregenomic (pg) RNA precursor, greatly increases the risk for terminal liver disease. RNA interference (RNAi) based therapy approaches have shown potential to overcome the limited efficacy of current treatments. However, synthetic siRNAs as well as small hairpin (sh) RNAs expressed from non-integrating vectors require repeated applications; integrating vectors suffer from safety concerns.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious studies have shown that hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) levels vary during different phases of disease in treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and can be used as a predictor of both interferon-α and nucleoside analogue therapy response. However, there is no information on the association between the quantitative serum anti-HBc (qAnti-HBc) level and liver inflammation in CHB patients. Therefore, we investigated these relationships in a large cohort of treatment-naïve CHB patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The ultimate goal of hepatitis B treatment is hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance. Several factors have been suggested to be associated with the rate of HBsAg reduction in antiviral-naive or lamivudine therapy cohorts. However, there are few studies evaluating the factors during long-term entecavir (ETV) therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the study is to explore the evolution of genotypic mutations within the reverse transcriptase region in partial virological responders (PVRs) receiving long-term entecavir (ETV) treatment. A total of 32 patients were classified as completely virological responders (CVRs) (n = 12) or PVRs (n = 20). Five partial responders were hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA positive after long-term therapy, which lasted for >3 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/aims: Several studies have demonstrated that serum interferon-γ-inducible-protein-10 (IP-10) levels at baseline and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near the IL28B gene were associated with viral response and treatment outcomes. Our purpose was to assess the combination of pretreatment IP-10 levels with IL28B SNPs as predictors of treatment response to pegylated interferon α-2a plus ribavirin in patients infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus in China.
Methods: Seventy-two patients with chronic hepatitis C without fibrosis/cirrhosis were enrolled in the study.
World J Gastroenterol
September 2015
Aim: To investigate the relationship among pretreatment serum CXC chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) levels and thyroid dysfunction (TD) in Chinese hepatitis C patients.
Methods: One hundred and thirty-nine treatment-naive genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C patients with no history of TD or treatment with thyroid hormones were enrolled in this study. Patients underwent peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin (PegIFNα-2a/RBV) treatment for 48 wk, followed by detection of clinical factors at each follow-up point.
Background & Aims: About 350-400 million people are infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) chronically and 1 million people die of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver diseases. Nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) have been used for the treatment against HBV. However, few studies have investigated the long-term effects of different nucleos(t)ide analogues on levels of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Knowledge on Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) kinetics in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with long-term adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) treatment is limited. The aims of this study were to investigate HBsAg kinetics in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection treated with long-term ADV and to evaluate different characteristics between patients with and without HBsAg loss.
Methods: We retrospectively evaluated HBsAg kinetics in 24 Chinese patients with chronic HBV infection who achieved continuous virologic suppression during ADV therapy.
Pediatr Infect Dis J
January 2014
Background: Combination diphtheria-tetanus-5 component acellular pertussis-inactivated poliovirus-Haemophilus influenzae b conjugate-hepatitis B vaccine (DTaP5-IPV-Hib-HepB) administered either concurrently with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) or 1 month apart was generally safe and immunogenic at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. This study examined the effects of a booster dose at age 15 months.
Methods: Participants were randomized to DTaP5-IPV-Hib-HepB plus PCV7, DTaP5-IPV-Hib-HepB with PCV7 administered 1 month later or a pentavalent DTaP5-IPV/Hib plus HepB plus PCV7 at 15 months of age in a randomized, open-label, phase IIb clinical trial.
Objective: To analyze the dynamic changes in hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients following treatment by antiviral nucleotide drugs over a 5-year follow-up period and to assess the clinical significance of quarterly and annual quantitative measurements.
Methods: One-hundred-and-ten patients with CHB were enrolled in the study and administered on-going standard mono-therapy with various antiviral nucleotide drugs. Over a 5-year period, the HBV DNA level was measured by quantitative PCR every three months and the HBsAg levels were measured by chemiluminescence once a year.
Background: DTaP₅-IPV-Hib-HepB, an investigational hexavalent combination vaccine, was evaluated for safety and immunogenicity, when administered to infants with heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7).
Methods: Infants were randomized to receive DTaP₅-IPV-Hib-HepB plus PCV7, DTaP₅-IPV-Hib-HepB with PCV7 administered 1 month later or DTaP₅-IPV/Hib plus HepB plus PCV7 at 2, 4 and 6 months of age in an open-label, phase IIb trial. Vaccine responses were assessed by pertussis toxoid, filamentous hemagglutinin, pertactin and fimbriae types 2/3 seroconversion rates, Haemophilus influenzae type b polyribosylribitol phosphate capsular polysaccharide, hepatitis B surface antigen, diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid and poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3 seroprotection rates and geometric mean titers.